Explant With Fat Transfer

Explant surgery with fat transfer can vary significantly based on each patient’s goals, implant history, and any existing concerns. During your consultation, your surgeon will take the time to understand your experience with implants and perform a thorough evaluation to determine the safest and most effective approach for your individual needs. To be a candidate for a fat transfer, you do need to have enough fat on your body for fat grafting.

If you’re experiencing discomfort or complications, your surgeon will guide you in selecting the appropriate surgical technique and fat transfer plan to restore natural breast volume while helping to prevent similar issues in the future. Together, you’ll also discuss ideal donor areas for fat harvesting to best support your desired enhancement. A comprehensive pre-operative plan will be developed to support a smooth recovery and optimal aesthetic results.

After the removal of your breast implants, your surgeon will proceed with liposuction to carefully harvest fat from predetermined areas of your body—commonly the abdomen, flanks, thighs, or back. This fat is then purified and strategically transferred into each breast to restore volume and achieve a natural, balanced contour. Typically, the fat is injected through small incisions placed discreetly around the areola to minimize visible scarring and maintain an aesthetic result.

Depending on your anatomy and goals, your surgeon may also recommend a breast lift to address any sagging or additional liposuction to enhance your overall figure. These decisions are customized during your consultation to ensure the procedure is tailored specifically to your needs and desired outcome. In many cases, patients choose to combine this surgery with a Brazilian Butt Lift (BBL), utilizing the harvested fat to enhance both the breasts and buttocks in a single procedure for comprehensive body contouring.

It is completely normal to experience soreness, swelling, and mild bruising in the first one to two weeks following your breast explant with fat transfer procedure. While some discomfort may be felt in the chest area, many patients report that the most significant soreness occurs at the liposuction sites, such as the abdomen, flanks, or thighs, where fat was harvested for transfer. These areas may feel tender or tight as the body heals and adjusts.

After the fat is transferred to the breasts, it's important to understand that some of the volume loss is expected—typically, about 30–50% of the transferred fat survives during the first few months. This is a normal part of the healing process, as not all of the grafted fat establishes a new blood supply. Because of this, your surgeon may slightly overfill the breasts initially to account for this natural reduction.

Final results usually become visible around the 4-month mark, once the swelling has resolved and the surviving fat has fully stabilized.To support a smoother recovery, your surgeon may recommend oral pain relievers, anti-inflammatory medications, and cold compresses during the early post-operative period.