There has been much recent interest in fat grafting in cosmetic and reconstructive breast surgery. Filling in a residual contour irregularity after reconstructive breast surgery has been increasingly treated with fat grafting by a small amount of liposuction, processing the fat and injecting it into the same patient. The hope is , the tissue will “take” or become revascularized and fill in any residual defects.
Fat grafting for cosmetic breast augmentation has been frowned upon by The American Society of Plastic Surgery, ASPS, in the past. However, there has been renewed interest and research in this topic. As plastic surgeons do fat grafting in other areas of the body, some are now employing this technique for breast enlargement. Fat grafting for breast augmentation still remains somewhat controversial, however, as some animal studies have noted some possible complications and breast cancer screening with mammography remains a concern. Using ones own tissue for cosmetic enhancements, however, remains an attractive option and an ongoing area of research in Plastic Surgery.
Stephen Delia, m.d.
