'Stem Cell Breast Augmentation' Opens the Way to Recover from Loss of Femininity

[Environment TV News] Reporter Lee Gyu-bok = The number of breast cancer patients in Korea, which was about 3000 in 1996, increased fourfold to about 16,000 in 2010 over 15 years.

The medical community estimates that about 30% of these require breast reconstruction surgery.

It is no exaggeration to say that breast cancer is something that no woman in her 10s to 60s who has gone through secondary sexual characteristics can feel safe from.

About half of the patients undergoing mastectomy are women of childbearing age under 40, which is the age group most active in social activities.

The loss of one breast after a mastectomy lowers women's quality of life.

Frustration or shame resulting from the loss of femininity can damage self-esteem and easily lead to conflicts not only in interpersonal relationships but also within marriage. Breast reconstruction surgery helps restore the breasts to help overcome this.

Breast reconstruction is a highly complex surgery performed to restore one or both breasts lost due to a mastectomy, and it is significantly more difficult and demanding than conventional cosmetic surgery.

The fact that there are not many skilled doctors in this field compared to cosmetic surgery acts as a stumbling block.

Patient satisfaction increases when attention is paid not only to breast reconstruction but also to 'beauty'.

Another problem is that many people give up due to the financial burden.

It is difficult to receive insurance coverage because it is not designated under health insurance. However, in 2012, the Financial Dispute Resolution Committee of the Financial Supervisory Service issued an opinion stating that if necessary to prevent complications such as depression or body asymmetry expected after a mastectomy, it should be considered treatment, making it possible to receive support through medical indemnity insurance.

Most women did not receive treatment because the surgery costs alone easily exceeded 1000 million won. However, due to a decision by the Financial Supervisory Service, if a woman with indemnity insurance develops breast cancer, she can receive full payment 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 chest is restored along with the removal of cancer, and delayed reconstruction, where restoration is performed one to two years after 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 the use of implants and autologous fat grafting.

If a large amount of tissue has been removed and no breast tissue remains, breast reconstruction using autologous tissue is often preferred because the skin thins and the implant may become visible when using an implant.

Director Shin 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 frequently 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 limitations of simple fat grafting surgery, which was low (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.

Usually, the amount of fat transplanted to one breast is about 200 to 250 cc, which is similar to the size of commonly used implants.

To increase the survival rate of the fat, stem cells extracted from the fat are transplanted together; since intracellular growth factors have a positive effect on the survival of fat cells, it shows a much higher survival rate than simple autologous fat breast augmentation. 

To undergo stem cell breast augmentation surgery, there must be space in the breasts to transplant fat to make them look fuller.

Director Shin advised, “Since breast cancer patients often have skin tissue removed during surgery, there are quite a few cases where the skin itself adheres to the chest wall. In such cases, even if autologous fat grafting is performed, it is difficult to achieve a voluminous shape, so it is advisable to perform ‘space management’ over a sufficient period of time before surgery.”

Usually, the only way is to take your time and manage it using equipment to create space.

If breast tissue is expanded to first secure space for fat, and then autologous fat grafting or stem cell breast augmentation is performed, 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 considers 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.”