[Column] Breast Fat Grafting That Naturally Wraps Implants: 'Effective When Combined with Stem Cells'

With the arrival of summer, the season of exposure, inquiries about breast augmentation from women desiring a voluminous figure are reportedly on the rise. Among clinics in Gangnam, various breast augmentation solutions have been introduced, including teardrop breast augmentation and microtexture breast augmentation using implants, as well as 'breast fat grafting,' which involves inserting aspirated fat into the breast's empty space.

Implants are effective for increasing breast volume to the desired level, regardless of body type. However, the more implants are inserted, the more pronounced the artificial appearance becomes, the greater the foreign body sensation, and the higher the risk of medical side effects such as capsular contracture and rupture. Recently, there has been a growing trend among clinics in Gangnam to perform 'hybrid breast augmentation,' a procedure in which the implants are wrapped with fat harvested from the abdomen or thighs, even when using implants.

First, fat is grafted into the breasts, and then, 3 to 6 months later, implants are inserted between the fat cells to soften the artificial appearance of the implants. Alternatively, depending on the individual's physical condition, the implants may be inserted first, followed by the insertion of purified fat into the space surrounding the implants. Hybrid breast augmentation helps maximize the effectiveness of breast surgery by allowing one to achieve both the volume-enhancing effect of implants and the natural look of fat grafting simultaneously.

Some advise that there are specific precautions to be taken when undergoing hybrid breast augmentation. They point out that if fat cells are not mixed and injected together with stem cells, most of the fat will be lost, leaving only the implants behind, making it highly likely that the procedure will fail to conceal an artificial appearance.

In the case of simple fat grafting, the so-called 'survival rate,' which refers to the percentage of fat cells that survive and reorganize at the transplant site, is known to be only 10 to 20 percent after one year. This means that even if 100 cc of fat is injected, only 10 to 20 cc remains, and the unorganized fat is either reabsorbed by the body or causes side effects such as calcification and necrosis at the transplant site.

When stem cells are injected along with breast fat grafts, the engraftment rate improves to an average of 76% based on three international papers published by the author. Since the engraftment rate of fat cells can further decrease when breast implants and fat grafts are performed together, it is absolutely necessary to combine and inject stem cells.

Stem cells produce new somatic cells through heterogeneous differentiation that can replace body tissues that have lost their function due to damage, aging, or deformation caused by external stimuli. They also induce the healing and activation of existing somatic cells by secreting various growth factors such as SDF-1α, PDGF, TGF-β1, and VEGF.

Transplanting such stem cells along with fat cells promotes the growth of blood vessels between the fat cells and actively induces their reorganization, thereby enhancing the efficiency of breast fat grafting. If simple fat grafting is performed in combination with implants without stem cells, repeated fat grafting procedures must be undergone two to three times or more depending on the progress. Since this increases the likelihood of medical risks associated with the surgery, it is strongly recommended to combine stem cell breast fat grafting when considering hybrid breast augmentation.

Since I first introduced stem cell breast fat grafting in Korea in 2007, I have been performing stem cell breast and facial fat grafting 2 to 3 times a day for 13 years. However, since stem cell breast augmentation has only been introduced in Korea for about 13 years, it is advisable to carefully decide and proceed with the procedure at a place that performs the procedure properly.

The industry also advises that for successful hybrid breast augmentation, it is important to choose a hospital equipped with specialized equipment, technology, and medical personnel, particularly for stem cell breast augmentation. While there are many hospitals that perform breast augmentation with implants, stem cell breast augmentation should be performed at a hospital whose expertise has been proven through sufficient clinical cases, related data, patents, and research papers to minimize any potential problems.

Written by: Shin Dong-jin, Chief Director of SC301 Clinic

Source: NewsPoint (http://www.pointn.net)