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"I had fat grafting surgery because I was told it was safe, but now I have 'calcification'... How to become beautiful safely"

By 2015-04-08No Comments
"I had fat grafting surgery because I was told it was safe, but now I have 'calcification'... How to become beautiful safely"


[Money Today Broadcasting MTN MTN Health Team Reporter] [Reporter Yoo Jae-jin] Ms. Shim (23), a female college student who had a complex about her small breasts, planned to undergo breast augmentation using autologous fat grafting during last winter break, but gave up on the idea because she was afraid of 'calcification'. She is currently postponing the surgery after reading reviews from other women on internet forums about side effects where her breasts became hard and lumpy after fat grafting. However, she is worried that if she undergoes surgery with implants, it will look unnatural when she gets older, so she is concerned that she might have to give up on the surgery altogether.

Recently, as a somewhat unrealistic body type—slim yet voluptuous—gains popularity, the number of women seeking breast augmentation is increasing. Autologous fat grafting is gaining popularity just as much as implants. This method involves harvesting excess fat from areas such as the abdomen and thighs, filtering it into pure fat, and transplanting it into the breasts. 

It is considered a surgery that fits current trends because it can improve plump areas through liposuction and enhance breast volume. Above all, its strength lies in its safety, as it utilizes tissue from the patient's own body.

However, it is not entirely without side effects. Not uncommonly, calcification occurs where a layer of fat that failed to engraft fails to escape the body and remains inside, hardening. If you touch the area where the fat was transplanted, it does not hurt, but feels like a hard lump. 

When touching the treated area, such as the chest, you may feel round, hard lumps. In severe cases, it can be accompanied by sagging skin and chronic edema. If left untreated, symptoms may worsen or inflammation may occur, so you should visit the hospital where the procedure was performed to consult with a doctor.

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Not all hardening is necessarily considered calcification. Calcification is not a phenomenon of hardening, but rather a name given because it appears stone-like on X-rays. Not all calcification is a disease requiring treatment, and it is a natural phenomenon that occurs in human tissues as one ages.

Dr. Shin Dong-jin, director of SC301 Clinic, explained, “Calcification is a complication that occurs several months after fat grafting surgery and does not appear immediately after the operation,” adding, “The hardness is likely due to swelling, or it could be because the tissue has clumped together.”

He said, “After fat grafting, a temporary hardening phenomenon occurs for more than two weeks.” He added, “This is a natural process, so there is no need to worry; however, in severe cases where the hardness persists depending on the individual, one may consider removing some of the injected fat or performing decompression surgery to loosen the lumps.” In this case, combining warm compresses and massage can be helpful.

Calcification usually occurs when an excessive amount of fat is injected. This situation is likely to occur due to the patient's excessive ambition or the doctor's inexperience. Autologous fat grafting, which simply involves transplanting fat, has a cell survival rate of only 20–30%. If the amount of fat is excessively increased to compensate for this, side effects such as fat necrosis and calcification may occur. 

Director Shin maintains that in such cases, 'stem cell autologous fat breast augmentation,' which overcomes the disadvantage of a low engraftment rate, can be an alternative. Similar to fat grafting, this procedure involves harvesting fat cells, separating stem cells, mixing them with fat tissue at a ratio of 1:4, and injecting them into the breasts. 

SC301 Clinic is gaining trust by proving through international papers that a cell engraftment rate of around 70% is achieved with a single surgery. This means that the desired volume can be sufficiently obtained without any strain. 

Director Shin Dong-jin said, “Autologous fat breast augmentation and facial autologous fat grafting using stem cells have a survival rate about three times higher than simple autologous fat grafting or autologous fat grafting,” adding, “Not only is the volume and shape natural after surgery, but because the amount of transplanted fat stem cells absorbed and disappearing by the body is small, the desired breast size can be achieved with a single procedure without retouching.”

Going beyond this, 'microcapsules' are injected to further enhance the engraftment rate. The composition within the capsules acts as a booster, promoting the diffusion of stem cells and forming and expanding blood vessels to increase survival rates. For patients who are too thin, a negative pressure device is used as a pre-operative measure to create a suitable habitat within the breast tissue for the extracted fat and stem cells before surgery, thereby increasing patient satisfaction.

Director Shin emphasized, “Even in fat grafting using stem cells, injecting an excessive amount can lead to side effects similar to those seen in simple fat grafting,” adding, “It is an important point from the patient’s perspective that the doctor performing the procedure does not get greedy.” 

He added, “You should choose a hospital equipped with an efficient stem cell extraction system and skilled techniques to minimize regret,” and advised, “You must be wary of ‘fake’ clinics that claim to perform stem cell cosmetic procedures without the necessary equipment.”

SC301 Clinic is the first private hospital to introduce a Cryo-Block System (CBS), which stores residual fat healthily after surgery. For secondary procedures, the clinic activates and utilizes these well-frozen pure fat cells. Equipped with the latest stem cell extractors such as HuriCell, TGI, and CHA Station, the clinic extracts and separates stem cells quickly and accurately using fully automated systems.

Yoo Jae-jin healthq@mtn.co.kr