For women who have achieved massive weight loss and find that their breasts have become like “pancakes”, there is a new way to do breast augmentation. A Pittsburgh surgeon has developed this procedure, which does not use implants, but instead uses the woman’s own fatty tissue.
By “massive weight loss”, Dr. Dennis Hurwitz means at least 100 pounds. Whether the weight was lost through exercise and diet, or through bariatric surgery (such as a gastric by-pass) does not matter. The important thing is that there still be a store of fat either below the breasts or on the upper arms.
Dr. Hurwitz calls his technique the “spiral flap technique” and he combines it with upper body contouring. So it is a “two-fer”, which makes it an attractive option for many women.
How Spiral Flap Surgery Works
A flap of excess fatty tissue is partly incised from the upper arm or upper abdomen along the bra line. It is then rotated and placed on the breast. This is an entirely customized procedure, according to how much fatty tissue is available in those two locations, and how much breast augmentation the patient would like. Usually there is a breast lift done as well, which removes excess skin from the chest and perhaps raises the nipples higher on the breast area.
Safety Record
So far, none of the approximately 100 women who have had this surgery done have had any significant infections or any other serious complications such as blood clots in the lung (pulmonary embolism).
Fifteen of the patients went on to have breast implant surgery, as they wanted more volume. This is one of the downsides, according to Dr. Hurwitz. It is hard to predict exactly how much breast augmentation will be achieved.
Another downside is the cost. Spiral Flap Surgery is more complex and time-consuming than breast implant surgery. The fees are about $16,000, but that includes breast reshaping and upper body contouring as well. Hospital costs are extra. In contrast, the American Society of Plastic Surgeons places the average cost of implant surgery at about $4,000 and that is often an outpatient procedure. However, for the right candidates, this is a promising new approach to breast augmentation.
Leave a Reply