How stem cells are changing the face of fat transfer.
Not something that we usually think of fondly, but which has garnered attention in recent years for its positive association with a youthful face. In fact, if you’ve got enough of it, the cosmetic surgery industry has worked to refine fat transfer techniques over the past couple of decades, making it an attractive augmentation option. Beyond the face, industry experts are predicting that other parts of the body, too, will benefit from this “natural” augmentation option. How? Meet fat’s rising star: the adult stem cell. Stems cells, for those who have not been following the controversy about them, are kind of like basic starter cells that can become specialized cell types. They are found in all higher organisms, and come in two types: embryonic stem cells and adult stem cells. The controversy is about the embryonic stems cells, which differentiate into all the specialized cells that become the organs, muscles and bones of the body. There is no controversy about adult stem cells, however, which act to repair and replenish cells in the body.
“Adult stem cells are a ‘natural solution’; they exist naturally in our body and provide a natural repair mechanism for many tissues of our body,” explains Dr. Franco Reyes Jacome, a Plastic Surgeon. “Adult stem cells are present in humans at birth and can be found in body tissue such as bone marrow and fat cells. Adult stem cells are presently being used to help fight diseases and conditions such as leukemia and diabetes.”
But to fully appreciate where this new technology is taking us, first we need to take a look at where we’ve come from.
In the Beginning…
If we look back to the early 20th century, German physician Klin Wochenschrift used fat injections in the head and neck for reconstructive purposes, and there are even earlier indications that fat had been used for volumizing the breast. So the idea of transferring fat from one area of the body to another isn’t exactly new. What is new is the time and dedication spent to advancing the methods of doing so to get better, longer-lasting results.
Fat transfer is just what it sounds like: Transferring fat from one area of the body to another, usually from the hips, thighs or abdomen. After the fat is processed and prepped, it’s injected into an area of the body that needs more fullness—usually the face, though the trend these days includes the back of the hands, the buttocks and the breast.
Starring stem cells
Today, the news is all about stem cells and the promising results these are showing. According to Dr. Franco, traditional fat transfer results depend upon the technique used, and can be unpredictable and inconsistent. But stem cells do not, and therefore produce better results that last longer and rejuvenate both facial structures and the skin.
“We also awaken the existing dormant stem cells at the targeted [injection] area,” says Dr. Reyes, adding that the process “is based on fat grafting techniques that I have modified over the years, but the results and benefits are greatly improved with the stem cell concentration.”
Dr. Franco Reyes performs a variation of the traditional fat transfer technique called the Stem Cell Lift. He harvests fat from a patient’s donor site (hips, thighs, abdomen) and then uses his own process to create a rich concentration of stem cells—double or triple the usual, he says. Those stem cells are then injected into areas of the face or hands.
Dr. Franco, is also focusing his efforts with stem cell fat transfer in another area of the body: the breasts. “Stem cell enhanced fat transfer can be performed on the breasts, buttocks, hands and face, but I am currently focusing mostly on the breast.”
Why? Because so many of us are interested in enlarging our breasts, of course! (And for what could eventually be a natural
and effective option for doing so, we give thanks.)
“We have seen significant improvement in fat survival in patients who have elected to undergo stem cell enhanced fat transfers to the breast,” says Dr. Reyes. “The addition of activated stem cells assists in the formation of new blood vessels to help feed the grafted fat. Some of the stem cells actually differentiate into new fat cells and the stem cells aid in healing by halting swelling and inflammation as well as rejuvenating the skin.”
He also explains that these stem cells may also have something we all dream of: The ability to make the breasts a “preferred” site for new fat, meaning that those extra ounces you put on could go to enhance your cleavage, not your waistline. How does it work? “By increasing the blood supply to the transferred fat,” Dr. Reyes says. “As the patients gain weight it tends to concentrate in the breasts and no longer in the problem areas where the fat was removed.”
A Bright Future
With so much potential, cosmetic surgeons in the U.S. believe that stem cells could impact the future of multiple cosmetic procedures. “I foresee stem cells becoming the standard of care in many areas of medicine and surgery within the next two decades,” predicts Dr. Franco.
“We are very excited about the potential benefits of fat derived stem cells. Several studies in Europe and Asia have shown that these fat stem cells can be used to repair everything from damaged heart muscle to cosmetic facial procedures. We want to help advance that knowledge and refine techniques so that one day every person that undergoes liposuction will elect to save their fat for the future benefits of stem cell therapy.”
The next step? Dr. Franco says that would be to develop an effective process to harvest and store fat so that we can benefit from ongoing advances in fat derived stem cell therapy. “We are working closely with many industry experts to help make those goals reality.”
The following are highlights from the Society’s recent Procedural Survey released in March 2010. The Academy polled random physicians around the country in effort to figure out how many cosmetic procedures are being performed.
