The Timeline of Breast Augmentation by Autologous Fat Transfer

We have identified seven important steps to help ensure success

Step 01

A conversation.

Your Fat Transfer journey begins with a telephone conversation with one of our Patient Advisors. As Fat Transfer is an extremely individualised procedure it may not be suitable for all women, so we take great care early on to give you the best possible advice.


Step 02

A consultation.

Have a consultation with one of our surgeons. During the consultation, photographs and measurements will be taken and an individualised plan will be developed for your Fat Transfer procedure. You will have the opportunity to view before and after images of previous patients and will be given an understanding of the kind of result you can expect from your procedure. You will be advised of possible complications and given an informed consent form which you will need to sign prior to your procedure. Full informed financial consent is also provided – in other words, you will be advised the total cost of your procedure as well as the hospital and anaesthetic costs.

A second consultation is also required which can be done either over video or in-person depending on your preference.


Step 03

A few days before

your scheduled procedure, a staff member at Windsor Private Hospital will call you to confirm your arrival time and to discuss any medical issues as well as any concerns you may have.


Step 04

Pre-operative preparation

of the recipient site. The day before your surgery, the recipient site is treated to activate and “pre-energise” the healing process.


Step 05

Arrive at Windsor Private Hospital.

All our fat grafting procedures are currently performed at Windsor Private Hospital, which has been specially staffed and equipped for Autologous Fat Transfer. This means that Windsor Private Hospital has the specialised equipment required to provide the best possible result for your fat transfer procedure.


Step 06

Meet your anaesthetist.

Following your admission at Windsor Private Hospital, you will be introduced to your specialist anaesthetist who will examine you and carefully explain the anaesthetic process. Only fully qualified anaesthetists are accredited by Windsor Private Hospital and the anaesthetic technique used will be tailored to your circumstances and designed to minimise discomfort and any post-operative nausea as much as possible.


Step 07

Your procedure.

After your consultation with your anaesthetist, you will then be seen by your surgeon, who will do the immediate pre-operative planning, marking out the donor areas for the fat and planning precisely where the fat will be grafted. You will then be brought to the operating theatre, which has been specially equipped with positive pressure airflow and all of the specialised equipment required for the procedure.


Step 08

Post-operation.

Following your operation (which typically takes about 1.5 hours), you will be taken to the recovery area, where you will remain under the care of our skilled recovery nurses until you are ready for discharge. Patients who undergo Fat Transfer are usually able to be discharged after a few hours of observation, during which our experienced nurses will manage any symptoms. You will then be discharged into the care of a responsible adult and all your post-operative medication will be carefully explained. Of course if preferred or required, overnight stays are available at Windsor Private Hospital as well.


Step 09

Your first post-operative visit.

The day after your procedure, you will be seen by our practice nurse, who will check all of your operative sites and confirm that you are taking your medication correctly. This also marks the beginning of the graft “Stabilisation Phase” where we have to ensure that the fat graft “takes.” This process involves the vascularisation, or establishment of a blood supply to the fatty tissue.

This graft stabilisation period lasts for one month and an individualised programme will be developed for you to help ensure maximum survival of the grafted tissue. For our patients who live locally, you can expect to be seen several times during this first month. For our regional and interstate patients a specialised programme is developed and you will be supported over the telephone.


Step 10

Success!

Your stabilisation phase will last for about one month, during which you are encouraged to give one of our friendly staff members a call should you have any questions at all. At the end of the graft stabilisation phase, you will be seen by your surgeon in order to monitor the success of the procedure. Your surgeon will check that the transplanted fat cells are developing sufficient blood supply, as well as observing the recovery of any incision points and generally assess your health and well-being following your procedure.


Step 11

Growth.

You will now enter the “Accumulation Phase.” The Accumulation Phase lasts for approximately nine months and is a time when the fat cells grafted into your breasts are allowed to grow. During this time, your breast tissue will grow and your breasts will form their final contour following your procedure. As always, you will be supported by our nursing staff who will guide you on when to move from an elasticated support bra to your own, as well as resuming physical activities such as sports and running.