Despite these facts many patients desire to augment their breasts not with implants but with another filling agent and by avoiding general anesthesia making the whole process of augmentation less strenuous compared to classic breast augmentation. For decades the only alternative filler used was the patient’s own adipose tissue.
The disadvantage of reimplanting adipose tissue was that it became runny and adipose cysts developed in some cases reducing its popularity. In the previous years an appropriate alternative called hyaluronic acid has become the centre of attention. For decades it was used soley for the rejuvenation of the face, it was used as a wrinkle filler and a lip enhancer. In the past few years a version of it has been available which is fairly resistant to absorption and provides lasting results. This material was improved even farther in Stockholm, Sweden at Per Hedén’s clinic where it was first used to augment breasts. The filler was named Macrolane.
It is an injectable filler given with local anesthesia either in front of or behind the breast tissue. It results in a moderate increase of volume which is usually 100-150 cc. per occasion. It is simple to apply and risks of surgery and general anesthesia can be avoided this way.
Its disadvantage is its price, today it is still more expensive than breast augmentations using implants, though its biggest advantage is that foreign material is not implanted into the body. This concept fits the popular trend in which procedures are done less and less invasively.