Has anyone had micro fat grafting?

Mouse6

I have just been told about a procedure called micro fat grafting where the surgeon takes fat via liposuction from other areas of the body and transplants the fat into the breast to reconstruct. Has anyone had this procedure done? If so, I would love to hear your experience with it. Thanks.

geysermom

debsie1,

I had micro fat grafting yesterday and am up and around today doing laundry with minimal pain medication.  I am returning to work on Monday and think I will be more than ready.  They removed 27 ccs from just below the gluteal folds (54 ccs total) and transplanted it to hollow areas above each implant (right side more than left).  It's too early to know if I will see a difference due to swelling at this point.   

My surgeon had calcification/cysts mentioned on the surgical consent form but didn't verbalize anything about it.  The consent had a myriad of possible complications.

My surgeon only does micro fat grafting because he says that using small amounts of fat each time really increases the likelyhood that the fat will stay where it is transplanted.

Hope you don't mind me answering your questions!

Julie

Meece

debsie1

Hi Julie..thank you so much for your reply..I am happy to hear that you are up and about with minimal pain..Do you mind if I ask you a few more questions?? Did you have to have general anesthetic? And if so for how long were you asleep? I would have to have more cc's than you if I do both sides and ask to be made abit bigger. I am such a chicken about these things ....butI am ever so grateful to have girls like you to help me....

Debbie

debsie1

Hi Meece;

Thanks for respnding.....did you have a large divot due to a lumpectomy???? I am ging to try and find you on the pic site....would I just look under your user name???? Any answers for me regarding the questions I just posted above????? Pain? general anesthsia? how long were yoiu home??? how many cc's did they take and from where???

I was wondering why you are not so happy with it.....

ddebbie

Meece

This post has been deleted because this thread no longer relates to the content of the post

cookie2009

Hi, Nice to hear from someone who had it done. I had it done with the exchange in October 2009.

It will have to done again next month because of the way the implant settled. I have lots of skin under my arm. If you would like to talk more email me at bmmargie@yahoo.com.

Cookie

cookie2009

Hi, My name is Margie. I had the fat grafting done about 3 months ago with the exchange surgery.

I will be needing another fat grafting for my implant because of the hollow under my arm. It will be done with my nipple surgery. I hate surgery.

Hugs,

Margie

cookie2009

Hi, I had the same operation done about 3 months ago, and will have to be repeated. I guess surgery does not stop until we are comfortable with the results. They took the fat from my stomach, and I had alot of pain from the stomach area. I also had terrible problems with anthesia each time, so I am not looking forward to srugery. I have to have it done because I cannot shave under my arm.

Hugs,

Margie

OG56

Thanks for the info ladies I was wondering about this because of indent from lumpectomy, now I know.

Meece

2z54

Hi Debsie,

Sorry I haven't gotten back to respond til now.  But I see that plenty of others have jumped in and their informatin is probably more relevant than mine.  My fat grafting was merely to fill in a small indentation left on one side of the DIEP reconstruction; at the top cleavage area of left foob. I see that others have had more extensive grafting, closer to what your are contemplating.

I will tell you that there was really no recovery required for the fat grafting site.  I have several incisions that were redone from the original DIEP and they are still bandaged, etc. But the fat grafting didn't even require bandaging, and felt a bit swollen and hard for a few days; but that's it. I don't know how many cc's the PS used, because it really was just a divot-ful.  

Anyway, hope that helps! 

debsie1

Thanks for replying....I hope that all is perfect when the badages come off.........keep us posted....

weesa

Real interested in micro fat grafting. Just have a small but anoying divot. I live in Western Carolina near the Tennessee, SC and Georgia borders. Anybody know anybody who would do this within driving distance for me? Also could drive to Duke, Bowman Gray? I have searched and searched!

Mouse6

Just curious for those who have had to go back to correct the fat grafting (add more), did the ps charge for each procedure, or are the corrections part of the original cost. Also - approx. how much was the procedure? Has anyone had a COMPLETE reconstruction using their own fat?

debsie1

Hi Mouse6;

I also live in Canada (Montreal) and have seen a PS about fat grafts . Apparantly they are able to boost you up one full cup size bigger. I was told that it was mostly covered by our healthcare but would have to pay the PS $1000.00 for one side and $2000.00 for both sides. Im not really sure what this is being paid for.....I do know that hospital cost, operating room, anesthetics are covered..... let me know what you learn...

