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Stem Cell Popularity Leads to Flood of 'Fake Plastic Surgery' ... 'My Breasts' Deflated in Just a Month

By 2015-04-20No Comments

Stem Cell Popularity Leads to Flood of 'Fake Plastic Surgery' ... 'My Breasts' Deflated in Just a Month

At least 5000 million cells must be administered for stable results… possession of a cell counter must be verified.
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▲ Director Shin Dong-jin of SC301 Clinic is performing stem cell breast augmentation. ⓒHealthO 
Office worker Seo Mo (25) has a goal this year to "wear a bikini." She has a complex about her small breasts, so she decided to save up her salary little by little since last winter to get breast augmentation using fat grafting. However, she has been putting off going to the clinic because of reports that there are quite a few people who have died or suffered aftereffects from fat grafting, which was previously thought to be safe.

Medical specialists diagnose that side effects of breast augmentation using autologous fat grafting stem from the use of contaminated surgical instruments that were not properly sterilized, bacterial infiltration due to carelessness during intravenous injections for pre-operative treatment, contamination of anesthetics or syringes themselves, and contamination during the fat grafting and extraction processes, leading to vascular embolism. This results in risks ranging from minor calcification of the graft site to major complications such as sepsis or death. Furthermore, it is pointed out that while a significant number of clinics promoting autologous fat grafting claim to enhance the survival rate of fat cells by incorporating stem cells, they actually lack the corresponding cell extraction equipment, facilities, and know-how.

Dr. Shin Dong-jin, director of SC301 Clinic, criticized, “Currently, there are hundreds of hospitals in Korea advertising that they perform stem cell breast augmentation, but there are only a few medical institutions that are properly equipped with devices to extract stem cells and perform the procedure,” adding, “They talk about stem cell breast augmentation while performing simple fat cell transplantation or using inadequate equipment.”

Although the 'HuriCell' equipment, which boasts top-tier stem cell extraction and engraftment rates both domestically and internationally, has been experiencing a shortage of parts for the past six months, the reality is that there are hardly any clinics that have properly secured the equipment to perform procedures. Director Shin Dong-jin stated, "Since HuriCell consumables are expensive, it seems that clinics where it is not financially viable are giving up on equipment maintenance," and introduced, "Our hospital is equipped with HuriCell and TGI, enabling us to extract and separate stem cells quickly and precisely using a fully automated system."

Therefore, if a clinic advertises the use of specific equipment but the treatment price is significantly lower, you should check whether that equipment is actually in operation.

"I became even more hesitant after hearing that my friend developed calcification after going all the way to Cheongdam-dong for autologous fat graft breast augmentation," Seo said. "Far from seeing any improvement after the surgery, my friend feels like she only ruined her body further."

Recently, as various procedures utilizing stem cells have gained popularity in the medical field for their ability to minimize side effects and improve aesthetics, the number of related hospitals is on the rise. However, in the case of breast augmentation, there is a proliferation of procedures that are merely "stem cell surgeries" in name only and are in reality nothing more than simple autologous fat grafting, misleading consumers.

Stem cell autologous fat breast augmentation is a method in which fat cells are harvested from the patient's body, similar to conventional fat grafting, stem cells are isolated, and then mixed with fat tissue in a 1:4 ratio before being injected into the breasts. The advantage is that the engraftment rate can be increased to the 70% range through the action of stem cells, and there is no need for a touch-up (a supplementary procedure after the initial treatment).

Director Shin Dong-jin pointed out, “To increase the engraftment rate without using stem cells, it is inevitable to inject an excessive amount of fat cells, which can induce calcification,” adding, “Since the engraftment rate of conventional simple autologous fat grafting is only in the 20–30% range, it is customary to receive touch-ups.”

Calcification is a complication that occurs several months after fat grafting surgery and does not appear immediately after the operation. It is not merely a matter of the breasts feeling hard to the touch, but rather a condition where the fat appears stone-like when the breasts are photographed on an X-ray. It is common to mistake skin hardening around two weeks after the procedure for calcification, but this is likely due to swelling. Since fat is artificially injected, the tissues initially clump together as they settle into place. Not all calcifications require treatment, and they can also occur naturally in body tissues as one ages, even without surgery.

Director Shin Dong-jin emphasized, “Calcification usually occurs when an excessive amount of fat is injected and is prone to happening due to the greed of the doctor or patient, or the surgeon’s inexperience.” He added, “If the amount of fat is excessively increased to compensate for the low survival rate of simple fat grafting, side effects such as fat necrosis and calcification may occur.” He advised, “To achieve the effects of breast augmentation using stem cell injection, at least 5000 million to 1 million high-quality adult stem cells must be administered,” and “It is necessary to check whether the clinic performing the procedure is equipped with a ‘cell counter’ to verify the number of injected stem cells.”

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