Introduction
Breast augmentation is a highly sought - after cosmetic procedure, and in Albany, both public and private hospitals offer options for breast augmentation surgery with autologous fat living cells. This natural approach to breast augmentation has gained popularity due to its ability to provide long - lasting and natural results without the use of breast implants. In this article, we will explore the details of this procedure, including who is a suitable candidate, the process, and the facilities available in Albany.
Understanding Natural Breast Augmentation with Autologous Fat Living Cells
What is Natural Breast Augmentation?
Natural breast augmentation is a procedure that achieves breast enhancement by using the patient's own fat. According to capekplasticsurgery.com, it has become increasingly popular over the last 15 years. This method reuses unwanted fat from problem areas such as the lower abdomen, thighs, or muffin top to naturally enhance the breasts. It not only augments the breasts but can also make uneven breasts more symmetric, ‘deflated’ breasts fuller, and fill out dents or divots after breast biopsies.
Benefits of Using Autologous Fat Living Cells
- Natural Results: The use of the patient's own fat ensures a more natural look and feel compared to breast implants. The shape of the augmented breasts is more in line with the patient's natural body contour.
- Lower Risk of Complications: There is no risk of implant - related issues such as capsular contracture, ALCL (anaplastic large cell lymphoma), or malposition. Infections are also generally rare, although they can still occur.
- Body Contouring: The fat harvesting process from areas like the abdomen, waist, flanks, back, and legs has the added benefit of improving the contour of these areas (source: delucaplasticsurgery.com).
- Minimal Scarring: Fat grafting uses only small needle pokes for injection, eliminating the need for large incisions, and thus leaving minimal scars.
Who is a Good Candidate for Natural Breast Augmentation with Autologous Fat Living Cells?
Not everyone is a suitable candidate for this procedure. Several factors are considered when determining eligibility:
Desired Breast Enhancement
- If you are looking to enhance your natural breast shape or increase your breast size by no more than one bra - cup size, natural breast augmentation may be an excellent choice. Otherwise, more than one session of grafting may be needed, or you may be happier with implant breast augmentation (capekplasticsurgery.com).
- If you have specific areas in your breasts that need ‘filling’ or shaping but are otherwise happy with your breast size, this procedure can be a great option.
Existing Breast Conditions
- If you already have breast implants but want them removed and the volume replaced with your own tissue, natural breast augmentation can be considered.
- Patients with capsular contracture from an existing breast implant or those with ruptured silicone implants may opt for a natural restoration using their own fat.
- If the edges of your existing breast implants are noticeable and unnatural - looking due to a lack of fat in your upper body, this procedure can help improve the appearance.
Body Fat Availability
You need to have enough fat in other parts of your body to “harvest” for transfer. Even if you are slim, you may still have a little extra fat on your inner thighs, back of the hips, and flanks (capekplasticsurgery.com).
Health and Expectations
- As with any elective surgery, you should be in good health and have realistic expectations of the results. You should also follow a healthy lifestyle, including diet and exercise, and avoid smoking for at least one month before and after the procedure as smoking can decrease the body's ability to heal normally and reduce blood flow to the transferred fat, leading to major graft loss (capekplasticsurgery.com).
- Patients with slightly loose skin in their breasts may find it easier to graft more fat into the “available space,” making this a great option for a combined breast lift with augmentation. However, if you have very tight skin and want an augmentation, this technique may not be the best choice.
The Process of Natural Breast Augmentation with Autologous Fat Living Cells
Pre - Procedure Consultation
During the consultation, a board - certified plastic surgeon will discuss your desired goals. They will determine a customized treatment course for you, talking in - depth about how you can prepare for the procedure, what to expect, and reviewing the alternatives, risks, and benefits of the surgery. For example, at capekplasticsurgery.com, Dr. Lucie Capek takes the time to understand each patient's needs and personalizes every treatment to give the most natural - looking results. delucaplasticsurgery.com uses in - office sizing and digital three - dimensional computer simulations to help guide patients' choices and determine if the procedure is right for them.
Pre - operative Preparation
- Health Maintenance: You should be in optimum health when considering elective surgery. Follow a healthy lifestyle, including diet and exercise, and follow your primary care physician’s advice when treating chronic conditions like high blood pressure.
- Smoking Cessation: It is critical that you don’t smoke for at least one month before and after this procedure. Smoking can have a significant negative impact on the survival of the transferred fat cells (capekplasticsurgery.com).
The Procedure Itself
- Fat Harvesting: The cosmetic procedure begins with the harvest of your own fat from your donor site(s). This is a gentler form of liposuction. Since the natural breast augmentation requires living tissue to be successful, surgeons use gentle instrumentation that does as little damage to the cells as possible. The fat is usually harvested from areas like the abdomen, waist, flanks, back, and legs through small (1/4 inch) incisions in the skin that are often hidden in skin folds (delucaplasticsurgery.com).
