Ask the Doctor

Ask the Doctor The Skinny on Fat

Q & A WITH PLASTIC SURGEON DR. ASHLEY AMALFI

Instagram: @DrAshleyAmalfi & @QuatelaCenter_PlasticSurgery YouTube: Lipstick & Lipo

We hear there is an alternative to breast enlargement that doesn’t involve an implant. Do tell!

We have seen a huge rise in patients seeking a more natural option for breast enlargement. While breast implants are the gold standard to change your cup size, there are some other options we can use to achieve your goals. Fat transfer to the breast is one of the top procedures I perform to enhance the breast. While this doesn’t typically give a dramatic change in cup size, it will likely fill out the cup size you wear and prevent that bra-gapping that we all get after having kids. With repeat rounds of fat transfer, we can actually change the cup size and keep building upon your breast using your own tissue.

So how does this work? You’re saying you can take fat from one area of the body and inject it into my breasts? What a dream…

Yes, exactly! That’s why this is such a great option for the right patient. We use liposuction to remove fat from an unwanted area. Common spots women choose are their tummies, love handles (iliacs) or inner and outer thighs. The patient’s own fat cells are then processed and reinjected into the breast to improve shape and upper fullness. Not all of the fat survives the transfer process, but on average about 60 percent of the fat remains after about three months.

How long do the results last?

Once the fat incorporates, it is a part of the breast and results last forever. It will change with weight loss or gain just like it did in its original location in the body. And the bonus is that the donor site looks amazing after stubborn, unwanted fat is removed from that area. With fuller breasts and contouring to another area of the body with liposuction, it’s a win overall and my patients are extremely happy. can do the procedure on a Thursday or Friday, and you can be back at the office on Monday, no matter how physically demanding your job. Because everything is done through tiny poke holes, there is nothing to take care of, no incisions to heal and no time away from the gym or your busy life.

Patients wear some compression at the donor site (like a pair of bicycle short Spanx under their clothes), and they are back to their routines. Bruising lasts for two weeks, and swelling looks great at a month and continues to improve over the next few months. We can see how much fat will survive in a patient typically by the three-month mark.

It’s so great to have alternative options. Is there anything else you are doing to enlargebreasts without implants?

There is another technique that I am doing commonly to improve the upper shape of the breast, and this also uses the patient’s own breast tissue. The best candidates for my autoaugmentation procedure are women who have some sagging of the breast (ptosis), which is common after weight loss, pregnancy or just due to gravity over the years. In these women, instead of removing the sagging tissue, I use some of the hanging lower tissue from the breast, tuck it under the remaining breast tissue and secure it to the upper part of the chest. This moves the sagging tissue to an area where we would rather have fullness, and keeps all of the patient’s own breast tissue, creating a new breast shape. This is a great option for someone who doesn’t want to change her cup size, but wants that rounder shape and upper fullness back to her breast.

Whether you are looking for a standard breast augmentation with implants, a boosted breast with fat transfer or improved shape with an auto-augmentation breast lift (mastopexy), it’s so great to have options. It allows me to tailor each procedure to my patient’s specific needs. If any of these procedures sound exciting to you, please call our office and we will set up a personalized consultation for you to discuss your options to achieve the look you desire.

your premier destination for plastic surgery in upstate new york

Since 1992, the Quatela Center for Plastic Surgery has taken pride in providing patients with the latest advances in surgical and non-surgical cosmetic treatments. Located in the beautifully restored Lindsay House Mansion, board-certified plastic surgeons, Vito C. Quatela, M.D., William J. Koenig, M.D., Heather Lee, M.D., Ashley N. Amalfi, M.D., and Alex Montague, M.D. are amongst the most respected and talented plastic surgeons, not just in Rochester, NY, but in the nation.

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