Can Fat Grafting Fix Uneven or Lopsided Breasts? – Using Fat Transfer for Breast Asymmetry

Rebecca Wyten Blog - Fixing Asymmetric Breast With Fat Transfer - Woman Holding Breast Nude

No two breasts are exactly alike – they are sisters, not twins! They come in different sizes, shapes, and projections. Each breast is unique. Even your own two breasts don't exactly look the same. We call this breast asymmetry. Nearly every woman has a certain degree of unevenness between her breasts. However, in some women, this problem is more pronounced. One breast is obviously much bigger than the other, or they just look very different from the other. You need to know that uneven breasts are more common than you think. You also need to know that plastic surgeons have developed many techniques to fix uneven breasts. One attractive technique that Dr Rebecca Wyten uses to make your breasts even is fat transfer. With fat transfer, she uses your own body fat to pump up and contour your breasts. No scars, no implants, and less pain!

So, if you have uneven breasts, keep reading to see if fat transfer is the surgery for you.

What are uneven breasts?

Breast asymmetry (also called uneven or lopsided breasts) is a common cosmetic problem of the breasts. It's when your two breasts just look too different, with two different sizes and shapes. Below are some examples of different types of breast asymmetry:

  • Different shape; one breast is much rounder than the other
  • Size variation; one breast is much larger than the other
  • Sag; one breast is drooping, while the other is perkier
  • Projection; One breast is projecting a lot more than the other breast

A lot of young women who have lopsided breasts think that no one else has this problem, and are therefore very hesitant in talking about it. What you need to know is that breast asymmetry is very common. Nearly every single woman has some degree of asymmetry, however, in some, the difference is just very obvious. If you're from the latter group, no need to worry. There are numerous surgeries to fix lopsided breasts and give you very even and very beautiful boobs.

What is fat transfer?

Autologous fat transfer (also called fat grafting) is a new technique that has been gaining a lot of popularity in cosmetic plastic surgery. It is utilized in a wide variety of procedures, including facial contouring, body contouring, and breast enhancement surgery.

During a fat grafting procedure, Dr Rebecca uses your own body fat to contour and augment certain parts of your body. First she will harvest excess fat from fatty regions of your body (like your hips, thighs, or abdomen) through liposuction. The next step is to run the fat through a machine to purify it. Once the fat is purified it will be injected to contour the targeted area, like your face, chin, cheeks, or breasts.

Fat grafting is widely utilized for breast augmentation and correction of breast deformities. This technique allows Dr Rebecca to augment and sculpt your breasts with extremely high precision, giving you the symmetric and perky breasts you desire.

Depending on your condition, fat grafting can be a stand-alone procedure or in combination with implants to achieve the breast shape and size you desire.

How can fat transfer treat breast asymmetry?

Fat transfer is one of the many techniques that Dr Rebecca uses to fix breast asymmetry. The goal of uneven breast correction surgery is to give both breasts the same size, shape, and contour. This is why a number of procedures might be utilized depending on your specific case.

Dr Wyten will either reduce the larger breast or enlarge the smaller breast. She can use breast implants, fat grafting, or a combination of the two. Furthermore, she may operate on one or both breasts with one of these techniques or a combination of them. This all depends on your natural anatomy as well as, your expectations. Ultimately, the goal is to give you symmetrical breasts with the size, shape, and perkiness you want.

In breast asymmetry, fat transplantation can be used to enlarge your smaller breast. If you only have minor asymmetry, fat grafting alone may be enough to pump up the volume of the smaller breast and give it a size and shape similar to the larger one. If you have more severe asymmetry, fat transfer can complement breast implants to contour your breasts and outline your cleavage.

Correction of breast asymmetry with breast reduction and fat grafting before and after pictures

What are the benefits of fat transfer?

There are a few reasons why autologous fat transfer is so popular among our patients;

  • More natural procedure: If you're looking for a more natural way to make your boobs bigger or fix lopsided breasts, fat grafting is the way to go. Fat grafting does not use silicone implants or foreign materials. Your own body fat is just relocated to where it is more needed.
  • Faster recovery: Compared to more invasive cosmetic breast surgeries (like implants or breast reduction), a fat transfer boob job is less traumatic. This translates to less post-operative pain and quicker recovery. However, the donor sites (where liposuction is done) might cause you some minimal additional pain.
  • No scars: Liposuction and fat injection are done through very tiny incisions in your skin. These incisions usually require no suturing, heal quickly, and leave no permanent visible scars.
  • Body contouring: This is one of the most attractive advantages of fat graft boob jobs. If you're getting fat grafting, you won't only be contouring your breasts, you will also be contouring the donor sites. When Dr Rebecca harvests fat for your breast augmentation, she will target the excess fat in areas like your lower belly, thighs, hips, and back. This allows her to sculpt your body and get rid of any excess fat in the same procedure.
  • Strategic breast contouring: When performing an autologous fat transfer, Dr Rebecca can precisely choose which areas of your breasts she wants to target, and how much she wants to augment. This allows Dr Wyten to carefully reform your breasts, focusing on specific areas like your cleavage and upper breast poles.

Find out more about Fat Transfer Breast Surgery and See more Fat Transfer Photos in our Gallery

What are the other available ways to fix uneven breasts?

