Autologous Augmentation
For patients who would prefer not to have breast implants, breast shape and volume may be enhanced using their own tissue. Depending on your anatomy and desired result, this may involve fat grafting, breast auto-augmentation, or a combination of both techniques.
Breast augmentation with fat grafting
Fat grafting uses your own fat to produce a subtle and natural-feeling increase in breast volume. Fat is collected by liposuction from areas such as the abdomen, flanks or thighs, carefully prepared and then injected into the breasts.
This technique can improve breast fullness, shape and symmetry while also contouring the area from which the fat is taken. It is best suited to patients seeking a modest increase in volume rather than the larger or more predictable enhancement provided by an implant.
Not all transferred fat develops a permanent blood supply, and some will naturally be reabsorbed by the body. For this reason, more than one procedure may be required to achieve the desired volume or symmetry. The final result can also be influenced by future changes in weight.
Breast auto-augmentation
Auto-augmentation reshapes and redistributes your existing breast tissue to improve projection, upper breast fullness and overall form without using an implant. It is commonly performed as part of a breast uplift in patients who have enough natural breast tissue but whose breasts have become droopy or appear empty following pregnancy, breastfeeding, weight loss or ageing.
Rather than removing this tissue, I carefully reposition and secure it higher on the chest to create a fuller, more youthful breast shape. Auto-augmentation does not significantly increase the total volume of the breast, but it uses the tissue you already have more effectively.
Every operation is individually planned according to your breast volume, skin quality, body proportions and personal goals. Fat grafting may also be combined with auto-augmentation when additional fullness or correction of asymmetry is required.
I perform every stage myself, from harvesting your fat to grafting it into the breast, aiming for a soft, natural improvement in volume and contour.
Assessment & planning
We identify suitable donor areas — typically the abdomen, flanks or thighs — and discuss the realistic volume increase fat transfer can achieve for you, which is generally more modest than implants.
Fat harvesting
Fat is gently removed from your chosen donor site using liposuction, which has the added benefit of improving contour there too.
Fat processing
The harvested fat is purified and prepared to select the healthiest fat cells, maximising how much survives once transferred.
Grafting
Fat is injected in small amounts across multiple layers of the breast tissue, building volume gradually and evenly to avoid lumps or irregularities.
Who is it for?
Autologous augmentation is not right for every patient, since it depends on having enough donor fat and accepting a more modest, gradual result than implants provide. During your consultation, I will assess your anatomy and goals to confirm whether this is the right approach for you. You may be a good candidate if you:
Would prefer to avoid implants and enhance your breasts using your own tissue instead
Are looking for a modest, natural-looking increase in volume rather than a dramatic change
Have sufficient donor fat available at the abdomen, flanks or thighs
Want to improve donor-site contour (such as the tummy or thighs) at the same time as your breasts
Understand that more than one session may be needed to reach your desired volume
Before & After
Coming soon
Before-and-after photographs are shared only with each patient’s consent. Examples will be added here in due course — in the meantime, Dr Borges is happy to discuss expected results at your consultation.
Because fat is transferred through tiny cannula entry points rather than a large incision, scarring is minimal — small marks at the liposuction donor sites and around the breast that fade to barely visible within a few months.
What to expect
Recovery involves healing at both the donor site and the breast, but is generally gentler than implant-based surgery. You'll have 24-hour access to advice from my team throughout, with progress checked at each follow-up.
First few days
Expect swelling, bruising and some tenderness at both the breast and donor sites; most patients are up and about the same or next day.
Week 1
Compression garments are worn over the donor area to support healing and reduce swelling; many patients feel ready to return to lighter work within this window.
Week 2–4
Swelling continues to settle and the true breast volume becomes clearer as initial fluid retention resolves.
From week 4
A gradual return to exercise can begin as advised at your review, once healing is well established at both sites.
Why choose this procedure
Advantages of Autologous Augmentation
Natural look and feel
Because the added volume is your own living fat, results tend to look and feel soft and natural, without an implant's distinct edge or shape.
No implant-related concerns
There's no risk of capsular contracture, implant rupture or the eventual need for implant replacement.
Dual benefit at the donor site
Liposuction used to harvest fat also improves contour at the donor area, such as the abdomen or thighs.
Minimal scarring
Small cannula entry points heal with far less visible scarring than implant incisions.
Gentler recovery
Many patients find recovery more comfortable than implant-based augmentation, with less tightness across the chest.
Can be repeated or combined
Further sessions can build on results over time, and fat transfer can be combined with a lift or used alongside implants for a hybrid result.
Risks
As with any surgical procedure, it's essential we discuss the risks together so you're fully informed. While most patients experience no significant complications, potential risks include:
Fat resorption
Not all transferred fat survives; a proportion is naturally reabsorbed by the body, which can mean less final volume than immediately after surgery, or a need for a further session.
Fat necrosis or oil cysts
Small areas of fat may not survive and can form firm lumps or cysts, which are usually harmless but occasionally need treatment.
Contour irregularity
Uneven fat survival can occasionally cause lumpiness, rippling or asymmetry between breasts.
Donor site irregularities
Liposuction sites can develop contour changes, dimpling or excess skin, particularly with larger volumes removed.
Infection
Uncommon, but may occasionally require antibiotics.
Change in sensation
Temporary numbness at the breast or donor site is common initially and usually resolves over several weeks.
Interference with future mammography
Calcifications from fat necrosis can sometimes complicate breast screening; it's important to tell your mammographer you've had fat transfer.
Autologous augmentation is a cosmetic procedure and is not routinely funded by the NHS or private medical insurance. Every plan is different, so an exact quote follows your consultation, and a price guide is available on request.
Book a ConsultationLocations
Consultations and surgery take place at accredited hospitals and clinics across Kent and London, with consultations available in English, Portuguese and Spanish.
Nuffield Health Tunbridge Wells Hospital
Kingswood Road, Tunbridge Wells, Kent, TN2 4UL
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Wells Health, Fordcombe Hospital
Fordcombe Road, Fordcombe, Tunbridge Wells, Kent, TN3 0RD
Google Map →Wells Health, Tunbridge Wells Hospital
Tonbridge Road, Pembury, Tunbridge Wells, Kent, TN2 4QJ
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