Is it possible to have breast augmentation without implants? Today, some surgeons believe that the answer to that question is "yes.
" They perform a procedure called fat grafting or fat transfer to increase breast size.
During fat grafting, liposuction is used to remove fat from other areas of the body and then the fat cells are injected it into the breasts.
Needless to say, the option of a "natural" breast augmentation has been getting a lot of buzz - in the media, among patients, and among surgeons.
Although some surgeons have adopted this technique, many have not.
They're not convinced that the safety and efficacy of the procedure have been proven.
Many are cautiously optimistic about the future of fat transfer, but they think that the best thing they can do for their patients is wait until they have no doubts about this new option.
(This is the camp that my New Jersey plastic surgerypractice is in.
) New Research At the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS) 2010 conference in Toronto, researchers presented a study suggesting that fat grafting for breast augmentation can be a legitimate and long-lasting way to increase breast size.
The study was relatively small, consisting of 25 patients.
These women wore an external tissue expander for 3 weeks prior to surgery (to make room for the transferred fat).
About 220-650 cc of fat was removed from other areas on each patient's body using liposuction, and was then injected into their breasts.
Six months after surgery, all of the patients saw visible increases in breast volume.
According to the researchers, expanding the tissue prior to surgery was the key to successful grafting.
What's more, the researchers proposed that the technique is time efficient, can be reproduced by other surgeons, and can produce long-lasting results.
Limitations & Advantages Although this technique is gaining attention and scientific validity, many surgeons are still on the fence about the real potential of the procedure.
There are several very important drawbacks associated with the fat grafting technique, drawbacks that all surgeons must be careful to explain to their patients:

1. Results possible with fat transfer are nowhere near as dramatic as results possible with traditional breast augmentation (with implants).
   It's an important distinction between the two options.
   
2. Fat transfers sometimes produce inconsistent results.
   While a skilled surgeon may be able to help prevent things like asymmetry, fat could calcify and harden into lumps (without any surgeon error).
   
3. The body tends to absorb a good deal of the transferred fat, so size increase over time may be even less than expected.
   

For these reasons, fat transfer is generally suggested for women who want a very modest size increase.
But, with such potential drawbacks, why consider it at all? Proponents explain that patients get a dual benefit - reduction of fat deposits (through liposuction) and slight augmentation.
They also point out that, because no implant is used, there is no risk of capsular contracture, implant rupture, or other implant-related complications.
The Future of Fat Transfer When it comes down to it, this research is still in its infancy.
Granted, it will be interesting to see how technology develops and to see if "natural" breast enhancement really is the wave of the future.
In the years to come, we may very well see fat transfers offered at every plastic surgery practice; but for the time being, breast augmentation with implants is the surest way to achieve the kind of results most women want.
After all, breast implants have been helping women achieve a look they love for decades now.
Overwhelmingly, my breast augmentation patients are thrilled with the results of their breast implant augmentations.