Posted on 05/10/2007 6:45:20 PM PDT by Coleus
Stem cells are becoming more widely used in plastic surgery for breast augmentations, as fillers for wrinkles, and to enlarge any body part where more fullness is sought. With the European Union and Britain having just approved the use of stem cells for cosmetic surgery this month, this move is likely to make the use of stem cells more and more popular worldwide and ultimately in the United States .
Stem Cells In Breast Augmentation
Stem cells have been used in breast augmentations since 2003, as Japanese scientists have pioneered a treatment that offers a natural breast augmentation that uses stem cells and fat derived from the patient’s own body to create soft and naturally augmented breasts. As no implants are needed and only self-extracted stem cells and fat are used, the patient’s enhanced breasts are essentially “real.” This procedure has been performed on 54 patients (for breast enhancement and facial rejuvenation procedures) thus far without any patients reporting any major problems. Already approved in the European Union and Britain , stem cell-assisted breast enhancement may soon become a reality in the United States . One stem cell-assisted treatment can successfully increase breast volume by 120-160 ml (1 ml equals 1 cc), which is the rough equivalent of two bra-cup sizes (5 to 7 cm). For patients seeking to augment their breasts by 300 ml, the treatment needs to be performed twice. In both cases, no implant is used. For augmentations exceeding 300 ml, a combination of an implant and the stem cell technique is used to achieve the desired results.
Pioneered in Japan by plastic surgeon Dr. Kotaro Yoshimura (read Make Me Heal’s one-on-one interview with Dr. Yoshimura), the Cell-Assisted Lipotransfer (CAL) soft tissue augmentation technique claims to result in breasts that look and feel more natural and smoother without implants and the larger scars that accompany traditional breast augmentations using implants. The technique is performed by suctioning fat from the abdomen or thigh and then injecting the fat together with adipose-derived stem cells obtained from the patient back into the breast. The liposuctioned fat mixture, which now contains a high level of stem cells, is then transplanted layer by layer back into each breast to ensure an even distribution of the fatty mixture. What then occurs is that the stem cells enable the fat to grow its own blood supply, which leads to the fat becoming a part of the breast as opposed to a foreign mass. Some of the cells produce more fat and other cells change into a living blood supply for new breast tissue that grows into the treated breast. Unlike traditional breast augmentations, there are no incisions involved, as only small needle punctures are made on each breast that lead to tiny imperceptible marks (a detailed description of the procedure follows the interview at the bottom). Furthermore, enhancing one’s breast through the stem cell technique eliminates the risks associated with implants including deflation and leakage, capsular contracture (hardness and deformity), autoimmune disease (neurological problems), infection (skin redness and fever), and displacement (asymmetry and dislocation). Because the patient uses one’s own stem cells and fat, the CAL technique carries no risk of the tissue being rejected by the body. The main drawback to the procedure is that breast volume can only increase 120-160 ml per treatment, with a maximum breast enlargement of 300 ml through two treatments. Additionally, very thin patients may lack an adequate supply of adipose fat.
Stem Cells In Facial Rejuvenation Procedures
Stem cells are also being used to reduce and fill in wrinkles, repair damaged tissues, and help the skin regenerate itself and become more healthy and radiant. When stem cells are placed next to mature adult tissue, they can naturally repair the tissue and help it regenerate itself into new, youthful tissue. Dr. Richard Ellenbogen, who is among America ’s leading face lift surgeons, has been using a patient’s own fat to restore volume and youthfulness to the face for over 25 years. Dr. Ellenbogen recently made the discovery that not only does fat help restore volume to aging and weak facial structures, but the fat also rejuvenates the skin because it contains stem cells. I first started using fat during my Volumetric Facelift to restore volume in patients’ faces over 25 years ago,” says Dr. Ellenbogen. “After years of working with fat, science has now revealed that the stem cells in fat reduce wrinkles and give patients radiant, glowing skin as well.”
Patients of Dr. Ellenbogen who had the Volumetric Facelift often said that their skin looked healthier and that wrinkles and pigmentation spots they had disappeared after the procedure. Since a face lift is not meant to erase wrinkles but rather treat the underlying structures, this added benefit was a welcomed surprise. Dr. Ellenbogen attributes the disappearance of wrinkles and the improvement in the skin appearance to the presence of the very rich stem cells found in the fat that has been injected into the face during the Volumetric Facelift. Dr. Karl-Georg Heinrich in Germany has also been using stem cells for plastic surgery procedures. Dr. Heinrich says that “with stem cells we not only get 100% natural results - these will also last a lifetime.” Being that the stem cells are obtained from fat that is liposuctioned from the patient’s body, the patient is able to both lose fat and improve their skin at the same time. With more surgeons finding that stem cells can be used to augment breasts and other body areas as well as act as fillers for wrinkles, the future holds great promise to patients who are seeking more natural ways to enhance themselves.
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