[Interview] Shin Dong-jin: “The key to success in stem cell breast augmentation is the engraftment rate”

▲ Director Shin Dong-jin of SC301 Clinic. ⓒSC301 Clinic

With the onset of sweltering heat and the increasing popularity of revealing fashion, interest among women regarding body shape, particularly breast volume, is on the rise. Consequently, there is a growing number of cases involving breast augmentation surgery to make small breasts appear larger.

Recently, breast augmentation is evolving from conventional implant surgery to stem cell breast augmentation. Although implant surgery is preferred because it is less expensive and provides quick improvements in volume, it can cause a foreign body sensation, and there is a risk that implant rupture or capsular contracture—where the tissue surrounding the implant hardens like a tennis ball—occurs in about 40% of cases after about 10 years post-procedure.

However, due to the prevalence of inaccurate information regarding stem cell breast augmentation, not many people are fully aware of it. Furthermore, there are medical institutions that claim to perform stem cell breast augmentation but actually conduct unrelated procedures, leading to an increase in consumer harm.

We met with Dr. Shin Dong-jin, Director of SC301 Clinic and founder of the Korean Society of Stem Cell Plastic Surgery, to learn about the precise details of stem cell breast augmentation that women are curious about, precautions to take during the procedure, and the differences from fat grafting breast augmentation.

Q. What is the difference between stem cell breast augmentation and fat graft breast augmentation?

A. Fat graft breast augmentation is a procedure in which fat is extracted from the abdomen or thighs and directly transplanted into the breasts. In contrast, stem cell breast augmentation is a procedure in which stem cells are isolated from the extracted fat, mixed with pure fat in an optimal ratio, and transplanted into the breasts.

This procedure has the advantage of having a survival rate exceeding 70% thanks to the tissue regeneration and proliferation effects of stem cells, high efficacy, and the ability to prevent the risk of necrosis of adipose tissue.

Q. Does breast volume decrease if weight is lost after stem cell cosmetic surgery?

A. Generally, when losing weight, facial fat is lost first, and belly fat is lost last. Chest fat is lost slightly before belly fat.

In the case of stem cell breast augmentation, patients are actually encouraged to gain belly fat prior to the procedure to harvest high-quality fat for transplantation into the breast tissue. Subsequently, a significant amount of belly fat is transplanted into the breasts simultaneously with the breast augmentation.

After the graft has taken root, you will lose abdominal fat to refine your body shape. To minimize the loss of facial and chest fat, it is helpful to exercise appropriately and follow a special diet focused on high-quality fats and proteins.

Once newly settled in the chest, the fat becomes semi-permanently embedded and does not disappear, so with proper care, a certain number of fat cells can be maintained for a lifetime.

Q. How long does the volume retention effect last after stem cell breast augmentation?

A. Unless artificial implants are removed due to side effects, the volume maintenance effect lasts a lifetime. In the case of stem cell breast augmentation, you can consider the volume three months after the procedure to last a lifetime.

If an appropriate amount of fat and stem cells are secured and transplanted into the appropriate breast tissue in the shortest possible time, more than 70% survive and maintain sufficient volume.

Q. What precautions should be taken during stem cell breast augmentation?

A. Above all, it is important to choose a medical institution equipped with state-of-the-art stem cell extraction equipment and with over 10 years of accumulated experience in performing the procedure. This is because the physician performing the procedure must know how to handle stem cells delicately and be able to fully demonstrate their know-how in the field.