SAN DIEGO, March 31, 2011 — "Cell enriched fat transfer" sounds like either a science fiction comic or a medical school test question, but it is neither. It is a new technique that allows plastic surgeons to take fatty (adipose) tissue from a patient's own body, purify it, and place it — safely and permanently — in a different location of their choice.
Research over the past decade has shown that adipose tissue contains large amounts of stem and regenerative cells, the same versatile cells found in human embryos. With patient consent, La Jolla Cosmetic Surgery Centre began participating in this research four years ago, and in January 2011 began performing cell enriched fat transfer (CEFT) procedures, the culmination of this long research process.
The results of the first surgeries have exceeded expectations. By opting for CEFT for breast augmentation patients can avoid the risks associated with implants, suffer less scarring, experience less pain during recovery, and enjoy more natural-feeling breasts compared with implants. Although CEFT is not appropriate for all breast augmentation cases, the procedure is exactly what many women are seeking.
Breast cancer survivors, for example, are especially interested in fat transfer. Treatments for breast cancer — particularly radiation therapy, mastectomy, and lumpectomy — result in damaged skin and breast tissue that is difficult to repair. When radiation therapy is combined with lumpectomy, conventional procedures cannot restore the breast completely. Cell enriched fat transfer solves the problem by combining precise control of injections with the benefit of stem cells to help build the breast in a natural way.
With older fat transfer procedures, the patient retained about 30% of the injected adipose tissue; the rest was later absorbed by the body. With CEFT procedures, patients can retain approximately 90% of the injected tissue. This large gain is made possible in part by the stem and regenerative cells that help the graft integrate with surrounding tissue. Since the tissue comes from the patient's own body, there is no risk of rejection. Women who have never seriously considered breast augmentation because of concerns about an implant now have a safe, natural alternative.
Cell enriched fat transfer has implications far beyond cosmetic surgery. Harvested adipose tissue can be stored for future use, and the stem cells present in that tissue may one day save lives. One possible use already showing exciting results is using extracted stem cells to help restore heart muscle after a heart attack. La Jolla Cosmetic Surgery Center is proudly doing their part in the stem cell revolution by using these wonder-cells in cosmetic surgery procedures.
For additional information about cell enriched fat transfer, visit our plastic surgery blog page.
About La Jolla Cosmetic Surgery Centre: LJCSC is located in the Scripps/XIMED Medical Building on the Scripps Memorial Hospital Campus, at 9850 Genessee Avenue, Suite 130, in La Jolla, CA. 858-452-1981.
Media Contact: Marie Olesen, La Jolla Cosmetic Surgery Centre (http://www.ljcsc.com) or 858-452-1981.
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