Autoglous Fat Grafting, also called autologous fat transfer, is a surgical technique for both reconstruction and cosmetic breast enhancement. With Fat Grafting, or AFT as it is commonly referred to, adipose (fat) tissue is harvested from the thighs, belly, or buttocks via liposuction, prepared for injection and re-introduced to the breast area.
While this technique is more frequently used for reconstruction following mastectomy or lumpectomy procedures, more patients are choosing this over traditional breast augmentation to correct asymmetry, volume loss from pregnancy and/or to create a most supple breast.
Some of the benefits of AFT include:
- Using your own natural tissue rather than a synthetic implant.
- Since fat is removed from an area where you don’t want it, you get the added cosmetic benefit of liposuction in that area, giving more contour.
- Some reports from patients claim fat-graft-reconstructed breasts have some sensation and feel soft, much like the other unreconstructed breast.
As a physician, I can attest that your patient's safety and comfort are of the utmost importance. As ATF becomes more widely used, a new study in The Journal of American Medical Association reports that women who underwent this procedure for reconstruction following breast cancer surgery did not appear to be at increased risk for locoregional or distant recurrence. This is but one of multiple studies that have confirmed the safety and efficacy of autologous fat grafting (AFT) for breast reconstruction.
Experts in the field recommend that you seek a board-certified plastic and reconstructive surgeon who has experience with large volume AFT. As a board-certified plastics and reconstructive surgeon, I have performed nearly 70 large volume, breast autologous fat transfers for both cosmetic and breast reconstruction.
Here are case studies of two patients that underwent ATF for two different purposes in my San Francisco office.
AFT for Breast Reconstruction
The patient is a 44-year-old woman who was diagnosed with left breast cancer who underwent a therapeutic left mastectomy and prophylactic right mastectomy. Prior to surgery, the patient was a 38 B cup. We discussed her options for bilateral reconstruction and she chose to undergo autologous fat grafting (AFT).
