Frequently Asked Questions about Breast Augmentation and Stem Cell-Assisted Lipotransfer

Transplanted fat is only capable of long term survival if it contains a high fraction of undamaged, viable cells, particularly stem cells and progenitor cells. Proper, gentle harvesting and processing are thus essential for the success of the treatment.

In standard lipotransfer, untreated liposuctioned or surgically removed fat is implanted in other parts of the body. The content of the stem cells present in the fat thus remains unchanged. With an optimum tissue-conserving technique, only a small portion of the volume is normally retained long-term and hence hence refreshments are needed.

In stem cell-concentrated lipotransfer, autologous fat is liposuctioned and then concentrated in order to increase the fraction of viable cells and stem cells per unit volume. With an optimum tissue-conserving technique, a significant portion of the volume is normally retained long-term and hence refreshments may be needed.

In stem cell-assisted lipotransfer (CAL), a complex laboratory process is used to extract the stem cells from a portion of fat and add them to another portion of fat prior to implantation. A considerably more sustainable result is achievable with this stem cell-enriched fat than with the other methods. With this method, most of the volume is normally retained long-term, hence refreshments are normally not necessary.

Stem cell-assisted lipotransfer is therapy with adult autologous stem cells and is not to be confused with stem cell therapy with embryonic stem cells, which for ethics reasons and owing to a much-debated risk of side effects is not allowed in Austria.

Primarily the age and the human embryonic tissue origin. Although embryonic stem cells possess a somewhat higher biological potential than adult stem cells, their use is not only ethically questionable but also linked to an elevated risk of malignant degeneration (cancer). For these reasons the use of autologous adult stem cells is recommended for patients. Even at an advanced age these cells – like sperm cells – have a very high biological potential.

No! Stem cell-assisted lipotransfer is therapy with adult autologous stem cells and is not to be confused with stem cell therapy with embryonic stem cells, which for ethics reasons and owing to a much-debated risk of side effects is not allowed in Austria.

Your own healthy mesenchymal stem cells also remain healthy when they get transplanted into another part of your body. Therefore therapies with such stem cells also do not increase the risk of developing cancer. They probably even support the immune system in the removal of cancer cells. On the other hand, so-called embryonic stem cells, which are obtained from immature human embryos, can lead to tumors (teratomas) and are not used therapeutically in our clinic for this reason. Sometimes the suspicion is voiced that mesenchymal stem cells, which are artificially reproduced in the laboratory, might degenerate. However, any evidence for this is missing. On the contrary, such stem cells are now used in clinical trials, often after genetic reprogramming, for the treatment of cancer. In stem cell-assisted fat transfer, mesenchymal stem cells are transplanted directly with the fat from which they originate. Experts agree that the risk of cancer is thus increased just as little as in normal fat transfer, which differs only by the smaller amount of transplanted stem cells.

Other than stem cell-assisted lipotransfer (CAL), many regenerative treatments can be performed on internal organs with stem cells extracted from autologous fat. These treatments, however, require a very specific preparation of the stem cells. The regeneration of intervertebral discs damaged by attrition is a good example.

No. Stem cell-assisted lipotransfer (CAL) is the procedure and Celution® is an extraction technique developed by the company Cytori. A patented device approved for use in the EU is employed for automating and standardizing the preparation of cells from body fat. Celution® is used in the Clinic DDr. Heinrich® as a supplement to the standard laboratory technique.

The tissue surrounding the implanted stem cells controls the types of cells that stem cells become. The cells that develop from the stem cells behave in the same manner as the surrounding cells, thus ruling out the possibility of uncontrolled growth.

The micro-environment plays a decisive role in the differentiation of stem cells into adult cells. The surrounding tissue in which the stem cells are incorporated evidently controls what kind of cells (skin cells, fat cells, muscle cells, etc.) develop from them.

Stem cell-enriched autologous fat can be used as a generally sustainable, 100 % natural filler for body contouring and wrinkle treatment (e.g., of the cleavage and hands) as well as for skin rejuvenation. The higher the content of stem cells in the transplanted autologous fat, the greater the regeneration and rejuvenation effect exerted on the skin in the treated area. Stem cell-enriched autologous fat allows for normally long-lasting contouring of breasts, buttocks, thighs, and all other body parts that contain fat.

Dents can be corrected with stem cell-enriched autologous fat at the Clinic DDr. Heinrich®. As a general rule the results are very good and retained long-term.