Has anyone had micro fat grafting?

Meece · February 2010

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

Macc · February 2010

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 · February 2010

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

Meece · February 2010

Very interesting! Thank you for posting the links.

debsie1 · February 2010

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 · February 2010

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 · February 2010

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 · February 2010

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 · February 2010

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

debsie1 · February 2010

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 · February 2010

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 · February 2010

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

Meece · February 2010

Maria, good luck on your procedure. I am not sure, but what might make the women uncomfortable, is not necessarily the actual pain of the procedure, but lipo is a sort of rough procedure in itself. It could make you uncomfortable being awake and thinking of what they are doing with the suction.

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

I agree with your statement about the latest technology.

Mouse6 · February 2010

Hi mradif,

I know it is definitely possible to reconstruct whole breasts using fat grafting. I spoke to a patient living in TO who had the procedure done last year. This patient originally had a lumpectomy. Then she had a recurrence so had a double mastectomy & radiation. She opted for reconstruction with implants, but had a lot of trouble healing. They removed the implants for one year, then she went in for the fat grafting instead. They built her back up to a C cup with the fat grafts and she's really satisfied with the results. She says the fat grafting really helped improve the colour and texture of the radiated skin as well. I think it is a fairly new procedure because at the time she had it done, the doc was not advertising it. From what I've read, it seems that the success of the procedure largely depends on how the fat is processed after being lipo suctioned out, before it is injected.

tbrock77 · February 2010

I had a bilateral masectomy. Latissimus flap on right (nice full recon) and just TE on left. that left a concave about the TE that my PS is going to do the same thing-inject fat to give it a fuller nicer look. My response was-"fat? oh i have lots of that..!" lol . i think its going tobe awesome

mradf · February 2010

Meece: Thanks for the good wishes and the heads up on the "yuck" factor. I had a tissue expander removed in his office early on - between surgeries when it poked through damaged skin - and he did a good job of keeping the surgical area draped so I couldn't really look down and watch, although I knew when he was cutting, pulling, and then stitching. He also made the point that if we were to use the OR, he could be more "agressive", so I know he knows his limits and mine. I've been through a lot with this doctor, including emergency surgery to repair a hematoma in the middle of the night, also early on. I trust him and I'm going in with my eyes wide open, for better or for worse. My tummy was tender for a long time, and even still a bit sometimes five months after my exchange, but it's much, much better.

Mouse6: I can't find any literature anywhere about full reconstruction with fat transfer, but that doesn't mean it's not being done. The ASPS's Guiding Principles states that there is no industry standardization for technique, so I would guess that this patient probably had a PS doing it "off label", so to speak, from what is commonly done. I would also guess that she had a nicely formed pocket from her time with implants, and maybe she's petite, in which case it might take less volume to create a C cup than for some other women. I know I wore a C cup over the years in varying sized bras, and my early Cs were much smaller than my later Cs! Anyway, these are all my unprofessional observations, based on my own experiences and research.

Be well,

Maria

Erica3681 · February 2010

Hi Mouse6,

You are absolutely right. Reconstruction using your own fat is being done already. Here's a link to a video and article about a doctor in Miami who has created what he calls the Brava technique. It creates suction on the skin to make room for fat injections. I don't believe stem cells are part of this, so I have a feeling that a number of different researchers are working on this idea, each with his or her own particular twist. Here's a link to the video and article: http://www.nbcmiami.com/news/health/Rebuilding-Breasts-with-Suctions-and-Fat-83960437.html

I'm interested that your friend had her fat graft reconstruction after having had radiation. When I first heard about Brava, I had the impression that it wasn't recommended for radiated skin.

When I had a bilateral mastectomy three years ago, I opted to go breast-free, no reconstruction. My husband and I joked that maybe if doctors ever figured out how to grow new breasts that would be the time to give reconstruction a try. At the time I regarded it just as a joke, but now it does seem possible that an entirely new, safer, and less invasive form of reconstruction may be available before long, if not immediately.

Please keep us posted if you find out any more about this.

Barbara

BreastFree.org

Mouse6 · February 2010

I'm really looking forward to my consult in March so I can get to the bottom of things and find out the capabilities, limits, and differences between different techniques. I will make sure to post everything I've learned from the PS here so everyone can benefit.

happy29 · February 2010

Thanks Erica for the link. SO COOL!!! such a wonderful alternative for the future and now for some!

KKDM · February 2010

Hi Westbrook, I had a lumpectomy in June of 09, I am considering fat grafts with stem cells. Are you happy with this? I would appreciate any info you can give me. Thank you. KM

MiamiBreastCenter · February 2010

Hello, I represent Dr. Roger Khouri, MD and the Miami Breast Center. We have been receiving questions and links into our website from forums like these of woman with many questions regarding fat grafting for breast reconstruciton. After reading some of the discussions we noticed a lot of questions are not being answered properly and the community is not well informed.