- Fat Processing: The living cells are then collected, filtered, and washed in a closed, sterile system, where the fat is also separated from any fluid. This ensures that only healthy and concentrated fat cells are used for the augmentation.
- Fat Injection: The surgeon places the concentrated, healthy fat cells into syringes and uses cannulas (like a blunt - tipped needle) to carefully inject the fat to sculpt the breasts. A meticulous injection technique ensures that the fat cells receive blood flow, oxygen, and nutrients naturally from the body while being minimally traumatized in the process, increasing the likelihood of a higher percentage of transferred fat cells surviving. The detailed, 3 - dimensional shaping makes the new breast enlargement as natural as possible (capekplasticsurgery.com).
Post - Procedure Care and Recovery
- Swelling and Bruising: Your breasts and donor sites will be a bit swollen and bruised after the procedure. There is usually minimal discomfort in the breast area, and the recovery in the donor sites is similar to liposuction. Bruises generally take up to 3 weeks to completely disappear (capekplasticsurgery.com).
- Activity Restrictions: You should avoid strenuous activity for 2 weeks post - surgery. Avoid any pressure on the breasts or high - impact exercise, such as running, for 8 weeks. It is recommended that you wear a compression garment on the donor site area(s) for 3 - 6 weeks for optimal healing (capekplasticsurgery.com).
- Recovery Timeline: The results will stabilize after 6 months, but most patients will appreciate a significant change right away. Patients are usually asked to avoid sleeping on their chest for 4 weeks to avoid pressure on the breasts. Exercise can start at about 1 week with a return to full activity by 4 weeks. The final results are usually seen at about 3 months (delucaplasticsurgery.com).
Public and Private Hospitals in Albany Offering Breast Augmentation with Autologous Fat Living Cells
Private Hospitals and Plastic Surgery Centers
Capek Surgical Arts
Dr. Lucie Capek at Capek Surgical Arts offers advanced cosmetic plastic surgery. Since 1996, she has been serving patients in the capital district from Albany, Saratoga, Schenectady, and Troy, NY. Her practice uses the latest technology to perform body contouring, breast surgery, and facial cosmetic surgery. The natural breast contouring is typically performed under general anesthesia in their quada - accredited office - based operating suite, Capek Surgical Arts, or a hospital operating room. Dr. Capek personalizes every treatment to give each patient the most natural - looking results, enhancing their beauty and increasing their self - confidence. The office is just 13 miles from Albany and 9 miles from Schenectady, New York (capekplasticsurgery.com).
Williams Center
The Williams Center in Latham, New York, is a destination practice for plastic surgery. Dr. Alfredo Lloreda, a distinguished and board - certified plastic surgeon at the center, specializes in breast and body procedures. Breast augmentation at the Williams Center may be performed using breast implants or fat transfers. The center uses advanced techniques to help patients achieve their desired breast shape and size. They also provide detailed consultations to guide patients through the procedure, including implant type and size selection, incision options, and risks. Patients can expect professional and personable care from the entire team at the Williams Center (williamsfacialsurgery.com).
DeLuca Plastic Surgery
At DeLuca Plastic Surgery in Albany, NY, Dr. David Tauber and Dr. Alan Yan offer breast augmentation surgery using fat transfer. They tailor the operation to each individual patient, using in - office sizing and digital three - dimensional computer simulations to help determine if the procedure is right for the patient. The fat harvesting is done through small incisions, and the cleaned and filtered fat is transferred back into the breast using a small cannula. This approach has several benefits, such as natural results, minimal scarring, and improved body contouring (delucaplasticsurgery.com).
Rockmore Plastic Surgery
Dr. Jeffrey Rockmore at Rockmore Plastic Surgery in Latham, serving Albany, Utica, Saratoga, and Troy, New York, performs breast augmentation using breast implants as well as fat grafts. He uses a 3 - dimensional approach for consistently beautiful and natural - looking breasts. Dr. Rockmore offers individualized breast augmentation, taking into account the patient's unique needs, anatomy, and aesthetic goals. He also provides detailed guidance on breast implant size, shape, material, and profile selection, as well as incision location and implant placement (rockmoreplasticsurgery.com).
GJK Plastic Surgery
Dr. Gabriel J. Kaufman at GJK Plastic Surgery in Albany delivers an exceptionally focused and personalized care experience. The clinic offers various breast procedures, including natural breast augmentation. Dr. Kaufman is dedicated to the wellness and satisfaction of his patients and will work with them to curate an ideal treatment plan based on their beauty goals (gjkplastic.com).
