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Fat Necrosis After Autologous Fat Transfer (AFT) to Breast: Comparison of Low-Speed Centrifugation with Sedimentation

  • Original Article
  • Breast Surgery
  • Published:
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Abstract

Background

Despite the advantages of autologous fat transfer to the breast, there are many complications after the surgery, such as oil cysts, calcification and palpable breast nodules. The fat purification process is a key step to reduce those complications, but there is currently no standard processing method. This study was designed to compare the incidence of fat necrosis after autologous fat grafting to the breast with low-speed centrifugation and sedimentation.

Methods

This study analyzed 100 patients (167 breasts) who underwent autologous fat grafts to the breasts from January, 2015 to March, 2017. Patients were divided into two groups randomly, low-speed centrifugation (800 r/min) and sedimentation (15 min). Postoperative fat necrosis such as oil cysts and palpable breast nodules was measured using physical examination and breast ultrasound 3 months after the surgery. The number and the diameter of the fat necroses were detected.

Results

A total of 100 patients (167 breasts) were included this research. There were 21 breasts with clinically palpable nodules (12.57%); fifteen (19.48%) were in the low-speed centrifugation group and six (6.67%) were in the sedimentation group (p < 0.05). According to postoperative breast ultrasounds, there were 83 breasts with hypoechoic cyst formations (49.7%); forty-five (58.44%) in the low-speed centrifugation group and 38 (42.22%) in the sedimentation group (p < 0.05). A positive correlation between the number of operative sessions and fat necrosis was found out.

Conclusion

Although low-speed centrifugation could achieve higher fat purification efficacy when compared with sedimentation, it causes more fat necrosis than sedimentation, such as clinically palpable nodules and subclinical nodules, especially in patients who had a history of breast surgery and those who needed more than one fat grafting session.

Level of Evidence III

This journal requires that authors assign a level of evidence to each article. For a full description of these Evidence-Based Medicine ratings, please refer to the Table of Contents or the online Instructions to Authors www.springer.com/00266.

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Acknowledgements

The authors declare that we have no conflicts of interest to disclose.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Breast Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery Center, Plastic Surgery Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Peking Union Medical College, 33 Badachu Rd, Shijingshan District, Beijing, 100144, People’s Republic of China

    Deni Kang & Jie Luan

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  1. Deni Kang
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  2. Jie Luan
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Correspondence to Jie Luan.

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Kang, D., Luan, J. Fat Necrosis After Autologous Fat Transfer (AFT) to Breast: Comparison of Low-Speed Centrifugation with Sedimentation. Aesth Plast Surg 42, 1457–1464 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00266-018-1213-z

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00266-018-1213-z

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