A Prospective Study of Autologous Fat Grafting for Breast Augmentation

The current standard for breast augmentation involves placement of an implant. Although implants are safe, they are foreign bodies and thus have inherent risks including infection, failure, malposition, etc. In order to avoid the inherent risks of an implanted device, some surgeons and patients have elected to proceed with breast augmentation from autologous tissue. Early reports of autologous fat transplantation to the breasts were successful, but increases in breast volume were modest (Bircoll, 1987). There were also hypothetical concerns about changes in the breast tissue that would interfere with mammographic screening for breast cancer.

Spear et al (2005) performed autologous fat transplantation to reconstructed breasts in 37 patients with 2-dimensional photographic evidence of improved breast shape and volume suggesting that this technique can be effectively performed. However, these patients had all received mastectomies so mammographic screening was not indicated. Coleman and Saboeiro (2007) performed autologous fat transplantation to the breasts in 17 patients. Fifteen of the 17 patients received post-operative mammograms, 7 (47%) of which were abnormal. However, none of these abnormal findings interfered with cancer screening. Furthermore, 2 patients in the study did develop breast cancer which was successfully detected by mammography. Other studies have confirmed the ability to differentiate benign from malignant findings on mammogram after autologous fat transplantation. Pulagam et al (2006) reported long term (10 and 8 year) findings on 2 patients that underwent autologous fat transplantation to the breasts. Mammography and ultrasound were used to differentiate benign from malignant appearing calcifications. Some authors have speculated that autologous fat transplantation to the breast would lead to mammographic changes similar to routine breast procedures such as breast reduction and mastopexy (Coleman and Saboeiro, 2007).

Inclusion criteria

• 20-50 years old
• willing to have mammogram, MRI, and photographs
• willing to follow study requirements and sign informed consent
• no previous breast surgeries
• must reside within 50 miles of the Washington, D.C. Metropolitan area

Exclusion criteria

• pregnant or nursing
• existing breast cancer
• advanced fibrocystic disease
• protease inhibitors
• any condition leading to surgical risk
• any disease known to affect wound healing
• abscess or infection in the body
• incompatible psychological factors