Breast implants and fat transfer are two common reconstructive procedures used during breast augmentation to improve your breast appearance.
We recently received a request from our readers to compare breast implants and fat transfer breast augmentation and suggest the better one.
In this article, we will compare breast implants vs. fat transfer listing pros and cons for each procedure. Our hope is that after going through our comparison, you can pick the better one for yourself.
To get the best out of this comparison, we have subdivided the article into multiple divisions. We will look at each division to see which one offers benefits if you want to choose one.
- Costs
- Recovery Time
- Risks and Complications
- Life long
The Costs
Knowing how much each procedure cost is important in making a good decision. Let’s look at how much breast implants cost vs. how much fat transfer cost.
Breast Implants.
In order to know what it will cost to have a breast implant, you will first have to know the types of implants to be used.
Depending on your needs you can choose Silicon implants, Saline implants, tear drop implants or even round breast implants. Silicon implants work for most women.
However, based on the anatomy of your breasts, body type and other factors, it is wise to consult with your surgeon the best implant for you.
See our guide on How to choose the best breast implant for your body.
The cost of breast implants vary depending on the type of implant, the surgeon conducting it and your location.
You are the one to make a decision on the surgeon to conduct and how much money you will need for your surgery.
With over 10,000+ surgeons who are board certified and have a good experience, you can have a breast implant from as low as $3,300. This includes the surgeon’s fee and anesthesia. We recommend Dr. Miami.
The major reason why most women prefer to have implants is that they offer a better body image and more satisfaction when it comes to sex.
We have a detailed article on the cost of having a breast implant and how you can get it done under a low budget.
Fat transfer
Fat transfer fees starts from $2,500-$15,000 depending on the procedure to be done, your geographic area and the expertise of the surgeon.
That is a little less than the cost of having breast implants. However, unlike breast implants, your fat injections can be absorbed completely by your body.
Fat transfer injections are safe, long lasting and comes with few risks and complications.
One greatest benefit you will get from fat injections is that you will not get an adverse allergic reaction.
Conclusion
Fat transfer beats implants with flexible pricing available from a variety of surgeons from around the world.
The cost depends on your goals, and other factors that affect the price.
Recovery Time
When going for a surgery or cosmetic procedure you always ask yourself this question. Such as how long will i take to recover? then you can plan your schedule.
Let’s look at how fat transfer and implants compare when it comes to recovery period
Fat transfer.
Different people responds differently when it comes to recovery. Most fat transfer patients return to their normal activities 6-8 weeks after surgery.
But you can also quicken the recovery process by reading our guide: Breast augmentation recovery tips to quicken your healing process.
Breast Implants.
The recovery period of a patients who has undergone breast or buttock implants is more compared to that of fat transfer.
This is because of different types of implants, options used, and incision.
Breasts placed on top of your chest muscles take shorter time to heal compared to those placed under your chest muscles.
In addition to that, different patients takes different recovery periods.
With proper care and post-operation care, most women have reported to have resumed their activities at the 10th week.
Conclusion
Patients who have had fat transfer tend to recover quickly that patients with breast implant surgery.
Following your surgeons’ post care instructions and tips will help you recover quickly.
Fat transfer again beats breast implants with shorter recovery time.
Risks and Complications
Both Fat transfer and implants carries risks and complications.
Let us see which one has less risks and complications after undergoing surgery.
Fat Transfer
Fat transfer risks are fewer, and minimal. Some patients will experience allergic reactions caused by local anesthesia. Here are some of the risks and complications to expect during and after a fat transfer:
- Permanent discoloration due to ruptured blood vessels.
- Peri-operative bleeding
- Bloodborne infection
- A blood clot at the site of treatment.
- Fat embolism
- Scar tissues
Implants
Implants come with more risks and complication, especially when done by an inexperienced surgeon. However, if done by a professional, the risks are minimal.
some of the common risks that come with breast or any other implant includes;
- Capsular contracture
- Scar tissue
- Hematoma
- continuous breast pain
- Changes in nipple or breast sensation
- infection
- Excess bleeding.
Summarizing Breast transfer vs. breast implants Comparison.
Breast transfer is far great than implants when it comes to breast augmentation. However the results are not long lasting.
You have to be revisiting your surgeon after 3 months for a refill.
Here is a quick breakdown of pros and cons of both procedures.
Pros of using Fat transfer
- It is natural because it uses your body tissues
- Has less minimal risks
- Does not leave scars
Cons of using Fat transfer
- Can not be used if you want large change in your augmentation.
- The fat can be reabsorbed by your body
- Does not lift your breasts.
Pros of using implants
- Lifts your sagged breasts
- Improved self esteem
- Can stay for longer periods
Cons of using breast implants
- Risks of having capsular contracture
- Breast sensation and nipple change
- Risk of Malrotation.
- Infections
- Requires long incision.
Weighing in the pros and cons we can confidently say that fat transfer is more safe in breast augmentation.
However, if your goal is to have big lifted breasts then i would advice you go for an implant.
We hope this article gave you a side by side comparison of fat transfer vs breast implants. You may also want to see our complete breast augmentation for a detailed overview.
