A Prospective Study of Autologous Fat Grafting for Breast Augmentation

NCT ID: NCT00663156

Last Updated: 2013-02-15

Basic Information

• Recruitment Status: COMPLETED
• Clinical Phase: NA
• Total Enrollment: 13 participants
• Study Classification: INTERVENTIONAL
• Study Start Date: 2008-03-31
• Study Completion Date: 2013-01-31

Brief Summary

This research study is to evaluate the natural history of fat transplanted from a person's body to their breasts. We are seeking a natural, safe, and effective alternative to breast implants. Patients will undergo liposuction of their body followed by infiltration of this harvested fat around their breasts. The study protocol will involve preoperative and postoperative photographs, mammograms, and MRI to look for changes in the breast shape and size, as well as any internal changes in the breast tissue.

Detailed Description

The current standard for breast augmentation involves placement of an implant. Although implants are safe, they are foreign bodies and thus have inherent risks including infection, failure, malposition, etc. In order to avoid the inherent risks of an implanted device, some surgeons and patients have elected to proceed with breast augmentation from autologous tissue. Early reports of autologous fat transplantation to the breasts were successful, but increases in breast volume were modest (Bircoll, 1987). There were also hypothetical concerns about changes in the breast tissue that would interfere with mammographic screening for breast cancer.

Spear et al (2005) performed autologous fat transplantation to reconstructed breasts in 37 patients with 2-dimensional photographic evidence of improved breast shape and volume suggesting that this technique can be effectively performed. However, these patients had all received mastectomies so mammographic screening was not indicated. Coleman and Saboeiro (2007) performed autologous fat transplantation to the breasts in 17 patients. Fifteen of the 17 patients received post-operative mammograms, 7 (47%) of which were abnormal. However, none of these abnormal findings interfered with cancer screening. Furthermore, 2 patients in the study did develop breast cancer which was successfully detected by mammography. Other studies have confirmed the ability to differentiate benign from malignant findings on mammogram after autologous fat transplantation. Pulagam et al (2006) reported long term (10 and 8 year) findings on 2 patients that underwent autologous fat transplantation to the breasts. Mammography and ultrasound were used to differentiate benign from malignant appearing calcifications. Some authors have speculated that autologous fat transplantation to the breast would lead to mammographic changes similar to routine breast procedures such as breast reduction and mastopexy (Coleman and Saboeiro, 2007).

Conditions

Breast Augmentation; Fat Grafting

Study Design

• Allocation Method: NON_RANDOMIZED
• Intervention Model: SINGLE_GROUP
• Primary Study Purpose: BASIC_SCIENCE
• Blinding Strategy: NONE

Study Groups

subject

10 subjects receiving breast augmentation with fat grafting

Group Type: EXPERIMENTAL

Liposuction, fat grafting

Intervention Type: PROCEDURE

Autologous fat will be harvested from the body (typically the abdomen or thighs) using syringe aspiration techniques and then infiltrated into the subcutaneous tissue around the breast as well as between the breast and the underlying musculature using blunt cannulas. These procedures will be done in an outpatient surgery setting in the Georgetown University Hospital under general anesthesia and sterile conditions.

control

10 control will have breast augmentation using breast implants

Group Type: OTHER

breast implants

Intervention Type: PROCEDURE

patients will have breast augmentation using implants

Interventions

breast implants

patients will have breast augmentation using implants

Intervention Type: PROCEDURE

Liposuction, fat grafting

Autologous fat will be harvested from the body (typically the abdomen or thighs) using syringe aspiration techniques and then infiltrated into the subcutaneous tissue around the breast as well as between the breast and the underlying musculature using blunt cannulas. These procedures will be done in an outpatient surgery setting in the Georgetown University Hospital under general anesthesia and sterile conditions.

Intervention Type: PROCEDURE

Other Intervention Names

Allergan; Mentor; Lipovage; Vectra 3-D

Eligibility Criteria

Inclusion Criteria

• 20-50 years old
• willing to have mammogram, MRI, and photographs
• willing to follow study requirements and sign informed consent
• no previous breast surgeries
• must reside within 50 miles of the Washington, D.C. Metropolitan area

Exclusion Criteria

• pregnant or nursing
• existing breast cancer
• advanced fibrocystic disease
• protease inhibitors
• any condition leading to surgical risk
• any disease known to affect wound healing
• abscess or infection in the body
• incompatible psychological factors

• Minimum Eligible Age: 20 Years
• Maximum Eligible Age: 50 Years
• Eligible Sex: FEMALE
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: No

Sponsors

Georgetown University

OTHER

Sponsor Role: lead

Responsible Party

Scott L. Spear, M.D.

Chief Plastic Surgery

Responsibility Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

Principal Investigators

Scott L Spear, MD

Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

Georgetown University hospital

Locations

Georgetown University Medical Center

Washington D.C., District of Columbia, United States

Countries

United States

Other Identifiers

4359-617

Identifier Type: -

Identifier Source: org_study_id