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Review
. 2015 Jun;4(3):232-43.
doi: 10.3978/j.issn.2227-684X.2015.04.18.

Fat grafting and breast reconstruction: tips for ensuring predictability

Allen Gabriel  1 , Manish C Champaneria  1 , G Patrick Maxwell  1
Affiliations
Review

Fat grafting and breast reconstruction: tips for ensuring predictability

Allen Gabriel et al. Gland Surg. 2015 Jun.

Abstract

Autologous fat grafting is widely used in breast surgery to refine and optimize aesthetic outcomes. Despite its widespread use, obtaining predictable, reliable, and consistent outcomes remains a significant challenge and is influenced by the technique used for procurement, processing, and placement of the fat. At present, there is no published consensus on the optimal technique. The purpose of this article is to review current techniques at each stage of fat grafting and provide tips on best practices based on the published literature as well as our extensive clinical experience.

Keywords: Autologous fat grafting; breast reconstruction; fat harvesting; injection; lipofilling; processing.

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Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
REVOLVETM (LifeCell Corp.) fat grafting system.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Preoperative views of a 31-year-old BRCA positive female who elected prophylactic mastectomy with immediate reconstruction.
Figure 3
Figure 3
Patient in Figure 2 after bilateral nipple sparing mastectomy and immediate breast reconstruction with 133 MV 400 cc expanders, AlloDerm RTU, and Botox for muscle relaxation. (A-C) Post-operative day 10 following surgery; (D-F) 2 months after surgery.
Figure 4
Figure 4
Patient in Figure 2 following bilateral breast reconstruction with silicone implants (410 MV 550 cc) and fat grafting. Fat was processed using the REVOLVE (LifeCell Corp.) system. (A-C) 2 weeks after surgery; (D-F) 10 months after surgery.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

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