Breast Augmentation Through Fat Transfer

Drs. Sydney R. Coleman, M.D. & Alesia P. Saboeiro, M.D.

Tribeca Plastic Surgery - 44 Hudson Street, New York, NY 10013

"Fat Grafting to the Breast Revisited: Safety and Efficacy"

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Breast Enlargement Using a Woman's Own Body Fat

Women have always wanted to move fat from their waist or thighs to their breasts. Now it is possible! Sydney R. Coleman, MD has just presented his eleven-year experience in breast enlargement with a woman's own fat at the most prestigious plastic surgery meetings in Europe and the United States. The lectures introduced the use of his trademarked technique of fat grafting, Lipostructure, for augmentation and reshaping of the breast to create a long-lasting and natural result.

Plastic surgeons have transplanted fat to the breast since 1995 but the results have been variable depending on the technique used, the surgeon, and the individual patients. In 1995, Dr. Coleman began injecting fat into the breasts using special instruments he developed for fat grafting. Dr Coleman is able to transfer body fat to the breasts to create a completely natural augmentation that has every indication of being permanent. He uses fat grafting to the breasts as an alternative to implants for augmentations, to ìfine tuneî breast reconstruction, and to disguise the edges or rippling of existing silicone gel and saline implants.

Fat grafting to the breast consists of two procedures performed on the same day: first harvesting the fat and then placement into the breasts. To begin, a substantial amount of fat is removed with a Coleman harvesting cannulaT connected to a small syringe. Then, the harvested fat is injected meticulously through four tiny 1/8 inch incisions using blunt Coleman infiltration cannulasT.

Fat grafting to the breasts has many advantages over implants, but the major advantages are:

Fat is completely natural substance that comes from your own body
Harvesting of the fat can be used to enhance your shape
The breast can be sculpted and shaped
There are minimal incisions with this procedure, which reduces the possibility of scarring
Fat grafting to the breasts can be used to disguise breast implants that do not look natural

Breast enlargement by using the Lipostructure technique takes much longer than traditional breast augmentation. Working with his associate Dr. Alesia Saboeiro, Dr. Coleman typically takes four to six hours for this procedure. The fragile fatty tissue must be harvested slowly and gently. The fat is then placed into the breast not only so that it will create as aesthetic, natural appearance, but also so that the newly transplanted fat has a chance to survive.

Dr. Coleman's overriding concern with injecting fat into the breast has been to avoid any problems with breast cancer detection. As with any breast procedure, calcifications and lumps can occur. Breast studies including physical examination and mammograms, should be used to monitor every patient diligently. However, there is no evidence that fat grafting to the breast is less safe than any breast surgery. Large studies have begun over the last few years to study fat grafting to the breast.

Obviously, surgeons with extensive experience in grafting large volumes of fat to the body are most likely to obtain the best results. Dr. Coleman warns that fat grafting to the breast should only be performed by a board certified plastic surgeon experienced in not only fat grafting, but also the anatomy and aesthetics of breast augmentation.

Who is a candidate?

Any woman who is healthy
A woman who has enough body fat to have the procedure done
Reconstruction candidates
A woman who is considering saline or silicone implants
Has normal mammography

Recovery time of this procedure is about 1 week and runs about $18,000.00.

Q: I have recently heard about fat grafting being used to contour the breasts, what is important to know about this procedure?

A: There are only a handful of surgeons who are skilled at using a women's own fat to enhance the breast size and shape. Fat is removed from the love handles, abdomen and thighs and transferred immediately to the breasts. Typically, an "A" cup can be transformed into a "B" cup.

Fat grafting of the breasts can offer solution women who are not completely satisfied with the look of their breasts, even if they have already undergone augmentation with implants. Lipostructure can not only enlarge and reshape the breasts, but also smooth out the edges of the breast implant and disguise rippling or wrinkling that can occur with implants. Some women suffer from capsular contracture in which the tissue surrounding a breast implant becomes tight causing the breast to feel and look unusually hard. Fat can be injected in these patients to give them a softer, more natural look. The results are very dependant on the technique used. Dr. Coleman and Dr. Saboeiro warn, "You should only go to someone who is experienced and well trained in this specific procedure of fat grafting."

"Fatty Thighs to Give Breasts Uplift"
SARAH-KATE TEMPLETON, HEALTH CORRESPONDENT - SUNDAY TIMES UK

Surgeons are close to developing the ultimate cosmetic treatment to sculpt the female body. They have successfully carried out "natural" breast enlargements where unwanted fat from women's hips and thighs is transplanted on to their busts.

The procedure allows surgeons to redistribute fat around women's bodies, sculpting their figures into an ideal shape. The operations have been carried out on dozens of women in America and British clinics are planning to offer the technique.

Sydney Coleman, a world-renowned plastic surgeon from New York, has performed about 30 breast augmentations using women's own fat. "I recently operated on a mother and daughter who both had big love handles. It was easy just to remove it and place it on the chest," Coleman said.

If the procedure is perfected it could end the need for silicon implants, which have to be replaced every 10 years. Scarring can occur around the implant causing infections, and many women are reluctant to have artificial materials introduced into their bodies.

Thomas Baker, a professor of plastic surgery at Miami University's medical school, has performed 28 augmentations using women's own fat over the past two years. "The breasts look normal and feel normal. They are not like breast implants that can become very hard," he said.

Baker believes the technique is ideal for women wanting a modest breast enlargement of about one to one and a half cup sizes because a smaller volume of fat is needed. The Harley Medical Group is planning to offer the procedure. Mel Braham, its chairman, said: "Once scientific clinical trials have taken place and they are peer-reviewed in established medical publications, then this is something that would be of great interest."

Lola Collazo, 28, a medical administrator from Miami, had her breasts increased from a size 36A to a size 36B using fat from her thigh.

ABOUT THE CONSULTATION

Our consultation is designed to facilitate good communication, which we believe is the key to making successful choices. As a patient, you will spend a considerable amount of time with Dr. Coleman and/or Dr. Saboeiro; as well as with office staff preparing and planning for your procedure. The initial consultation consisits of two visits. Prior to your first appointment, you have some homework to do. Your assignment is to bring with you images of yourself, preferably not smiling, of when you were younger (20-30 years of age); as well as images from magazines of someone whom you find aesthetically pleasing. This is to aid in analyzing the shape and dimensions of the face and body that you desire to achieve.

When you come in for your initial consultation, you will receive a very informative education. This education explains Dr. Coleman’s LipoStructure technique, the ways he approaches aging & rejuvenation, shows comparisons of pre and post procedure results, as well as explains post procedural care. Next you will meet with our nurse and she will go over your cosmetic and medical history with you. Finally, you will have numerous photos taken of you at varying angles and lighting, which you will go over with Dr. Coleman at your second consultation.

The second consultation is the most important, since it is the appointment where you and Dr. Coleman develop a detailed plan for your procedure. It is at this appointment where you will view the photographs taken at your initial consultation. Dr. Coleman has spent an extensive amount of time analyzing these images in preparation for this appointment. Prior to reviewing the images, Dr. Coleman will go over your history again with you as well as explain the possible complications of surgical procedures. As you discuss your concerns and analyze your images, Dr. Coleman will map out a plan to use as a blue print for surgery. Once the plan has been completed, the patient care coordinator will review your procedure, fees and possible dates for you to schedule a procedure.