Debbie

Meece

geysermom

Debbie,

I was in surgery for 2 1/2 hours so I am guessing the surgery itself was actually around 2 hours.  They used general anesthesia and part of the time required was for repositioning since they used the fat from below my butt and then flipped me to put it in above my foobs.

There are four small incisions which are stitched closed (one below each "cheek" and one above each foob).  The PS said that the "garment" (girdle) they sent me home in was optional after I showered Friday (surgery Thursday).  It feels better to wear something but I bought a "shapewear" garment that is more comfortable to sit in and for sleeping.  On top I am wearing a comfortable cotton sports bra.

These procedures are covered by my insurance as breast reconstruction revisions.

Julie

debsie1

Hi Julie ;

Thanks for posting. How long do you deel you will have to stay home for and how much pain is involved??? Any idea how many cc's they used for you? Was this to fix a divot from lumectomy or to fill in from implants?? I understand that they could go up to a full bra size bigger but thats it. Any info is really appreciated.

Debbie

Meece

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Macc

These articles were in the UK press recently:

 http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/wales/8292822.stm

 http://www.worthingherald.co.uk/worthing/Pioneering-work-for-breast-cancer.4650581.jp

Macc

ally1423

macc....those articles were incredibly interesting.....

Meece

Very interesting!  Thank you for posting the links.

debsie1

Fantasic....than ks for posting. I am looking into this very same procedure and hopefully will be able to have it done within the next few months.....

westbrook

Yes, I had FAT GRAFTS   ALMOST ONE YEAR AGO.  i WOULD BE HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS YOU HAVE.  i AM CONSIDERING ANOTHER "TOUCH-UP" PROCEDURE, WHICH IS NOT UNCOMMON SINCE THE GRAFTS SETTLE IN , CHANGE AND CAN BE "PERFECTED" WITH ANOTHER PROCEDURE.

mradf

I just bumped up "Has anyone had fat grafting" which seems to be the same conversation.

My question now, as I just asked on that thread:

Is there a difference between fat grafting and micro fat grafting. 

westbrook

THe procedure people are describing here is called fat grafting, micro fat grafting,  or lipo-modelling (mostly in Europe)-- It's all the same.  The autologous grafts (meaning from one's own tissue) are taken through liposuction, then injected into the breast with multiple, small injections.  This has been done in Europe, starting in France, for a while but is quite new in the US.   

Meece

This post has been deleted because this thread no longer relates to the content of the post

debsie1

Hi westbrook;

 Did you have fat grafts due to a lumprctomy or was it to fill in near implants? Did you have a general anesthetic and how painful was it???  Can I ask where they took the fat from? Also,how long till you were up and about? My PS tells me that it must be done under a general but that I should be home for only a few days.I have a choice of doing only 1 side where the divot is due to a lumpectomy or doing both sides and adding up to one cup size bigger. My fear is that if it doesn't take on the radiated/lumpectomy side what will I do with the other side being even that much bigger??? Any help would be greatly appreciated......

mradf

So this is the same procedure I am scheduled to have done on the 26th to fill out one side (implant only) to match the other (LD flap w/implant).  Mystery solved!

My PS let me choose between the hospital under general or awake in his office with local.  I went for office, local.  He did make it clear that some woman say it's quite uncomfortable, and that it was up to me.  I think I have a fairly high pain threshold. I hope I didn't make a mistake!   We agreed that if it's too much, the next go 'round we would know to do in the hospital.  He did some fat transfer during the exchange surgery, and says he will do about 75cc's at a time.  He said more than that at a time will cause extra fat to be lost from surrounding pressure. 

Thanks, all!

Be well,

Maria

mradf

Me again,

After viewing the links posted by Macc (thank you!), it's clear that this procedure is not yet being used for total reconstruction following mastectomy, but for filling out areas after lumpectomy and post mastectomy reconstruction. 

At the end of the first posted link, it is explained on the video and at the end of the written article as follows:

"If treatment of the first 10 patients continues to be successful, it is hoped that the new procedure can be developed in the future for patients needing whole breast reconstruction after mastectomy, instead of using conventional implants."

The second posted link is vague as to what procedure the patient originally had done. 

I think we can all be confident that we are getting the latest technology available for our individual situations.

Maria