Breast Reconstruction and Augmentation: Technique Uses Body Fat in Procedures

In addition to silicone implants, women can also opt for surgery that uses their own body fat for breast reconstruction and augmentation. What are the advantages? Can both techniques, in some way, interfere with breastfeeding? I have selected the main questions that come to me in the office and compiled them below with the answers. Follow along: For which cases can the technique that uses the patient's fat be applied? It can be indicated for patients who want to enlarge their breasts, complement implants (silicone) to improve contour, in breast reconstruction (when it was necessary to remove it in cases of cancer), to correct deformities (which may have been caused during cancer treatment), and also in cases where silicone implant replacement is necessary, being an option that can be discussed with your doctor, as an alternative even for implant substitution. Where is the fat used in breast surgery removed from? Mainly from the abdomen, but the surgeon can also use fat from other areas such as the thigh and back. When compared to silicone, can surgery using fat present less rejection? Risks are minimized, since the patient's own fat is used, but infection and even fat absorption can still occur. In the case of breast implants (silicone), any synthetic material can cause some reaction from the body, such as the formation of a capsule around it. But this capsule can harden over time, becoming visible and even causing pain, known as capsular contracture. Is a silicone implant indicated for everyone? In principle, yes, but it is clear that common sense must be applied, respecting age limits and clinical conditions. Can silicone implants cause breast cancer? Not breast cancer, but recently it has been linked to a rare type of lymphoma. Can both silicone implants and the technique using the patient's fat interfere with breastfeeding in any way? Neither fat nor breast implants interfere, but the technique used to reposition the nipple and the resection of excess tissue, in mastopexy, can indeed interfere.   The term silicone implant has become popularized and is sometimes used incorrectly. Can you clarify the differences? A prosthesis is a synthetic material that replaces a part of the body. Thus, in the breast, when we use it to reconstruct it, we can call it a prosthesis. To enlarge the breast, we call it an implant, but the name prosthesis is already commonly used in aesthetic cases. *Dr. Fernando Amato is a plastic surgeon, a full member of the Brazilian Society of Plastic Surgery, a member of the International Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery (ISAPS) and the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS).