Fat Grafting in Boston, MA | Sean Doherty, MD

Woman with full breasts in a black bra after fat grafting breast augmentation in Boston. — Fat grafting enhances breast shape by transferring fat from areas with excess to areas needing volume.

Fat is like real estate. It all comes down to location. While the goal in body aesthetics used to be solely focused on fat removal, we now know that an appropriate amount of fat in the exact right place is a key component to achieving your ideal body contour. Fat grafting is a surgical procedure in which fat cells are safely removed via liposuction from an area where you have an excess, such as the abdomen, and placed in another area where you need more volume, such as the breasts. It has the ability to enhance breast surgery results by improving your breast shape, camouflaging the edges of an implant in a very fit and/or thin patient, addressing genetic conditions such as tuberous breasts and, in some cases, allowing a patient to increase her breast volume without an implant.

Table of Contents

Is Fat Grafting to the Breast Right for You?
Benefits of Fat Grafting to the Breast in Boston
Fat Grafting Can Be a Stand Alone Breast Procedure
Fat Grafting Procedure & Recovery
FAQ’s about Fat Grafting

Board-Certified Plastic Surgeon, Dr. Sean Doherty, is a highly respected Boston area breast surgery expert with over 15 years of experience. He has a deep understanding of the intricacies involved in creating the right size and shape breast for your anatomy, personal aesthetics, and lifestyle. Up to date in all the latest techniques, Dr. Doherty prides himself on also being totally upfront and honest about what you can realistically achieve with any breast surgery procedure as well as its cost in terms of both money and time for recovery. His goal is for you to have all the information necessary so that you can make the right decision for you. This begins with an in-person consultation.

Is Fat Grafting to the Breast Right for You?

The internet allows patients to research body contouring options in the comfort of their own home. This is a positive thing. However, the world wide web is not able to discriminate. And for any aesthetic procedure to be successful, it must be one that can actually achieve your goals. Figuring out whether or not fat grafting to the breast is appropriate for your needs truly requires an in-person consultation. During your meeting with Dr. Doherty, he will listen attentively to what bothers you about your body contour. He will delve into your medical history, family history as well as any prior procedures you may have had and how your body reacted. Everyone heals differently so establishing a baseline for your body’s unique healing journey is a critical component to your treatment plan. Next, he will perform a thorough physical exam to assess:

Skin tone & texture
Breast volume
Degree of sagging in breast skin & tissues
Nipple position
Asymmetry, if any

Together, you will come up with the best treatment plan for achieving your goals. This may include a:

Breast Augmentation with Implants
Breast Lift
Mastopexy Augmentation
Fat Grafting to the Breast

Benefits of Fat Grafting to the Breast in Boston

Fat grafting can be an ideal tool for improving the shape of your breasts. A breast implant will give you more volume. However, it can not always achieve the full enhancement of the breast that many women desire. This is where the addition of an appropriate amount of precisely placed fat can be a game changer. Fat grafting may also help improve:

Breast asymmetry
Tuberous breasts
Irregularities from prior breast surgery

Furthermore, very thin and/or fit patients have historically had an issue with breast implant visibility and/or rippling. Fat grafting allows Dr. Doherty to camouflage the edges of the implant. This, in turn, may allow a thin patient to choose a larger implant if desired.

Fat Grafting Can Be a Stand Alone Breast Procedure

In general, Dr. Doherty utilizes fat grafting to the breast as an addendum to another breast surgery procedure. However, it can be a stand-alone option for patients who only desire a mild increase in breast volume and are adverse to the idea of an implant. There are downsides, however, to the use of fat alone as a means of increasing your breast size. It does not produce as large or predictable of an outcome as a breast implant. This is due to the fact that not all of the transferred fat cells will “take”. It is also why a breast augmentation with fat alone will generally require 2-3 sessions, spaced about 3-6 months apart. Another challenge for thinner patients is that they may not have enough native fat to achieve their surgical goals. Dr. Doherty will go over all of the pros and cons with you in detail during your initial consultation.

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Fat Grafting Procedure & Recovery

Fat grafting to the breast is a safe and straightforward procedure when performed by an experienced body contouring expert such as Dr. Doherty. To begin, fat will be removed via liposuction from one or more areas of the body where you have excess such as the:

Abdomen
Hips
Flanks
Outer Thighs

Dr. Doherty will then inject the processed fat cells into the specific areas of the breast that allow him to achieve your ideal size and shape. As discussed, this is typically a procedure that is performed in addition to another breast procedure so your recovery will depend on what, exactly, is done. You can expect to be sore after surgery. You will likely be wearing a surgical bra and a compression garment. Most patients describe this as uncomfortable, not painful. You will definitely have swelling and perhaps some mild bruising. Dr. Doherty does ask all of his breast surgery patients to refrain from picking up anything heavier than 10 lbs. for at least two weeks after surgery so plan accordingly. However, his breast surgery patients tend to all agree that any downtime is well worth the improvement in their body contour, self-confidence, and sense of vibrancy.

To find out more about fat grafting to the breast, or any other surgical or non-surgical procedure with Dr. Sean Doherty at his Boston or Chestnut Hill office, contact us today or call (617) 450-0070 to schedule a consultation.

FAQ’s about Fat Grafting

Does fat grafting to the breast hurt?

Most patients describe the recovery from breast surgery in general as uncomfortable, not painful. However, each of us has our own unique pain threshold. Furthermore, some patients experience anxiety at the thought of pain. I spend time during our initial consultation discussing your history with pain. I place most of my breast patients on a post-operative medication regime of anti-inflammatories, muscle relaxants and a narcotic pain medication, if needed, for the first 48-72 hours after surgery. My goal is for the whole experience to be as pleasant as possible.

How much does fat grafting to the breast cost?

The cost of your fat grafting procedure is going to depend on the amount of fat that we need to harvest. I will be able to give you a more precise price tag after our consultation, but in general, fat grafting to the breast can cost between $4,000 and $8,000 depending on your exact treatment plan and whether or not multiple procedures are being performed at the same time. Keep in mind that any price tag should be amortized over the life of your breast surgery results. When looked at this way, the additional cost of fat grafting is nominal while the return on your investment in terms of breast shape is invaluable.

I am worried about breast implant illness (BII). Can I get a breast augmentation with fat only?

Fat grafting to the breast can be a stand-alone procedure in the right patient. I am always up front about what any procedure can and can not achieve. If you are someone who is only looking for a half a cup to a cup size increase and have no laxity in the skin and tissues of your breast, you may be able to achieve this with fat alone. However, you must have enough excess fat elsewhere on your body to harvest and it’s important to be prepared for the fact that your end results will take time as a stand-alone fat grafting to the breast procedure will require more than one treatment.

Is fat grafting safe?

Patient safety is my primary concern so I take the appropriate steps to ensure that your fat grafting to the breast procedure is as safe as possible. I have decades of experience in body contouring and an excellent safety record. If you are having your procedure with someone other than myself, I would suggest that you see a board-certified plastic surgeon in your area who specializes in breast surgery as it’s one of the best ways to ensure that your procedure will be as safe as possible. It is also recommended that all patients schedule a pre and post surgery evaluation of their breasts with their PCP. This may include mammograms.

How long until I see my final results with fat grafting to the breast?

One of the nicest things about breast surgery procedures in general is that you will notice a change in your body contour immediately. This change will continue to improve over time as your post-op swelling subsides. The better you are at following my recovery instructions to the letter and taking care of your health in general, the faster you can expect to achieve your final results. Please remember, however, that it may take more than one fat grafting treatment to create your ideal results.