
Personal body image
Breasts play an essential role in the body image of many women. It is not just the size that is critical but also the shape. Personal reasons for wanting a breast augmentation include a breast that is perceived as being too small, breasts of different sizes or a change in breast shape after dramatic weight loss or pregnancy. Various methods of breast augmentation For a long time implants appeared to be the only effective method for breast augmentation but there are now a number of alternative procedures available to women. One example is treatment using autologous fat (transplantation of autologous fat) which, thanks to new techniques, can largely exclude the risks previously associated with the procedure such as the low growth rates of the injected fat cells, the formation of oil cysts or calcifications. Along with treatment using autologous fat, women were offered another alternative to silicone implants: treatment with Macrolane, a gel made from synthetically manufactured hyaluronic acid. This gel is completely broken down by the body between 12 and 24 months but the manufacturer has withdrawn the product for use in breast augmentation until further notice. Breast augmentation without implants – autologous fat makes this possible Using autologous fat for breast augmentation is particularly suitable for women who want a permanently full and natural breast but do not want foreign material in their body. A breast augmented with autologous fat behaves like a woman’s own body, the breast remains elastic and mobile, it appears natural and it also feels natural. Transplantation with autologous fat has now been successfully used for more than 10 years. To date, no negative effects in terms of possible development of cancer have been recorded. Nevertheless, every tenth woman must consider that she will develop a mammary carcinoma over the course of her life – regardless of whether she has had treatment with autologous fat.Breast augmentation with autologous fat
Natural breast augmentation
For breast augmentation with autologous fat, fat cells are suctioned from the stomach, thighs or hips, for example, collected and then injected into the breast.
Fat transfer from stomach to breast
While large numbers of fat cells are usually damaged with conventional liposuction methods, waterjet-assisted liposuction preserves most of the fat cells. This means that about 75% of the suctioned fat cells grow permanently in the breast.
Complications such as oil cysts or calcifications of the fat cells which occurred with previous autologous fat transplantations can be largely avoided with the water-jet assisted method (read more here). In this way a small breast can be naturally enlarged using autologous fat – with the additional gain of body contouring thanks to the removal of fat deposits that are stubbornly resistant to exercise and diet.
Who cannot use autologous fat for breast augmentation?
For extremely slim women this method often cannot be used because of the lack of autologous fat. For women who want an immediate and significant breast augmentation (from cup size A to cup size C), treatment using autologous fat is also not suitable because multiple treatments are necessary for a volume increase of up to two cup sizes. However, treatment with autologous fat can be useful as an ‘supplementary treatment’ after breast augmentation with silicone inserts – to conceal silicone implants that are visible beneath the breast skin.
Asymmetric breasts
Asymmetric breasts
The human body is not completely symmetrical. We usually don’t notice that our arms and legs are often of different lengths. However, sometimes the difference is bigger and noticeable.
Just as arms and legs are rarely of exactly the same length, women rarely have breasts that are of the same size or shape. Different sized breasts are the norm, although the difference in the size of the breasts of most women is barely noticeable.
If the size difference is larger than a cup size, however, this can be a problem for some women. The considerable size differences can also result in physical symptoms such as back ache.
Because the female breast is largely made up of fatty tissue, breasts of a different size stem from different quantities of fat. Accordingly, women with small breasts have less autologous fat in the breast.
A natural option to add volume is to use the body’s own fat from the stomach, hips, buttocks or thighs. To even out differences in breast shape and size in a gentle way, waterjet-assisted autologous fat transplantation may be the most suitable method.
The benefit here is primarily the ability to shape the breast – both the volume of autologous fat applied and the shape of the breast can be adapted to personal desires and measurements and do not have to conform to the standard shapes of implant manufacturers.
Décolletage
Décolletage
Not only the face and hands reveal our true age but the decolletage often also very clearly reveals the signs of ageing skin. With increasing age the skin loses its elasticity and strength, collagen production slows down and the natural subcutaneous fatty tissue reduces. This leads to the skin of the decolletage becoming thinner, and it develops vertical wrinkles which can be quite deep. By injecting a thin layer of autologous fat, the volume that has been lost is restored.
Fat transfer from hips to décolletage
.Composite breast augmentation
Composite breast augmentation (implant-fat combination )
The combination of breast implants and a person’s own fatty tissue (autologous fat) is particularly promising for significant augmentation of the breast without sacrificing a natural appearance. The silicone implants that so often are visible beneath the skin can be camouflaged in this way. This means a natural appearance is possible despite silicone implants. The technique is particularly suitable for slim women (with hardly any body fat) or for women who want an immediate and clear breast augmentation (for example, from cup size A to cup size C or D) while also wanting a natural appearance and feel.
One of the disadvantages of breast augmentation using implants is that the implant size is often limited by the amount of soft tissue present. For this reason, larger implants cannot be used in women with little soft tissue (small breasts) because the implant used cannot be enclosed or covered. There are also limitations for breast augmentation using autologous fat because breast augmentation only by a maximum of two cup sizes is realistic with this method. The idea of combining the two techniques overcomes both limitations because the larger volume of the implants can be combined with padding using autologous fat for a natural appearance and feel.
With this technique the implant is inserted as usual and then excess fat from the thigh or abdomen, for example, is suctioned off and then injected around the implant. It enables the shape and outlines of the breast to be improved both with the implant and with the subcutaneous autologous fat transfer and to insert autologous tissue from the patient quite specifically in the areas where it is needed. The autologous fatty tissue is a natural and long-lived filler. It enables even and permanent correction of breast deformities and volume deficits.