Restorative & Supportive Procedures

Breast reconstruction is often a journey completed in stages. Once the main reconstruction is done, some women choose to add small refinements to improve shape, balance, or softness. One of the most common and effective refinements is called fat grafting (also known as fat transfer).

Fat grafting uses your own tissue to fine-tune your results—taking fat from one part of your body and carefully placing it into your reconstructed breast.

How It Works

Fat grafting is a minimally invasive outpatient procedure, usually done under anesthesia:

1. Harvesting: The surgeon removes fat from areas like the abdomen, thighs, or hips using gentle liposuction.

2. Preparing: The fat is cleaned and processed in the operating room.

3. Grafting: Small amounts of fat are injected into the breast wherever extra volume, softness, or contour improvement is needed.

Some of the transferred fat is naturally reabsorbed by the body in the weeks after surgery. The fat that “takes” will remain permanently. For this reason, more than one session may be needed to achieve the desired result.

When Fat Grafting Is Used

Fat grafting can play a role in several different situations:

After Implant Reconstruction

• Helps smooth rippling or visible implant edges.

• Adds softness in areas that may look hollow, especially the upper or inner breast.

After Natural Tissue (Flap) Reconstruction

• Refines the contour by filling in small dips or irregularities.

• Can add extra volume if more fullness is desired.

Fat Grafting Alone

• In select cases, surgeons can rebuild a small breast using staged fat grafting sessions without implants or large flaps.

• This approach is less common but can be an option for women seeking a natural, implant-free result.

Benefits of Fat Grafting

• Uses your own natural tissue—no implants, no foreign material.

• Helps the breast feel softer and look more natural.

• Improves contour and symmetry, especially after implants or flaps.

• Outpatient procedure with relatively quick recovery.

• Can enhance donor areas too (like a “mini liposuction”).

Things to Keep in Mind

• Multiple sessions may be needed: Because not all the fat survives, refinement is often done in stages.

• Fat necrosis: Rarely, fat cells may harden, forming small firm lumps under the skin.

• Volume limits: Only a safe amount of fat can be added at one time to protect blood supply and healing.

• Recovery: Most women go home the same day, with mild soreness in both the donor site and the breast.

A Personal Choice

Fat grafting isn’t required for everyone—but for many women, it provides the finishing touches that make their reconstruction look and feel more natural. It’s a gentle, tissue-based way to refine results and restore softness, balance, and confidence.