An injectable filler made from donated cadaver fat is attracting women who want to add volume, smooth contours or enhance their shape without traditional surgery. Yet one New York City plastic surgeon is refusing to use the much discussed product in breast procedures.

Dr. Tommaso Addona, president of New York Plastic Surgical Group, is not opposed to cadaver fat fillers such as AlloClae in every setting. His concern focuses specifically on placing the processed donor tissue inside the breast.

“If you took this product and used it in a different setting, my anxiety would drop,” Addona told The Post. “But the breast is a unique organ, and I think it needs to be respected appropriately.”

Addona, who has performed more than 10,000 breast cases, said he is “not comfortable” with the research currently available. He believes breast applications require more studies, evaluation and attention in the coming years.

A central concern is whether AlloClae could complicate routine breast cancer screening and other imaging examinations. Limited long term data leaves unanswered questions about fat necrosis, which occurs when fatty tissue dies.

When surgeons transfer a patient’s own fat, Addona said the chance of dead fat is small but not zero. With cadaver fat, he said he does not know the likelihood that the transplanted material will fail to survive.

If the filler does not integrate properly, it could potentially create oil cysts or calcifications. Those changes could appear on mammograms as hard or suspicious masses, possibly prompting additional monitoring, evaluation or biopsies.

“That, to me, would generate concern, because a radiologist could say, ‘This looks suspicious, we should consider monitoring this, evaluating this, biopsying this,’ ultimately leading to more challenges for the patient and more anxiety,” Addona said.

A preclinical mouse study found that AlloClae showed strong graft retention and integration over six months without tissue necrosis. However, questions remain about whether those findings apply to people, especially across much longer periods.

“We know that the body’s behavior changes over time and what might look good in one or two years might not be the same in three, five, seven years or greater,” Addona said. He wants outcome studies lasting two, five and 10 years.

Breast and gluteal augmentation once relied heavily on implants, but autologous fat grafting has become increasingly popular in recent years. That process removes fat from areas such as the abdomen or thighs through liposuction, purifies it and injects it where additional volume is wanted.

The established approach is considered safe and effective, though it involves drawbacks. Recovery from breast fat transfer generally takes about six weeks, while patients typically need one to two weeks away from work.

Patients also need enough available fat for surgeons to harvest. Addona estimates that about 5% of patients are too petite and toned to supply enough tissue, creating an opening for products marketed as ready to use alternatives.

Tiger Aesthetics describes AlloClae as the “first structural adipose tissue designed for aesthetic body procedures, providing cushioning, volume and support.” The donated tissue is sterilized, stripped of donor DNA and processed to preserve fat’s natural 3D honeycomb structure.

A qualified provider can administer it through minimally invasive injections in an office without general anesthesia. Most patients can resume light activity within 24 hours, and Addona said, “You’re basically up and running that afternoon.”

Addona considers these products an exciting option for shaping buttocks or smoothing hip dips. For breasts, however, he said published research extending beyond 12 months is scarce, with even less literature covering periods longer than two years.

AlloClae is FDA compliant but classified as a human cell and tissue product, permitting marketing without full agency approval. It became widely available in the United States last year after select physicians began testing it during a limited rollout in fall 2024.

Researchers earlier this month published an analysis of structural adipose fillers that included only 10 human studies and 93 patients, most with relatively short monitoring periods. Before wider availability, the product had mainly been examined in limited preclinical trials, many involving animals.

Social media posts show numerous plastic surgeons promoting the treatment for breast volume, while prospective patients seek alternatives to implants and other foreign materials. Addona plans to reject breast patients determined to receive AlloClae until stronger long term evidence becomes available.

He said traditional liposuction and fat grafting can provide the desired result for most patients and carry decades of clinical evidence. Tiger Aesthetics did not immediately respond to The Post’s request for comment.