Breast reconstruction surgery replaces the breast that is removed when a woman has a mastectomy to treat breast cancer. Although breast reconstruction often involves inserting a synthetic implant, there is an alternative, more natural treatment for rebuilding the breast(s).
Fat-transfer breast reconstruction, also called autologous fat transfer, removes fat from an area of the body that has fat to spare, and places it in the reconstructed breast for results that look and feel natural. Using the patient's own fat eliminates the hard look and feel often associated with implants and alleviates the concern many women have of inserting foreign material into their bodies.
An additional cosmetic benefit of fat transfer is that the area from which the fat is taken becomes slimmer and more contoured, typically the abdomen. Fat-transfer breast reconstruction is ideal for nearly any woman who wants a breast reconstructed, does not want to use a saline or silicone implant or implants, and has enough body fat available to sufficiently rebuild the breast.
FAQs
What To Expect During the Procedure
Weeks or even months before your surgery, your medical provider will place a tissue expander below the pectoralis major muscle of the chest wall to create a new breast "pocket." Breast reconstruction using fat transfer can proceed when the tissue has expanded enough.
First, fat is removed using liposuction, in which a cannula (a thin, hollow tube) is inserted through each small incision and moved back and forth to loosen excess fat, which is suctioned out using a vacuum or a cannula-attached syringe. The harvested fat cells are then purified. In the second procedure, which takes place on the same day, the fat is injected into the breast through small incisions.
The procedure is performed under general anesthesia or local anesthesia with sedation, depending on the preference of the patient and surgeon, and it takes four to six hours. Because some of the injected fat is reabsorbed by the body, some people may require two to five fat-transfer procedures to achieve satisfactory results.
Postoperative pain and swelling, which can be managed with prescription medication, are typical. A patient can return to work and other light activity after a few weeks.
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