Answers
"I would like to have liposuction, a tummy tuck, breast augmentation and lift. Can the fat from my stomach be used to augment my breasts? Can all of these procedures be done at the same time?"
— Answered by
Arie Benchetrit, MD
Pointe Claire, Canada
The idea of injecting your own fat, taken from the abdomen, into your breasts to make them larger sure sounds good but is actually something that should be absolutely avoided. The reason is that injected fat can necrose, i.e. the fat cells can die, and when they do, small amounts of calcium are deposited in the area of the necrosed fat. The problem with these deposits, called microcalcifications, is that on mammography, an x-ray of the breasts used to screen for breast cancer, these microcalcifications look very much like the ones often associated with cancer. Therefore, a woman with these lesions, as well as her doctor, will forever be unsure if these microcalcifications on her mammogram are benign or a sign of breast cancer. Needless to say, no one wants to live with that uncertainty and risk.
As for combining all of the surgeries you mention, this is theoretically possible but the advisability of doing so will vary from patient to patient. Longer, more complex surgeries carry more risk of complications and so this has to be weighed against the advantages of a combined surgery. Other factors to consider are a patient's age, state of health, occupation, available help during the recovery period, etc. The pros and cons and related risks of a combined surgery vs. surgeries done separately should be discussed at length during your consultation with a Board Certified Plastic Surgeon. You can then make an informed decision based on all of the facts that pertain to you.