As already mentioned, there are several ways to fix lopsided breasts. Each can be done alone or combined with one or more other procedures, in one or both breasts:

  • Breast augmentation with implants: Silicone or saline implants have never failed women who want bigger, perkier, and younger-looking breasts. This also applies to breast asymmetry.
  • Breast reduction: If you don't like how your larger breast looks and you prefer the other's size and shape, then breast reduction can be done. Reduction mammaplasty is a procedure in which Dr Wyten removes breast tissue from the larger breast to reduce its size and make it more proportional with the rest of your body.
  • And, Breast lifting: Also called mastopexy. This procedure is for women who have saggy breasts. It can be combined with any of the other techniques to fix lopsided breasts as well.

During your first office visit, Dr Rebecca will examine you and discuss with you the possible surgical options. Together, you will design a treatment plan that perfectly fits your desires and expectations.

Should you get a fat transfer, implants, or both?

Now that you know how fat transfer works and how we can treat uneven breasts, which option is best for you? The answer is not simple, and the perfect treatment can only be definitely determined after a thorough physical examination by Dr Rebecca. Nevertheless, here is what you can expect:

  • Mild breast asymmetry: Fat transfer alone is perfect for women who have only a mild degree of asymmetry. Fat grafts can provide your boobs with enough volume to even out difference in size and shape perfectly.
  • Severe breast asymmetry: If you have severe breast asymmetry, fat transfer alone might not be enough. Although a fat graft can pump up your breast's volume, the degree of augmentation is limited compared to silicone and saline implants. This is why, in women who have moderate and severe size differences, breast implants should be used. Breast implants alone can be enough to fix lopsided breasts, however, fat grafting can complement the boob job and focus on important areas, like your cleavage and sideboob.

How is a fat transplant done?

The procedure normally takes place in a hospital operating room. You will first be put to sleep by a qualified anaesthetist. Then, Dr Wyten will scrub the surgical field with antiseptics and cover you with sterile drapes.

The first part of the procedure is to harvest the fat with liposuction. Dr Wyten will use a metallic rod connected to a machine to literally suck the fat from under the skin in the donor areas. The donor area is usually a region/s of your body that have excess fat, for example, your buttocks, hips, thighs, or abdomen. During this stage, Dr Rebecca will aim to collect fat and contour your body at the same time. The fat is then transferred to a special machine to be purified of water, cells, and debris.

The second part of the procedure is fat grafting. During this stage, Dr Rebecca will carefully inject the harvested fat into your breasts. She will choose the targeted areas strategically to give you the exact shape and size you desire.

Once Dr Wyten is done with your breast augmentation, your wounds will be cleaned and will most likely be left without any sutures. They are usually so small that they don't need stitching. Your anaesthetist will then wake you up and send you to the recovery room.

How is the recovery after breast fat transfer?

In most cases, you can go back home the same day after your fat graft boob job. During the first few days, you will notice some bruising and swelling in your breasts and around the donor sites. This is perfectly normal and will improve as the days pass.

After a few days of home rest, you can start gradually returning to work and your daily routines. Nevertheless, you should stay away from any strenuous sports during the first two weeks. If liposuction was done from your hips and belly, you might be told to wear a compressive abdominal binder during your recovery period.

Dr Wyten will prescribe painkillers and antibiotics to help the pain and prevent infection while healing.

Is fat transfer surgery safe?

Cosmetic breast surgery and liposuction are elective procedures, and they are generally very safe and well-tolerated by our patients. Compared to other more invasive breast surgeries, fat grafting carries fewer risks. Below are some of the rare risks that can occur with liposuction and fat grafting:

  • Seroma: Fluid collection in the breasts or in the donor areas
  • Hematoma: Blood collection in the breasts or in the donor areas
  • Wound infection: Redness, pain, and puss might signify a bacterial infection
  • Loss of nipple sensation
  • Skin numbness in the targeted areas

How much does a fat transfer cost?

Determining the cost of fat transfer for breast asymmetry is not simple, it depends on many factors, including:

  • Are one or both breasts be augmented?
  • Will you also need breast implants?
  • Do you need a breast lift?
  • Where do you want to have your surgery?
  • Will you combine multiple procedures?

All these questions come into putting a price tag on your breast asymmetry correction surgery. When compared, fat grafting alone can be more affordable than breast implants. Nevertheless, you should not let the cost be an obstacle when it comes to your beauty and mental well-being. Moreover, there are several financing options for cosmetic surgery available in Australia, and we can help you find one that suits you.

More Blogs on Fat Grafting

  • Fat Grafting Vs Breast Implants – Which should you choose?
  • Medical Articles on Fat Grafting and Fat Transfer to Breasts

Further Reading – Medical Sources:

  • https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0162309597000020
  • https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/000712269490166X
  • https://journals.lww.com/plasreconsurg/Abstract/2012/05000/Brava_and_Autologous_Fat_Transfer_Is_a_Safe_and.25.aspx
  • https://journals.lww.com/dermatologicsurgery/Abstract/2016/11000/Autologous_Fat_Transfer_for_Breast_Augmentation__A.1.aspx
  • https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00266-017-0911-2
  • https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/ans.12202
  • https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/j.1524-4725.1998.tb04263.x
  • https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/00015458.2006.11679973
  • https://journals.lww.com/plasreconsurg/Abstract/2009/08000/Autologous_Fat_Grafting_to_the_Reconstructed.10.aspx