Chicago - A new study suggests that injecting fat after breast reconstruction to correct implant wrinkling or dimpling may be safe and effective to improve breast shape, reports Medical News Today.
The study, to be presented at the American Society of Plastic Surgeons Plastic Surgery 2008 conference here, involved 21 patients who had 42 fat transfers for contour deformities or wrinkling. The injections of fat, which was taken from patients' abdomen or upper thighs, were administered an average of 9.9 months after the reconstruction procedures.
The study found that the fat injections were safe, improved breast shape and corrected implant wrinkling.
Medical News Today quotes study author Gregory Scott, M.D., as saying, "My reconstruction patients could not be happier with the improvement fat transfer gives to the appearance of their breasts. The initial implant reconstruction sometimes leaves them with contour deformities or wrinkling, but fat injections can correct these problems and give their breasts a smoother, softer, more natural appearance."
Controversy surrounds the use of fat injections for cosmetic breast enhancement. It is known that fat can "calcify" in the breast and obscure mammograms or be mistaken for fibrous cancer growths. Also, it is unclear how much fat is needed to adequately enlarge a breast, if (and how much of) the injected fat will be absorbed by the body, and how much time should be allowed to perform the procedure.
