Is the stem cell breast augmentation I received also a fake?

As natural beauty becomes the mainstream trend, the popularity of stem cells is rising in the cosmetic surgery industry. This is because patients can expect safe and dramatic changes using cells harvested from their own body tissues. However, recently, procedures that are merely "stem cell surgery in name only" and are in reality nothing more than autologous fat breast grafting are flooding the market, misleading consumers. 

Both stem cell breast augmentation and autologous fat breast augmentation utilize adipose tissue harvested from areas where unwanted fat has accumulated, such as the thighs and abdomen. However, stem cell breast augmentation is a surgical method that significantly increases the survival and engraftment rates of fat cells by transplanting stem cells extracted from the adipose tissue along with the fat cells. 

Shin Dong-jin, the representative director of SC301 Clinic, explained, “If fat cells are simply transplanted, they are absorbed into the original breast tissue and lost after a short time.” He added, “Therefore, to overcome this, stem cells must be extracted from the adipose tissue, mixed with purified fat cells in a specific ratio, and then injected into the breasts.”

He pointed out, “Currently, there are dozens of hospitals in Korea advertising that they perform stem cell breast augmentation, but there are almost no medical institutions equipped with the equipment and expertise to extract stem cells.” 

His view is that they perform simple fat cell transplants or procedures with inadequate equipment while talking about stem cell breast augmentation. 

For example, there are quite a few cases where clinics claim to use a specific stem cell extractor but do not actually use that equipment. If a clinic advertises the use of specific equipment while offering significantly lower treatment prices, you should verify whether the equipment is actually in operation. 

There is a risk of disappointment if you undergo the procedure believing it to be stem cell fat grafting, only to find out that the system is no different from autologous fat grafting. This means you may end up paying the full cost without seeing significant differences in results, which could lead to great disappointment. 

Director Shin Dong-jin advises that, above all, one should be wary of clinics that claim "anyone can unconditionally expect satisfactory results from stem cell breast augmentation."

He stated, “It is difficult to trust hospitals that claim they can unconditionally enlarge the eye without accurately assessing the patient’s condition or having insufficient fat to harvest.”

Although it varies from person to person, approximately 1000cc of fat can be extracted based on an average body type. Typically, the amount of fat transplanted to one breast varies by individual, but on average, it is about 150 to 200cc. 

Director Shin also advises caution against places that unconditionally guarantee an 80-90% engraftment rate. Through nine years of research on stem cell cosmetic surgery, Director Shin proved a 76% engraftment rate in a research paper last year. 

An official from SC301 Clinic stated, “There is no hospital anywhere in Korea that has proven the engraftment rate after stem cell breast augmentation through a research paper,” adding, “If there is a hospital claiming that the engraftment rate approaches 80 to 90 percent, it is necessary to check what criteria they are using to make such claims.”

Director Shin Dong-jin received the Minister of Health and Welfare Award in 2014 and the Minister of Food and Drug Safety Award in 2015 for his research related to stem cells, and recently even won the Grand Prize at the Korea Knowledge Management Awards.
Reporter Lee Gyu-bok kblee341@sportschosun.com