Breast lipofilling

Procedure steps

• Dr.Petit will begin with questioning your medical history as well as your family history of breast cancer, your bra size, your weight and your size, as well as your tobacco consumption.
• He will listen to you in order to understand your motivations and your desire for a breast enlargement.
• He will carry out a clinical examination of your breasts and of your figure in order to assess your fat reserves and the feasibility of a breast lipofilling.
• Dr. Petit will provide information on the scar positioning, treatment process and procedure limits, post-operative recoveries as well as main risks, so as to make an informed decision.

Procedure limits

• The breast lipofilling enables to boost the volume of the breasts moderately (about 1 cup size). If you wish a more significant increase of volume, the use of breast implants is recommended.
• Owing to the systematic resorption of one part of the fat graft (approximately 30 %), which can be different between both breasts, asymmetries of volume are possible and can require a secondary surgical revision a few months after the operation.
• A poor quality of the skin at the level of the fat reserves areas limits the possibilities relating to the removal of fat cells, owing to an increased risk of irregularities corresponding to the cutaneous surface (dimples, orange peel skin).

Good candidates for a breast lipofilling are those

• Wishing a bilateral and natural breast enlargement without implants.
• Wishing to correct an asymmetry of volume of their breasts.
• Having sufficient fat reserves at the level of the hips, the stomach and the thighs.
• Not having family or personal history of breast cancer.
• Having a normal pre-operative radiographic assessment (ultrasound and mammography / ACR1 or ACR2).
• To undergo a medical imaging assessment one year after the operation, if possible with the same radiologist, and to remain under regular medical supervision.
• And having understood the procedure limits.

Pre-operative instructions

General pre-operative instructions relating to aesthetic surgery

• Smoking cessation 1 month before and after the procedure.
• Discontinuation of medicines which increase bleeding 10 days before and after the procedure: aspirin, anti-inflammatory and anticoagulant medicines, vitamin E.

Specific pre-operative instructions relating to the breast lipofilling

• To be at your stable and ideal weight for 6 months at least.
• Discontinuation of oral contraception 1 month before the procedure in order to decrease the risk of thrombo-embolism (phlebitis and pulmonary embolism).
• To do an ultrasound and a mammography to return on the day of surgery.

Procedure stages

Pre-operative markings are performed by Dr. Petit before the operation.

The operation is achieved under general anesthesia, with an out-patient basis (hospital discharge that very evening) or with hospitalization of one night at the clinic according to the cases.

The operation starts with the liposuction located in the identified areas. The cannula is introduced by micro-incisions which are invisible ultimately.

Then, the fat is passed to the centrifuge in order to obtain fat without impurities, which is reinjected at the level of the breasts thanks to thin cannulae.

The cutaneous closure of the liposuction orifices is performed with resorbable sutures.

A compression garment is set up in the treated areas at the end of the procedure.

Des dessins pré opératoires sont réalisés avant l’intervention. Celle-ci est effectuée sous anesthésie générale.

L’intervention débute par la lipoaspiration de votre graisse au niveau des zones du corps où elle est en excès. La canule utilisée est introduite par des microincisions invisibles à terme. Puis, la graisse est centrifugée et réinjectée au niveau des seins à l’aide de fines canules.

La fermeture cutanée des orifices de lipoaspiration est faite avec des fils résorbables. Un vêtement de contention est mis en place au niveau des zones lipoaspirées en fin d’intervention. Celle-ci nécessite une prise en charge en ambulatoire (sortie le soir même) ou une hospitalisation d’une nuit à la clinique selon les cas.

What to expect after surgery

Pains relating to breast lipofilling surgery are variable according to the patients and the amount of fat extracted. Generally, they are moderate (suggestive of “stiffness”), more significant in the treated areas than in the breasts, and are well soothed by analgesics.

Ecchymosis (bruises) are classical and subside within 2 to 3 weeks after the operation. An oedema (swelling) is constant and of variable duration, gradually subsiding within a few months.

The shower with a soft soap is possible the day following the procedure.

Three preventive measures against phlebitis are established after the procedure: the affected leg elevated as well as the walk, the wearing of compression stockings and the daily injection of an anticoagulant (medicines which thin the blood) over 15 days.

The wearing of a compression garment is recommended during 1 month in order to reduce the post-operative œdema and fostering a good retraction of the skin in the treated areas.

Dr. Petit will also suggest massage sessions (lymphatic drainage) accelerating the regression of the post-operative œdema.

The progressive resumption of daily activities is possible the day following the procedure.

The resumption of professional activities is possible a few days after the operation.

The resumption of sports activities can be done within 4 weeks following the operation.

Procedure risks

The complications of a breast lipofilling surgery are weak.

Mains risks are

Concerning the breasts:

• A cytosteatonecrosis (fat necrosis), oil cysts.
• Insufficient results, owing to asymmetries, or insufficient results relating
• to an unpredictable fat resorption.
• a pneumothorax: exceptional complication.

Concerning the areas of liposuction:

• Risks associated with liposuction surgery, especially the risk of thrombo-embolism.

Long-term result

The final result of a breast lipofilling is obtained between 3 to 6 months after the procedure, when the post-operative oedema has disappeared.

The result is stable and long-lasting except in case of significant changes in body weight or pregnancy.

This procedure is highly appreciated by patients given that it provides double satisfaction, namely a natural breast enlargement without implants and a refinement of the figure.