Stem Cell Breast Augmentation: You Must Check 'This' to See the 'Real'

To increase engraftment rates, over approximately 7000 million adult stem cells must be administered… Results vary depending on equipment such as Huricell and TGI

Dr. Shin Dong-jin, Director of SC301 Clinic, is performing stem cell breast augmentation. ©HealthO

Breast augmentation with implants guarantees a definite volume-up effect, but it entails the inconvenience of periodic checkups and implant replacement. Those who have undergone the surgery express that while they have no complaints about their improved appearance, "the thought of having to repeat this is dreadful."

If you have undergone breast augmentation using implants, consistent care and attention are required even after the procedure. Shin Dong-jin, Director of SC301 Clinic (President of the Korean Society of Stem Cell Plastic Surgery), emphasized, “No matter how delicately a specialist performs the procedure, the durability of implants inevitably decreases over time,” adding, “In severe cases, problems such as capsular contracture, where the tissue surrounding the implant hardens, may occur.”

In 2011, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) stated that two out of ten implants may rupture or leak after more than 10 years, and therefore they should be checked annually using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). It is recommended that if you have undergone breast augmentation with silicone implants, the implants should be replaced within 8 to 10 years for safety. The U.S. medical community has pointed out that there is a risk of implant damage in approximately 40% of cases for any silicone implant after 10 years from the procedure. 

The situation is similar in Korea. According to the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety, there were 428 reported cases of side effects related to breast implants in 2011. Of these, 167 cases (39.1%) involved implant rupture, and 30.1% of women experienced implant leakage or collapse. 22.9% experienced capsular contracture, a phenomenon where the tissue surrounding the implant hardens.

If you are hesitant about breast augmentation using implants, you might consider 'stem cell breast augmentation.' Unlike conventional implant surgery, this procedure involves extracting fat from areas such as the abdomen or thighs, isolating pure stem cells from this extract, and then transplanting them into the breasts. Stem cell breast augmentation is attracting attention because it minimizes the foreign body sensation caused by implant insertion and raises the engraftment rate—a limitation of simple fat grafting (around 20–30%)—to 70%. Above all, the biggest appeal is that it eliminates the hassle of having to replace implants every 10 years and removes concerns about capsular contracture.

However, it is true that there are doubts as to whether the enlargement effect is as significant as that of implants. Although it varies from person to person, for an average body type, about 1000 cc of fat can be extracted. 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, which is similar in size to commonly used implants.

It does not stop there; stem cells extracted from fat are also transplanted to increase the survival rate of the fat. Intracellular growth factors have a positive effect on the survival of fat cells, boasting a survival rate in the 70% range, which is much higher than that of simple autologous fat breast augmentation.

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

In a paper titled 'Analysis of Clinical Effects of Fat Graft Breast Augmentation Surgery Using Adult Adipose Stem Cells,' he increased credibility by raising the engraftment rate of fat cells and stem cells to over 70% through breast augmentation for two consecutive years.

Director Shin stated, “Proving a stable engraftment rate of around 70% with stem cell breast augmentation is of great international significance,” adding, “Stem cell breast augmentation has differentiated advantages, such as addressing the shortcomings of conventional implant surgery like capsular contracture, rupture, and leakage, while remaining natural-looking without visible signs of surgery and causing no foreign body sensation. This research result is expected to further promote the use of the procedure.”

As these groundbreaking 'stem cells' emerge as a hot keyword in the beauty market, 'similar products' that copy them are also appearing.
No matter how good a stem cell breast augmentation may be, if the procedure is not performed precisely due to a doctor's lack of experience, the 'engraftment rate'—the survival rate of the cells—can decrease. There are quite a few hospitals that claim to perform stem cell procedures but lack both the equipment and the technology to handle cells.

As a result, prices vary widely. A survey of the price range for stem cell breast augmentation revealed that costs differed by more than three times. This is due to differences in stem cell extraction methods and equipment, such as whether only a small amount of stem cells are extracted from blood or bone marrow and injected into the breasts, or whether adult stem cells are extracted from fat and administered.

To increase the engraftment rate of fat cells in stem cell breast augmentation, at least 7000 million fat-derived adult stem cells must be administered. The number of cells extracted from blood or bone marrow is significantly insufficient in comparison. The cost of procedures to extract fat-derived adult stem cells at clinics varies depending on the equipment used. Generally, procedures using the latest equipment, such as HuriCell and TGI, are recognized for their high stem cell survival rates and density. 

Shin Dong-jin, director of SC301 Clinic, assessed, “Currently, there are hundreds of hospitals in Korea advertising that they perform stem cell breast augmentation, but there are only about 10 medical institutions that are properly equipped with devices to extract stem cells and perform the procedure meticulously.” In other words, his view is that they are talking about stem cell breast augmentation while performing simple fat cell transplants or using inadequate equipment.

For example, it is very common for clinics to claim to use a specific stem cell extractor but do not actually use that equipment. If the procedure cost is significantly lower despite using certified equipment, this aspect should also be investigated. In such cases, there is a high probability that although you underwent the procedure believing it to be stem cell fat grafting, you were actually receiving treatment using a system not much different from autologous fat grafting. Consequently, you end up paying the full price without seeing any significant difference in results, which can lead to great disappointment.

To prevent this, it is advisable to directly verify the number of stem cells injected using a 'cell counting' device. Even if equipment such as TGI or HuriCell is available, it is impossible to gauge the engraftment rate based on the equipment's performance without a specialized auxiliary system dedicated solely to cell counting. Above all, it is crucial to receive treatment at a facility that has accumulated surgical experience and has objectively proven stable procedural efficacy through extensive research.