Recover Femininity Lost After Mastectomy with 'Stem Cell Breast Augmentation'

Ms. Kim (39, female), who recently underwent surgery to remove her right breast for breast cancer, finds it difficult to shake off her depression. Her self-confidence has plummeted because she had her breast, considered a symbol of womanhood, removed at a young age. Her relationship with her husband, who had cared for her devotedly, has become awkward, and worrying that he might cheat on her has become a daily routine. She confided, “I wear pads in my bra after the mastectomy,” adding, “I can’t even dream of going to a swimming pool or a public bath.”

The number of breast cancer patients in Korea increased fourfold over 15 years, from approximately 3,000 in 1996 to over 16,000 in 2010. The medical community estimates that about 30% of these patients require breast reconstruction surgery.

It is no exaggeration to say that breast cancer is a threat to any woman between the ages of 10 and 60 who has experienced secondary sexual characteristics. About half of the patients undergoing mastectomy are women of childbearing age under 40, a demographic that is most active in social life. While breast reconstruction is urgently needed to restore confidence and prevent complications and daily discomfort caused by body asymmetry, only 16.4% of patients in Korea receive the surgery.

The loss of one breast following a mastectomy is a factor that lowers the quality of life. Patients who have undergone a mastectomy, like Ms. Kim, often suffer damage to their self-esteem due to frustration or shame resulting from the loss of their femininity, and conflicts are likely to arise not only in interpersonal relationships but also within their marital relationships. Breast reconstruction surgery helps restore the breast to help overcome these challenges.

However, many patients consider reconstructive surgery but often give up due to the financial burden. In Korea, breast reconstruction is not covered by national health insurance, making it difficult to receive insurance coverage. However, in 2012, the Financial Dispute Resolution Committee of the Financial Supervisory Service ruled that breast reconstruction should be considered a treatment if necessary to prevent complications such as depression or body asymmetry expected after a mastectomy, making it possible to receive support for the surgery through private medical insurance.

In the past, breast reconstruction surgery was classified as a cosmetic procedure rather than a treatment, and since the surgery costs alone easily exceeded 1000 million won, most women did not receive treatment. However, following a decision by the Financial Supervisory Service, women with indemnity health insurance who develop breast cancer can now receive full reimbursement from the insurance company for all surgery costs related to excision and reconstruction.

"Dr. Shin Dong-jin, director of SC301 Clinic, said, 'Whether reconstruction surgery is performed immediately or postponed depends on two main cases.' He added, 'It can be divided into immediate (simultaneous) reconstruction, where the breast is restored along with the removal of the cancer after the onset of breast cancer, and delayed reconstruction, where the breast is restored one to two years after the diagnosis of breast cancer, once treatment such as surgery and chemotherapy is completed.'"

In cases where the cancer is mild, immediate reconstruction can be performed to remove the cancer without removing the chest, but as the stage of the cancer increases, the direction of reconstruction surgery is decided after careful consideration during the operation.

The most well-known methods of breast reconstruction include using implants and autologous fat grafting. If a large portion has been excised and little breast tissue remains, breast reconstruction using autologous tissue is widely preferred because the skin may become thin and the implant may become visible when using implants.

Director Shin Dong-jin explained, “Since implants are foreign substances rather than part of one’s own body, there are limitations in making them similar to real breasts in terms of feel and shape. Therefore, autologous fat grafting is mainly used, but because the survival rate of engraftment is low with simple fat grafting alone, stem cell breast augmentation is being widely used recently.”

Stem cell breast augmentation is attracting attention for minimizing the foreign sensation caused by implant insertion and raising the engraftment rate to 70%, overcoming the limitation of simple fat grafting surgery which was a low level of 20–30%. In the case of fat grafting, although it varies from person to person, approximately 1000 cc of fat can be extracted for an average body type. The harvested fat is separated into microfat and then injected using a syringe.

Typically, the amount of fat transplanted to one breast is about 200 to 250 cc, similar to the size of commonly used implants. Stem cells extracted from the fat are transplanted along with the fat to increase the survival rate; these intracellular growth factors have a positive effect on the survival of fat cells, resulting in a much higher survival rate than simple autologous fat breast augmentation.

To undergo stem cell breast augmentation, there must be enough space in the breasts to allow for fat transplantation to create a fuller appearance. Dr. Shin advised, "Since breast cancer patients often have skin tissue removed during surgery, it is not uncommon for the skin itself to adhere to the chest wall. In such cases, even with autologous fat grafting, it is difficult to achieve a voluminous shape, so it is advisable to perform 'space management' over a sufficient period before surgery." Typically, the only method is to manage the space using equipment over time to allow for the formation of room. By first expanding the breast tissue to secure space for fat before proceeding with autologous fat grafting or stem cell breast augmentation, a larger amount of fat can be injected compared to conventional procedures.

Director Shin Dong-jin stated, “Breast reconstruction surgery is a form of rehabilitation therapy aimed at restoring femininity in breast cancer patients after surgery,” adding, “It requires a delicate surgical approach that takes into account not only the condition of remaining breast tissue after a mastectomy, the patient’s body type, and the history of radiation therapy, but also aesthetic aspects.”

Recovering femininity lost after mastectomy with 'stem cell breast augmentation'

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