Oil cysts after fat grafting breast augmentation may be avoided: a clinical evaluation of an effective fat processing technique

Background: Oil cysts formation is a common complication following autologous fat grafting (AFG) for breast augmentation. Despite various fat processing techniques, no consensus exists on the optimal method to mitigate this complication. The authors introduce an innovative fat processing approach, the ultra-filtration adsorption technique, designed to prevent postoperative breast oil cysts in large-volume AFG for breast augmentation. This study aimed to evaluate the clinical efficacy of this technique. Methods: A retrospective study was conducted on 116 patients who underwent primary aesthetic AFG breast augmentation with the final purified fat tissue. Demographic data, operative details, and postoperative outcomes were analyzed. Results: The mean patient age was 34 (4) years, and the mean body max index (BMI) was 20.19 (1.39) kg/m 2 . The average fat volume injected per breast was 210.00 (39.00) ml. During the 3 - 12 months follow-up, no palpable nodules were observed in any patients, and ultrasound imaging confirmed no cysts in aesthetic patients. Among 20 aesthetic patients (40 breasts), the average postoperative breast volume retention rate was 67.28%. Conclusion: The ultra-filtration adsorption technique is an effective fat processing method. It significantly reduces the formation of oil cysts and improves volume retention rates in large-volume AFG breast augmentation.