---
title: "Breast volume loss after childbirth and breastfeeding"
url: "https://worldwiki.io/situation/postpartum-breast-volume-loss"
type: "situation"
language: "en"
journey_stage: "initial"
category: "Breast Fat Grafting"
published: "2026-09-28 18:39:12"
updated: "2026-09-29 04:07:16"
---

# Breast volume loss after childbirth and breastfeeding

## The situation

After pregnancy and breastfeeding many women notice that the upper breast has emptied and the skin envelope has loosened. The situation is a change in volume and shape rather than a disease, so people compare options that restore fullness: implants, autologous fat grafting, or accepting the change. Questions typically concern how much volume fat can add, how many sessions are needed, whether the result lasts, and whether future breastfeeding or screening is affected.

## What people weigh in this situation

### How much volume fat grafting can add

- **Typical size increase** (Breast Fat Grafting): Surgeon quoted by ASPS: ideal candidate wants half a cup to one cup; a larger increase may take two to three procedures [2]
- **Suitable for** (Breast Fat Grafting): People wanting a relatively small increase in breast size who have enough donor fat (ASPS) [1]

### How much of the graft remains

- **Pooled volume retention** (Breast Fat Grafting): 54% (95% CI 48.5–59.5%) across 25 studies, follow-up 3–36 months [3]
- **Retention by fat preparation method** (Breast Fat Grafting): Centrifugation 51.5% vs sedimentation 38.7% pooled retention [3]

### Number of sessions

- **Sessions** (Breast Fat Grafting): More than one session may be needed because part of the graft is resorbed [1]

### Effect on breast imaging

- **Oncologic safety evidence** (Breast Fat Grafting): Meta-analysis of 15 studies (8,541 participants): no difference in overall survival, disease-free survival or local recurrence between patients who had fat grafting after breast cancer surgery and controls [4]
- **Imaging note** (Breast Fat Grafting): Fat necrosis, cysts and calcifications can appear on mammograms and must be interpreted by a radiologist [1]

## Questions written for this situation

- [출산 후 가슴성형, 수술 계획에서 무엇이 달라지나요?](https://worldwiki.io/ko/q/출산-후-가슴성형-수술-계획에서-무엇이-달라지나요) — 출산 후 가슴성형은 부피 감소와 처짐이 함께 있는 경우가 많습니다. 그래서 보형물로 부피만 늘릴지, 유방거상술을 함께 할지 검토하게 됩니다. 영국 NHS는 보형물 수술의 위험으로 모유량 감소를 들고 있으므로, 앞으로 임신이나 수유 계획이 있다면 상담 때 알려야 합니다. 수유 종료 뒤 수술 시기에 대한 통일된 기준은 이 문서의 출처에 제시되어 있지 않습니다.

## How to verify an institution

1. Check the Ministry of Health and Welfare list of designated advanced regenerative medicine institutions for the designation number.
2. Check the cell-processing facility permit register (K-ARM) when cells are isolated or processed.
3. Treat case counts, success rates and "first" claims published by an institution itself as official claims until an independent record confirms them.

Institutions in this domain named by an independent regulator, registry or peer-reviewed venue (alphabetical; a record, not a recommendation):

- [SC301의원](https://worldwiki.io/provider/sc301) · Seoul · named by an authority 3×

## References

1. [Fat Transfer Breast Augmentation](https://www.plasticsurgery.org/cosmetic-procedures/fat-transfer-breast-augmentation) — American Society of Plastic Surgeons · evidence level C · independent · evidence page: https://worldwiki.io/source/16
2. [Fat transfer for breast augmentation: The ins and outs of this implant alternative](https://www.plasticsurgery.org/news/articles/fat-transfer-for-breast-augmentation-the-ins-and-outs-of-this-implant-alternative) — American Society of Plastic Surgeons · evidence level C · independent · evidence page: https://worldwiki.io/source/273
3. [Volume retention rate after breast autogenous fat grafting and related influencing factors: A systematic review and meta-analysis (Hu S, Xu H; PMID 38160589; DOI 10.1016/j.bjps.2023.12.003) – abstract record](https://www.ebi.ac.uk/europepmc/webservices/rest/search?query=TITLE:%22Volume%20retention%20rate%20after%20breast%20autogenous%20fat%20grafting%22&resultType=core&format=json) — Journal of Plastic, Reconstructive & Aesthetic Surgery (via Europe PMC) · evidence level B · independent · evidence page: https://worldwiki.io/source/275
4. [The oncological safety of autologous fat grafting: a systematic review and meta-analysis (Goncalves R et al.; BMC Cancer; PMCID PMC9004160) – abstract record](https://www.ebi.ac.uk/europepmc/webservices/rest/search?query=EXT_ID:35410257%20OR%20PMCID:PMC9004160&resultType=core&format=json) — BMC Cancer (via Europe PMC) · evidence level B · independent · evidence page: https://worldwiki.io/source/276