Breast enhancement for the future may just involve something from your behind

Those seeking the perfect body may find respite in a new plastic surgery technique to shape the body—using recycled fat. By extracting unwanted fat from other areas of the body, especially the belly, thighs, or hips, a patient can instantly have their breasts enlarged through an injection of their own fat.

However, the procedure is not without complications. In fact, the procedure is still in its infancy and the potential effects from the fat transferring process are still highly misunderstood. For example, the process of extracting the fat—or sucking it with liposuction—can damage the fat. Once the fat is injected into another area of the body it has to find a blood supply or die. Medical critics are particularly concerned that the dead fat deposits will calcify in a woman’s breast and could potentially mask real, and potentially Cancerous, tumors.

As with any new procedure, there are many unanswered questions about the long-term effects on the body. Patients that are opting for this surgery have no prior evidence of its safety and efficacy to rely on—there have been no clinical trials performed to date. The American Society of Plastic Surgeons has guidelines for the procedure including warning patients that they may experience certain complications and that there is limited scientific evidence of the procedure’s safety and efficacy.

The biggest question concerning critics of the procedure is: does injecting fat cause anything abnormal to occur in the body? Although there has been no evidence in humans, researchers have found that injecting fat in certain animals can stimulate tumor growth. Evidence enough that potential patients for fat transfer may want to think twice before entertaining their vanity.