Public Hospital Options
While specific public hospitals in Albany offering breast augmentation with autologous fat living cells may not be as prominent in online searches as private facilities, public hospitals in larger cities often have plastic surgery departments that provide a range of cosmetic and reconstructive procedures. In Albany, local public hospitals might offer similar services, especially in cases related to breast reconstruction after breast cancer surgery or in situations where the procedure is deemed medically necessary. It is advisable to contact Albany's major public hospitals directly to inquire about their breast augmentation offerings with autologous fat living cells.
Choosing the Right Hospital and Surgeon
Surgeon Qualifications
It is crucial to choose a board - certified plastic surgeon. Board certification ensures that the surgeon has completed the necessary education, training, and examinations to perform plastic surgery procedures safely and effectively. For example, Dr. Lucie Capek, Dr. Alfredo Lloreda, Dr. David Tauber, Dr. Alan Yan, Dr. Jeffrey Rockmore, and Dr. Gabriel J. Kaufman are all board - certified plastic surgeons, which gives patients confidence in their skills and expertise (sources: capekplasticsurgery.com, williamsfacialsurgery.com, delucaplasticsurgery.com, rockmoreplasticsurgery.com, gjkplastic.com).
Experience
Look for surgeons with significant experience in breast augmentation surgery, especially with autologous fat living cells. Surgeons like Dr. Lucie Capek with over 25 years of experience and Dr. Jeffrey Rockmore with experience in performing more than 4,000 breast procedures are more likely to achieve optimal results (capekplasticsurgery.com, rockmoreplasticsurgery.com).
Patient Reviews and Testimonials
Reading patient reviews and testimonials can provide valuable insights into the quality of care and results achieved by a surgeon and a hospital. Websites like Healthgrades.com list doctors who perform breast augmentation in Albany along with their ratings. For example, Dr. Todd Beyer has a 4.80 rating out of 5 stars, and Dr. Jonathan Canete has a 4.90 rating out of 5 stars. These ratings can help you gauge the satisfaction level of previous patients (healthgrades.com).
Technology and Facilities
Choose a hospital or plastic surgery center that uses the latest technology. For instance, some centers use 3 - dimensional computer simulations and advanced fat harvesting and injection techniques to ensure better results. Facilities like Capek Surgical Arts are quada - accredited, which means they meet high - quality standards for patient care and safety (capekplasticsurgery.com).
Risks and Complications
Although complications from fat transfer breast augmentations are rare, all plastic surgery procedures carry some risk. Here are some potential risks:
General Risks
- Infection: Infections may occur during the recovery period, even though patients usually receive preventive antibiotics during and after the surgery. However, this risk is generally low (capekplasticsurgery.com).
- Blood Loss: There is usually minimal blood loss associated with this procedure, but in rare cases, more significant bleeding may occur.
Specific Risks
- Changes on Mammogram: There may be benign changes on your mammogram, such as small oil cysts, scar tissue, or calcifications. Generally, these changes are not serious and are easily differentiated from the appearance of breast cancer. Rarely do they require a biopsy (capekplasticsurgery.com).
- Fat Absorption: Some of the transferred fat may be absorbed by the body, and your enhancement may not meet your expectations. This may require additional sessions of fat transfer or alternative procedures.
- Donor Site Issues: Donor sites may not be perfectly smooth, and touch - ups or additional surgery may be required to improve the contour of the harvested areas.
Cost Considerations
The cost of breast augmentation with autologous fat living cells in Albany can vary depending on several factors:
Surgeon's Fees
Experienced and well - known surgeons may charge higher fees. Surgeons with a reputation for achieving excellent results often have a higher demand, which can affect the cost of the procedure.
Hospital or Facility Fees
Private plastic surgery centers may have different pricing structures compared to public hospitals. Facilities that offer state - of - the - art equipment and a high level of comfort may also charge more. For example, an office - based operating suite like Capek Surgical Arts may have different fees compared to a large public hospital (capekplasticsurgery.com).
Anesthesia Fees
The type of anesthesia used (general anesthesia or monitored anesthesia care) and the duration of the procedure can impact the anesthesia fees.
Additional Costs
There may be additional costs for pre - operative tests, post - operative medications, compression garments, and follow - up appointments. It is important to discuss all these costs with your surgeon during the consultation to get a clear understanding of the total expense.
Some facilities may offer financing options to help patients manage the cost of the procedure. For example, delucaplasticsurgery.com has financing plans available for patients who need help funding their breast enlargement procedure.
Conclusion
Breast augmentation with autologous fat living cells is a natural and effective way to enhance the breasts. In Albany, there are several private hospitals and plastic surgery centers that offer this procedure, each with its own team of experienced and board - certified plastic