Stem Cell Breast Augmentation, Deep Regret Over a Momentary Wrong Choice

Increases breast volume by 5cm with a single treatment… High engraftment rate in the 76% range due to stem cell effects

Ms. Woo (27, female), a job seeker, has had a complex about her breasts since childhood. She was hesitant and afraid to get breast augmentation because of the burden of inserting implants, so she had been living by covering for them with padded bras and other corrective underwear. However, seeing her breasts disappear when she took off her underwear, she decided to undergo stem cell breast augmentation, thinking, "I wish my breasts were really big." This is because it not only makes the breasts bigger but also helps to get rid of excess fat.

Women with breast complexes often resort to various folk remedies, massages, and even weight training to enlarge their small breasts, but they do not see significant results. If they eventually remain unsatisfied with their breast size, they consider surgery. Breast augmentation using implants remains the most commonly performed procedure. With technological advancements, the materials and textures of implants have improved, resulting in much more natural outcomes than in the past. Nevertheless, "capsular contracture," a condition where the tissue surrounding the implant hardens or the shape becomes unnatural, can still occur. A foreign body sensation or an awkward feel may also be experienced.

Autologous fat grafting breast augmentation is designed to minimize such side effects and discomfort while emphasizing 'naturalness' as its strength. Fat is harvested from areas such as the abdomen and thighs and injected into the breasts to naturally add volume. However, the survival rate of the grafted fat is lower than expected, and the duration of the effect is short, ranging from 20% to 30%. Furthermore, if ungrafted fat remains in the body, it can lead to calcification.

Stem cell breast augmentation, an upgraded version of fat grafting, was introduced in Korea in 2007. Dr. Shin Dong-jin, Director of SC301 Clinic, who has been researching the procedure since then and founded the Korean Society of Stem Cell Plastic Surgery in 2009, explained, “Simple fat grafting involves harvesting fat, spinning it in a centrifuge to obtain fat cells, simply washing them, and then transplanting them into the breasts. Stem cell autologous fat grafting breast augmentation, on the other hand, is a method where only pure fat cells are separated from the harvested fat, and then stem cells are extracted from a certain amount of fat to transplant both pure fat and pure stem cells together.” The advantage of stem cell breast augmentation is that it eliminates the need for retouches (re-injection of fat grafts after the initial procedure), as it allows for the creation of the desired volume with a single surgery thanks to a high engraftment rate.

Director Shin demonstrated a stem cell engraftment rate of approximately 76% based on clinical results from 2008–2009 and 2010–2011. Based on these nine years of clinical results, he published a research paper at Shandong University School of Medicine in China, reporting that chest circumference increased by 5 cm one year after the procedure and the stem cell engraftment rate reached 76%.

Director Shin Dong-jin holds the view that there are virtually no hospitals performing proper stem cell cosmetic surgery. Mr. Woo also experienced a perplexing incident while going on a "hospital tour" to find a good clinic for his surgery. He said, "The first hospital I visited claimed to have the consumables for the stem cell extraction equipment even though they did not have them," adding, "I was puzzled because I had just confirmed that the supply of that company's equipment had been discontinued." He further added, "When I asked if it was a product for which consumables had been discontinued, they gave a vague and evasive answer, so I lost trust in them."

The second hospital he visited boasted very low costs, but they explained that it wasn't a one-time procedure requiring multiple revision surgeries, and he didn't trust them because there were many dissatisfied patient reviews online.

He said, “At SC301 Clinic, the last place I visited, the medical staff helped me choose the breast surgery that was right for me by comparing implants and stem cell surgery,” adding, “I liked that they didn’t just perform surgery blindly, but thoroughly carried out pre-operative care to improve my fat tissue.”

Four months after the surgery, Ms. Woo is satisfied with the results. Approximately 200cc and 210cc of fat were injected into each breast, respectively. Originally, she could not even fit a 75A cup, but after the surgery, she now fits a full 80B cup. This hospital focuses on post-operative care by monitoring progress for up to six months to maximize the survival rate of the injected fat. They provide coaching on diet and exercise regimens to ensure the injected fat remains viable.

Mr. Woo stated, “Since I was living apart from my parents, I couldn’t take proper care of my meals and just ate whatever I could find to get by. However, thanks to this surgery, I have formed a healthy diet and my body and mind have become healthier, so I am satisfied.”