Houston Plastic and Craniofacial Surgery
1-713-791-070
Fat Grafting with Implants Offers Superior Results for Breast Reconstruction It could be the BRA (Breast Reconstruction Awareness) Day effect - more women are now aware of the options available to restore breast contour after mastectomy. There are basically two options: reconstruction with implants and fat grafting. MDLinx recently reported on a new study published in the European Journal of Plastic Surgery which suggests that the use of autologous fat transfer along with breast implants could maximize the aesthetic outcome. Fat grafting selectively improves areas of hollowness, enhancing contour and optimizing symmetry. The implant option offers a larger increase in projection in a single procedure. The study was conducted to know if women could experience a positive difference when combining these methods. A retrospective chart review was performed on women who underwent free flap reconstruction with secondary augmentation using autologous fat grafting or implants over the period 2008- 2011. The findings can be summarized as follows: • 24 women (39 breasts) got additional augmentation of autologous tissue reconstruction during this period
Houston Plastic and Craniofacial Surgery
1-713-791-070
• 16 women (26 breasts) had only fat graft augmentation, four patients (8 breasts) had only implant augmentation, and three patients (5 breasts) had both procedures • For women who had fat grafting, operative intervention was necessary twice for fat necrosis • For those who received implants, only one patient required operative intervention for implant malpositioning • The differences noted were not significant It was found that the group that had both fat grafting and augmentation had significantly higher aesthetic scores with regard to overall appearance, contour, and volume. However, projection obtained was less in the ‘combination group’ compared to the group with fat grafting only and the group with implant only. Such studies are a valuable resource for patients as well as plastic surgeons. Nevertheless, women who have had a mastectomy should educate themselves on reconstruction options in consultation with a reliable plastic surgeon. The patient’s health status, breast anatomy and expectations are important considerations that go into deciding which procedure can provide the most optimal outcome.