We thought it would be best to become a member of this forum only to answer and clarify any specific questions the community may have regarding fat grafting for breast reconstruction.

We can answer any questions you may have through a public discussion or a private message.

This weekend Dr. Roger Khouri held a private medical workshop training other surgeons on his specific technique. The workshop was a success. If I cannot answer a question properly I will refer it to Dr.Khouri for further explanation.

MBC Team

CrunchyPoodleMama · February 2010

Hmm -- I asked my plastic surgeon (jokingly) if he could take some tissue from my healthy breast and use that to pad my lumpectomy/partial mastectomy breast. He laughed and said no.

But I have always wondered... why not?? MiamiBreastCenter, do you have any insights as to whether that may be possible one day? Right now I'm lopside (which is fine), but I will need more tissue removed from my DCIS breast, and I'd love to be able to even them out without having to have tissue taken from other parts of my body!

debsie1 · February 2010

Hello MiamiBreastCenter;

I am very happy that you joined this forum. I do have a few questons and would be delighted if you can answer them:

1.Do all fat grafts have to be done with stem cells?

2.Do patients have to have a general anesthetic?

3.If woman have it done in both breasts and only one works (fat necrosos) in the other..what happens?

4.Is it true that there is a good chance of developing cysts(calcification) which looks like cancer and would always have to be biopsied?

5.Would MRI's help to determine what these cysts are from?

Thank you so much

Erica3681 · February 2010

MBC Team,

I'd like to know whether Dr. Khouri's technique can be used on skin that has been previously radiated.

Thanks.

Barbara

MiamiBreastCenter · February 2010

CrunchyPoodleMama

Thank you for taking the time and asking us your questions. The response came directly from Dr.Khouri:

Hmm -- I asked my plastic surgeon (jokingly) if he could take some tissue from my healthy breast and use that to pad my lumpectomy/partial mastectomy breast. He laughed and said no.
But I have always wondered... why not?? MiamiBreastCenter, do you have any insights as to whether that may be possible one day?

Yes, this is possible....

Right now I'm lopside (which is fine), but I will need more tissue removed from my DCIS breast, and I'd love to be able to even them out without having to have tissue taken from other parts of my body.

Best to put in your breast simple fat from somewhere else, not cancer prone breast tissue from your other breast.

KKDM · February 2010

Hello Miami Breast Center, thank you for joining. What about the possible cysts that can look like microcalcifications that can look like cancer on a mammogram? Is there a high incidence of this and what do radiologists say? No one wants a Bx that is not needed. What happens to the fat that does die? Thank you

MiamiBreastCenter · February 2010

Debsie1,

Thanks for your patience. We will be answering questions between 24-72 hrs depending on complexity and if it requires a response from Dr. Khouri. We are currently building a database of FAQ which will be uploaded to our site.

1.Do all fat grafts have to be done with stem cells?

Tissue harvested by liposuction contains fat and stem cells. We prefer not to separate them and we graft back both the fat and the stem cells.

2.Do patients have to have a general anesthetic?

Fat graft breast reconstruction is a minor procedure we have often done under local anesthesia.

3.If woman have it done in both breasts and only one works (fat necrosos) in the other..what happens?

In our series of more than 100 women, the range of graft survival was between 100% and 70%. We never had the total graft failure that can happen with flaps.

4.Is it true that there is a good chance of developing cysts(calcification) which looks like cancer and would always have to be biopsied?

This argument has no scientific basis at all. It was accepted as dogma by everybody and perpetuated for over 20 years by a multi-billion dollar implant industry. It has finally crumbled and only the un-informed still perpetuate it. Fact is: Radiologists are almost always able to recognize califications from failed fat grafts.

5.Would MRI's help to determine what these cysts are from?

Yes, radiologists today have a number of diagnostic tools that can determine the nature of suspicious lesions without resorting to a surgical biopsy.

Thank you so much

MiamiBreastCenter · February 2010

KKDM,

I believe our last post, question 4 answers your question.

Thank you, MBC Team

don23 · February 2010

Miami Breast Center - Would fat grafting fix hollow areas in breasts where implants have not settled. I have a space on the inside of my left breast that feels hollow. Could fat grafting fix this problem?

dash · February 2010

What an amazing thread!

At my last appt with my PS, he told me that the underarm side breast area fat is "gold, pure gold" because he can lipo it out and hand inject it into my diep flaps to give me more projection. I wasn't too hopeful about this until reading this thread. It sounds like it's the same idea or am I not understanding?

Has anyone had micro fat grafting?

Comments

Categories