Facts About Fat Cell Transfer for Breast Augmentation.
Fat cell transfers were first performed around 1896. The first fat transfers for facial rejuvenation as early as 1912. This is not a novel or new procedure, but has been perfected over the years.
In the last 20 years, surgeons have been documenting some long-term benefits found from fat cell transfers, including the ability to maintain volume as well as regenerative evidence.
Dr. Bednar states, “My personal preference, in that I was first an artist long before I was a plastic surgeon, ( I’ve been painting carving and sculpting since I was eight years of age) would be to be able to provide an individual a unique and personally customized result in the sculpting of a patient’s breasts every time. A truly original work of art so to speak.”
Early in his career, Dr. Bednar would a clay model for a patient’s implant for breast reconstruction, personally customizing the implant for her. The clay model would serve as a recreation of all the subtle nuances of her breast that she was unfortunately going to lose to surgery, or match the other breast if she had already been treated. That particular model was used at the breast implant manufacturer’s custom’s department to produce her implant. Unfortunately there hasn’t been a customs department at the major manufacturers for nearly twenty years and it was an expensive process. This left us with an off-the-shelf and limited solutions with production implants. It is the same case with the cosmetic patient and we are left with limited choices, and in fact limitations to results.
Fat transfer, however, does allow Dr. Bednar the sculpting tool and medium to customize a breast augmentation with the patient’s own tissue, instead of a foreign object. As an artist, this satisfies his longstanding desire to create a specific and customized look for each individual patient.
Fat transfer to the breast is not necessarily for everyone. Those patients who would never have an implant, are left with this as essentially their only choice. Patients who want a very dramatic increase in size may be better served by an implant. There are times where a combination of the procedures, utilizing both an implant and a fat transfer, may serve to satisfy the expectations of the patients and provide for a superior result. Asymmetries, constricted breasts, poor cleavage lines, and even slightly sagging breasts seem better served with a fat transfer. The possibilities seem endless.
We think the best conclusion is that in experienced and talented (and we stress experienced and talented) hands a predictable and consistent result can be obtained even without cell enrichment. Cellular enrichment is the next step towards more consistent results for all practitioners.
It must be remembered that in the great majority of cases, the desired result can be accomplished in a single stage. In some cases where there is a significant asymmetry or constriction of breast tissue, more than one procedure may be warranted. Dr Bednar would discuss this particular scenario with that patient and map out a long-term treatment plan accordingly.
