Fat Transfer is a minimally invasive outpatient procedure in which an individual's own body fat is harvested from suitable areas such as from inner knees, outer thighs, flanks, buttocks, or abdomen and injected into the desired area (eg. the breasts, buttocks, hand, neck or face) to add volume, thereby it results in the loss of unwanted fat from the donor area along with an increase in size of the recipient area. It is a safe alternative to breast implants which can have complications like capsular formation (hardening), migration or rippling. It is also known as autologous fat transfer because fat is used for injecting is harvested from your own body. Generally fat transfer is a safe technique to add volume in the desired area but it is more popular for breast enhancement by increasing the size and by creating a better contoured breasts.
Am I a Candidate for Fat Transfer?
- If you feel that your breasts have reduced in size after giving childbirth, on breastfeeding, due to weight loss or aging and don’t want to use an implant to increase the size of it.
- If you have asymmetric breasts (one breast is smaller than other).
- If your breasts implants have been removed because of scar tissue formation
- If you want to improve the size and shape of your breast and looking for a safe procedure with minimal downtime and recovery period.
However, fat transfer technique is not good for you:
- If you have extremely large or hanging breasts due to breast feeding or aging
- If you want a major augmentation (2 or more sizes of bra)
- If you are physically wea and fat cannot be extracted from their thighs and abdomen
- If you have a family history of cancer.
Complete the form below and one of our team will be in touch to arrange your consultaion.
The Fat transfer procedure
The autologous fat transfer is performed under local anaesthetic or sedation and takes approximately 1-3 hours to complete. It is a three-step process:
- Extraction of fat with gentle liposuction
- Isolation and cleansing of the fat cells
- Reinjection of fat cells into the targeted areas.
Extraction of fat with gentle liposuction:
At Be Cosmetic Clinics, Kenya, we use minimally invasive VASER liposuction technique for fat harvesting from donor area. In this procedure a very small ultrasound probe is inserted into the donor area which emits the high-frequency sound energy to break up and dislodge fat from nearby soft tissue fibers. The fat then becomes liquified and is gently extracted out by a thin metallic tube called cannula via suction through keyhole incisions.
Isolation and cleansing of fat cells:
Once enough fat is obtained from the desired area,the surgeon will process it to prepare the fat cells to transfer it in a small syringes that will be used as fat injection. In a centrifuge filtration process is done to remove impurities from fat cells.
Reinjection of extracted fat cells into the targeted areas:
The surgeon will insert a needle or cannula into the incision point of the site which is being augmented. The injection needle is usually passed multiple times in and out of the augmented area. Thus a line of fatty tissue bundle is carefully deposited in planes of natural tissue. This procedure is repeated until the desired correction has been achieved. The surgeon may also use a dressing or bandage over the grafted area for safety.
Features and benefits of Autologous Fat transfer
Due to following features and benefits, the autologous fat transfer technique is considered better than the traditional methods for breast enhancement.
- Fat transfer is a simple and less stressful surgical procedure on the body than other traditional methods
- The fat which is to be transferred is extracted by minimally invasive VASER lipo technique which ensure the less to no damage to surrounding tissue such as nerves, blood vessels and connective tissues
- There is no chance of allergic attack because the fat cells already belong to your body.
- Relatively less invasive as compared to traditional methods
- Suitable for both large as well as small areas
- It helps reduce weight from lower parts of the body as surgeon uses candidate’s own excess fat to enhance and augment the size of the breasts
- Can be performed under local anaesthetic
- Can be performed as an outpatient procedure, i.e. does not require an overnight stay in hospital
- Minimum downtime and quicker recovery than traditional methods
- Minimal scarring, bruising and bleeding
- Less painful than traditional methods because the sensitive nerves, blood vessels, and connective tissue beneath your skin will remain largely undisturbed during surgery.
- Noticeable and predictable immediate results with continued improvement up to six months after surgery
- Safe and effective procedure
- Results are permanent.
Downtime and recovery
You can perform your normal activities within 1-3 weeks after surgery. However, it is advisable to avoid stressful activities for at least 4-6 weeks. In some cases, patient may experience some swelling and bruising at the injection site. The recovery time is between 1-4 weeks, depending on how many areas were treated and the size of the procedure. We at Be cosmetic clinics, advise our patients to wear a sports bra for at least three days a week to aid recovery.
Risks and complications
Autologous fat transfer is considered as a safe procedure but there are a few minor risks. These risks may include:
- Appearance of the lumps or irregularities in the breast shape due to over-absorption of the injected fat cells
- Swelling, bruising and pain
- Minimal scarring,/
- Cyst formation or closed sac of the injected fat cells which is rare.
The Fat transfer Results
Results will be noticeable immediately after surgery, but the size of your breasts will decrease a little because a small amount of the injected fat cells may be absorbed by the body but those fat cells that remain will provide permanent and natural results. The shape of your breasts will become more natural around the six months as the fat cells settle and take to the new area of your body. The results are permanent if you maintain a healthy diet and lifestyle but as the breasts are injected with living fat cells, they will naturally change over time with your age. Often an additional touch up procedure may be required to further enhance the results.
