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Stem Cells and Plastic Surgery

by Emily Disher

What if your extra pounds held the solution to gaining your ideal body? According to researchers across the globe, this idea isn’t as far-fetched as it may initially seem. Stem cells derived from your fat could not only be valuable for healing wounds, but may well transform the way we think about cosmetic surgery.

Cosmetic surgery may not be the first thing you think of when you think of stem cell research. But the link between stem cells and plastic surgery is beginning to materialize. For years, doctors have been suggesting that stem cells could completely transform the way plastic surgery is carried out. Stem cells are cells that have the ability to multiply, and can differentiate into different kinds of cells forming various types of tissue from neurons to muscle. If you’re familiar with the stem cell controversy, then you’re probably most familiar with embryonic stem cells, which are derived from embryos. Adults, however, create stem cells as well, and these stem cells are the ones that would most likely be used for plastic surgery.

Researchers suggest that cosmetic surgeries performed with stem cells can avoid the drawbacks of traditional plastic surgery. Body enhancement surgeries are often quite invasive, and many require fillers including silicon or saline implants. In some cases, tissue from one part of the body is grafted onto other parts of the body, and these tissues—because they are typically fatty tissues—have a tendency to break down over time in a way that the growth and multiplication of stem cells would prevent. The use of stem cells extracted from fat makes for more natural-looking and long-lasting results.

While the use of stem cells in plastic surgery is not yet common practice in the United States, many doctors throughout Europe have begun using fatty stem cells to create more natural-looking results in plastic surgery procedures. Currently, the FDA is investigating the use of stem cells from a person’s own fat, and a number of doctors have expressed their concern on the web after rumors surfaced that the FDA may classify one’s own stem cells as a drug. As the FDA continues to explore stem cells, it is uncertain how soon U.S. surgeons may be able to begin using stem cells in plastic surgery.

If you are interested in learning more about available plastic surgery options, or to discuss the possibility of stem cell usage for cosmetic surgery, you may want to schedule an appointment with one of our talented plastic surgeons. To learn more about our board-certified surgeons, or to schedule a consultation, please contact us at 866.471.8873 or via the contact form on this page.