BBC news revealed that senior plastic Surgeons have issued a warning about a breast enlargement procedure offered by private clinics here in the UK. In a warning which came at their annual conference, The British Association of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons (BAAPS) suggests that ‘stem-cell breast augmentations’ are unproven and ought not to be offered commercially.
However, a private clinic on London has said that they are ‘confident’ in the safety of the treatment. Stem cell breast augmentation procedures involve using fat harvested from the patient’s stomach or thighs via liposuction and using it to build up the breast. Prior to transplantation, around half of the fat is processed to enrich the stem-cell content – naturally occurring regenerative cells found within the fat, in the hope that this enrichment process can improve the prospects for the fat graft.
The same technology is being used in reconstructive surgery where “cell-enriched fat grafting” is now being offered in several centres around the world to reconstruct breasts following cancer surgery. Trials are currently under way at NHS centres in London, Glasgow, Swansea, Norwich and North Tyneside.
Two private London clinics have been advertising stem-cell breast augmentations for some time. The latter says they will have treated some 200 patients by the end of this year. In a statement, one of these clinics said the views of BAAPS were welcome, but insisted the surgery was safe and every precaution was taken.
Breast implants
The BAAPS warning came the same week new clinical data on cell-enriched fat grafting was presented to a conference in Nottingham. The trial involved around 70 patients in seven centres in four countries. The data is yet to undergo peer review and was sponsored by Cytori Therapeutics, the US makers of a machine which can enrich the fat.
A Surgeon who took part in the trial reported that the procedure ‘appears to be effective in cancer patients in terms of filling in defects in the breast and in improving the appearance and feel of the breast. Nor were there any serious side-effects or recurrence of breast cancer to date. Traditional fat-grafting (in breast reconstructive surgery) does not work terribly well because there is not enough circulation to support the survival of the fat graft, we know if we augment the fat graft with the naturally occurring regenerative cells in fat tissues we can improve the circulation around the fat graft and the survival of the fat graft.”
BAAPS argues that research which is unproven has been ‘hijacked’ be the commercial sector, which, as Dr Ayham Al-Ayoubi pointed out is ‘a dreadful thought, particularly if the procedure is being administered by inadequately trained practitioners.’
Dr Ayham Al-Ayoubi, speaking from the London Medical and Aesthetic Clinic at 1 Harley Street, commented: “ My view is that we must make sure that any treatment used should be safe in the long term. As Surgeons, it is our responsibility to protect the long term health and well- being of our patients above everything else. ’ever, BAAPS believes that the level of clinical testing that has been carried out so far has not been sufficient and that further testing needs to be done to establish its safety before it is used commercially on healthy women.
However, the majority of surgeons say that longer-term results are needed, at least five to10 years of data before the technique could be deemed safe for use in cosmetic surgery, as there is still not enough long-term outcome data to suggest that the surgery is safe in the sense that it does not encourage the cancer to come back or a new breast cancer to develop.
Breast Implants
Dr Ayham Al-Ayoubi explains : Stem cells are now being used for Breast Augmentation . The procedure is gaining in popularity in Japan and is being introduced in Great Britain. The procedure involves removing fat from the abdomen (fat is rich in stem cells) and using a machine to concentrate the stem cells prior to injecting it into the breasts. It’s estimated that women can achieve a cup size enhancement to their breast size.
First of all, it is extremely important for physicians to be sure that stem cell breast augmentation does not increase the risk of breast cancer, delay or interfere with the diagnosis of breast cancer, or worsen the prognosis of breast cancer if it is diagnosed.
Second, many surgeons are performing fat grafting to the breast, which is the closest thing we currently have to stem cell breast enhancement. The big difference between the two is that generic fat grafting to the breast doesn’t have as high a concentration of stem cells, but the stem cells are still present. One of the controversies surrounding fat grafting to the breast revolves around possible mammographic changes that can occur with the surgery.
Dr Ayham Al-Ayoubi explains: Any patient who is considering stem cells breast enhancement surgery should see a Plastic Surgeon who has experience with both Implant based and Stem Cell Breast Augmentation. Furthermore, Stem Cell Breast Augmentation and Stem Cell Facelift patients who want the best results, who want a balanced and unbiased consultation, and who want to see a surgeon who has completed a Plastic Surgery training program.
To read more on breast augmentation, click here
