Answers
"Before having my child, I felt OK about my breast size, but now I am dissatisfied. I gained weight during my pregnancy and even retained a few extra pounds afterwards, but my breasts have remained small. Is it possible to remove fat from one part of the body and use it to enlarge the breasts?"
— Answered by David Knize, MD
Englewood, CO
Fat cells that are removed from one part of the body frequently are injected elsewhere. For example, fat can be used smooth facial lines or augment the lips. It can be used to fill in minor depressions or "dimpling" of the thighs and buttocks. The breasts are one of the few areas for which fat injection is not recommended. There is the possibility that fat injected into the breast may become liquid and drain from the injection site or may calcify, becoming a scarred mass within the tissues. The calcification of injected fat can mask the presence of breast cancer, making the disease more difficult to detect with mammography screening. It also can mimic breast cancer, making biopsies necessary to determine whether cancer is present. In addition, the increase in breast volume from fat injection may not be permanent. The American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery (ASAPS) has a position statement on Breast Enlargement by Fat Injection that cautions women about the possible dangers of this procedure. If you are interested in enlarging your breasts, you should consult with an ASAPS-member plastic surgeon about breast augmentation with saline implants. Saline implants have been approved as safe and effective by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). A board-certified plastic surgeon can thoroughly discuss with you both the benefits and risks of implant surgery.
