Breast augmentation · Fat transfer
Fat transfer breast augmentation: Compare practices from our network
Fat transfer breast augmentation uses your own fat, taken by liposuction, to add a modest amount of volume to the breasts, alone or alongside a smaller implant.
Our network
Fat transfer breast augmentation providers from Adoreal's partner network.
London · United Kingdom
N1 Plastic Surgery
Fat transfer to the breast, using fat taken by liposuction from areas such as the abdomen, thighs or flanks and purified before injection.
London · United Kingdom
N1 Plastic Surgery
Fat transfer to the breast, using fat taken by liposuction from areas such as the abdomen, thighs or flanks and purified before injection.
Ready to see who performs fat transfer breast augmentation near you?
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How to choose a fat transfer breast augmentation surgeon
Board certification is the starting point. The details below are worth weighing carefully when you're choosing the surgeon who's right for your goals.
Here's what to look for before you decide:
Ask how much increase is realistic for you.
Fat transfer gives a relatively small to moderate increase, limited by your donor fat and how much your breasts can take in one session. A surgeon who talks in realistic volume for your frame, rather than promising a cup size, is setting expectations you can rely on.
Absorption should be explained before surgery, not after.
Not all transferred fat survives, and some patients need a second session. A surgeon who tells you how they plan for this, and what happens if the result settles smaller than hoped, gives you realistic expectations from the start.
Fat alone or hybrid should be explained, not assumed.
A hybrid adds a smaller implant for more volume, and with it the long-term considerations of implants. Ask which they recommend for your goals and tissue, and why. A clear, specific answer is a sign the plan is yours.
Ask about breast screening afterwards.
Fat transfer can leave small calcifications or oil cysts that show on a mammogram and occasionally need further checks. A surgeon who raises this openly, and tells you what to say at screening, respects your long-term health.
Your donor areas are part of the result.
The liposuction that harvests the fat also reshapes those areas. Ask where the fat will come from and how they avoid unevenness there, because you will live with both results.
Before your consultation, prepare this question
“How much increase can I realistically expect from my own fat, and what will you do if some of it is reabsorbed?”
A surgeon who gives you a realistic range and a clear plan for absorption is putting your expectations ahead of the booking.
Find a Fat Transfer Breast Augmentation ProviderAbout the treatment
About fat transfer breast augmentation
Fat transfer breast augmentation, also called fat grafting or lipofilling, enlarges the breasts with your own fat instead of, or as well as, an implant. Fat is removed by liposuction from areas such as the abdomen, flanks, hips or thighs, purified to separate it from blood and fluid, and injected into the breasts in small amounts.
It is one of the two approaches described on our breast augmentation page, which compares implants and fat transfer. This page goes into fat transfer itself: how much increase is realistic, why part of the fat does not survive, and when combining fat with a smaller implant makes sense.
Fat alone or hybrid
- Fat transfer alone, with no implant, for a modest increase, restoring volume after pregnancy or breastfeeding, or evening out asymmetry.
- Hybrid (composite) augmentation, a smaller implant combined with fat placed around it and in the upper breast, for more volume than fat alone with softer edges and a more natural feel.
Fat grafting is also used in breast reconstruction after cancer surgery. This page covers augmentation.
What is fat transfer breast augmentation?
It enlarges the breasts with your own fat, taken by liposuction, purified and injected in small amounts, instead of or alongside an implant.
It gives a relatively small to moderate increase with a natural look and feel, and reshapes the donor areas at the same time.
Fat alone or hybrid
Your surgeon recommends the approach from your goals and tissue:
Fat transfer alone, for a modest increase, volume after pregnancy, or asymmetry.
Hybrid augmentation, a smaller implant with fat around it and in the upper breast, for more volume with softer edges.
Who it suits
Fat transfer generally suits you if you:
Want a relatively small to moderate increase
Have enough donor fat
Are at a stable weight and do not smoke
Are in good general health
Accept that a second session may be needed
The treatment, step by step
01. Consultation and planning. Breasts and donor areas assessed, realistic volume and fat-only versus hybrid discussed.
02. Preparations. Medical evaluation, medication and smoking advice, and recovery at home planned.
03. Anesthesia. Usually general; local anesthesia for some smaller fat-only procedures.
04. Harvesting. Fat removed by liposuction from the agreed donor areas.
05. Processing. Fat purified to separate it from blood and fluid.
06. Transfer. Fat injected in small amounts; in a hybrid, around a smaller implant.
Recovery and aftercare
Donor sites and breasts recover together, and the breasts need protecting from pressure at first.
Compression on donor areas and a support bra as directed
No pressure on the breasts or sleeping on your front for two to three weeks
Everyday activities after about a week, work commonly after two to three weeks
Intense exercise usually after four to six weeks
Final volume judged at three to six months.
Risks and side effects
Fat transfer carries the risks of both liposuction and fat grafting:
Partial fat reabsorption, expected, and affecting final volume.
Oil cysts and fat necrosis, cysts or firm lumps where fat does not survive.
Calcifications, which can show on a mammogram.
Asymmetry or unevenness, in the breasts or donor areas.
Changes in sensation, usually temporary.
Infection or bleeding, uncommon.
Fat embolism, rare but serious.
When to seek medical attention
- Shortness of breath, chest pain, or coughing, which require emergency care immediately
- Fever, or increasing redness, warmth, or discharge at any incision
- Severe or worsening pain not controlled by prescribed medication
- Swelling or pain in one leg
Contact your surgeon's practice directly, or seek emergency care, if you experience any of the above.
Common questions
Fat transfer breast augmentation questions, answered.
If your question isn't here, ask us directly. A real person answers, and we won't push you toward anything.
Talk to us →How is this different from breast augmentation with implants?
An implant adds a set volume in one operation. Fat transfer uses your own tissue, gives a smaller increase, and part of the fat is reabsorbed, so the result is less predictable. Our breast augmentation page compares the two approaches.
How much bigger can my breasts get with fat alone?
Usually a relatively small to moderate increase. How much depends on how much donor fat you have and on your breast tissue and skin. If you want a larger change, your surgeon may discuss a hybrid or an implant.
How much of the fat survives?
Not all of it. Part of the transferred fat is reabsorbed in the first weeks and months, which is why final volume is judged at three to six months. One practice in our network estimates that around 60 to 70 percent of the fat survives in a hybrid augmentation.
Will I need more than one session?
Sometimes. Because some fat is reabsorbed, a second fat transfer or touch-up is occasionally needed to reach or keep the result you want.
What is a hybrid breast augmentation?
A smaller implant combined with your own fat. The implant gives shape and volume, and the fat, placed around it and in the upper breast, softens its edges for a more natural look and feel.
Where is the fat taken from?
Commonly the abdomen, flanks, hips or thighs, by liposuction. Those areas are reshaped at the same time, which is part of the overall result.
Does fat transfer affect mammograms?
It can. Small calcifications or oil cysts may show on a mammogram. They are usually harmless but can need further checks, so tell the screening staff that you have had breast surgery.
How much time off work will I need?
Commonly about two to three weeks, although some people return sooner after a fat-only procedure. Swelling and bruising in the donor areas and breasts last a few weeks.
When can I exercise again?
Walking is encouraged from the first day. Intense exercise usually waits around four to six weeks, and some surgeons ask you to avoid heavy training or knocks to the breasts for longer.
How long do the results last?
Fat that survives the transfer is living tissue and is permanent. It changes with your weight like other body fat, so a stable weight matters, and pregnancy and aging still affect the breasts over time.
