Scientists in Australia are hoping it can as they research an incredible new procedure that may facilitate breast redevelopment after a mastectomy. If the procedure is proven successful, it could replace breast reconstruction with implants.
The procedure is said to stimulate regenerative growth of breast tissue, and trials are set to begin – with real human patients – in less than 6 months.
How it Works
A biodegradable chamber is placed within the chest, containing stem cells obtained from the patient’s own fatty tissue. As the cells divide and grow, the natural fat of the breast is recreated.
Phillip Marzella from the Bernard O’Brien Institute of Microsurgery, told ABC radio that the trials were “a proof of principle trial with about five to six women just to demonstrate that the body can re-grow its own fat supply in the breast.”
It may take several years to fully develop this procedure, but scientists are optimistic about its potential to replace the current procedures in breast reconstruction, which use saline or silicone breast implants to recreate the breast after mastectomy. The science of breast reconstruction seems to be progressing rapidly in recent years, causing some writers to say we are “winning the war on breast cancer.”