Lipofilling or implants: which method for your breast augmentation ?

Breast augmentation involves creating or adding volume to the breasts. Most importantly, it aims to achieve greater harmony between the breasts and the rest of the body, correcting significant asymmetry between the size of the two breasts, or correcting a tuberous breast deformity. Today, women who wish to undergo breast augmentation have a choice of several methods. The volume can be added either by fat injection, the insertion of a prosthesis / an implant, or a combination of the two : a ‘hybrid breast augmentation’. But which option should you choose ?

Increasing breast size

Using traditional or light weight implants

Breast augmentation is traditionally performed using silicone implants. The procedure is simple: create an incision around the areola or in the fold under the breast, then insert the implant. The position can be subglandular, subfascial or submuscular, depending on the size of the implant, the quality and quantity of breast tissue and the relative position of the pectoral muscle. Developed more recently, B-Lite implants differ from traditional breast implants in the type of silicone used, which has the advantage of considerably reducing the weight of the augmented breast.

Extract fat and transfer it to the breasts

Also known as breast lipostructure or breast lipomodelling, breast lipofilling is the so-called ‘natural’ method, because the fat added to the breasts has been taken from another part of the patient’s body. The fat is removed by liposuction, and the injections create a harmonious volume by placing ‘threads’ of fat in a criss-cross pattern into the breast tissue. This technique, which requires a great deal of experience and care in preparing and injecting the fat, can be used for simple breast augmentation, in combination with a breast lift or to replace a breast implant.

5 criteria to consider

1. No fat. No lipofilling.

An essential condition for breast lipofilling is to have enough fat in one part of the body to provide the desired volume to the breasts. If this is not the case, breast implants are often the better choice.

2. The sensation of natural breasts

For women who are particularly sensitive to touch, the ideal method in terms of the most natural feel is fat grafting. The sensation, both palpable and visual, of a natural breast is what makes this method such a revolution. Although great progress has been made in making implants feel like natural breasts, they are still sometimes detectable by thorough palpation.

3. More volume with implants

In general, implants provide more volume, because the choice of size is determined by the anatomical dimensions of the breast and the quality of the breast tissue before the operation – not the amount of fatty tissue in the body.

When the natural breast is very small or the patient wants a more generous cleavage, implants are probably more appropriate than natural augmentation. In fact, lipofilling only makes it possible to increase bra cup size by 1 to 1.5 cup sizes. Even if several injections may be considered, this method will not always satisfy patients who desire a very generous volume.

4. Breasts in harmony with the body

Natural also means living and evolving. With lipofilling, the fat transferred to the breasts reacts like any other fat in your body.

In other words, breast size decreases with weight loss and increases with weight gain. While some patients find this to be an advantage, considering that it promotes body harmony, others are more reassured by silicone implants, which are not subject to this type of variation.

5. Lipofilling… and also liposuction !

At Concept Clinic, we always suggest taking advantage of the liposuction to reshape the part of the body where the fat is harvested at the same time as remodeling the breasts. Because we use VASER HiDef Liposuction, which is gentler and more effective than conventional liposuction, patients are generally delighted.

The breast augmentation that suits you

The choice of technique is guided by the patients’ expectations in terms of the size and shape of the breast and their preferences for the technique, but also by the anatomical specifics in terms of the amount of fat, the size and shape of the breast before the operation and by the possible need for a breast lift.

There is no right or wrong method. A natural, harmonious result is possible with implants and fat transfer. But, whatever your choice, always check the surgeon’s experience, particularly for more recent methods such as B-lite implants or natural breast augmentation.