CLEVELAND -- It's almost every woman's dream. Getting rid of unwanted fat and getting a breast enhancement at the same time.
Dr. Lu Jean Feng is
one of a handful of surgeons in the country using a revolutionary
procedure that separates stem cells found in fat and then redistributing
it into the breasts.
Colleen DeVito is a breast cancer survivor and, after a double mastectom,y she wanted a more natural option.
"I had immediate reconstruction using my own muscles, blood vessels and tissue," Colleen says.
She also used a new procedure called Adipocyte Derived Regenerative Stem Cells or ADRCs.
Researchers are studying fat stem cells to potentially
treat burns, radiation injuries and inflammatory bowel disease and,
while it's been used for the past few years in cosmetic surgery, it's
still considered experimental and not FDA approved.
Dr. Feng uses liposuction to remove unwanted fat and then processes the fat in a device that separates the stem cells.
"An enzyme is thrown in there to release all the fat cells and growth
factors and immature vessels and stem cells then it's separated from
the fat cells and concentrated," Dr. Feng says.
After it's done, what's left is injected and formed into the breast.
"This breast is more of a teardrop shape that follows the natural
breast skin lines and this is a great way to fill it and make a more
natural looking breast," Dr. Feng says.
The procedure can be used to smooth the lines of implants or fill the
void if implants are removed. It can also improve congenital
conditions such as uneven breast size.
For women like Colleen, it helped with both the physical and mental recovery of breast cancer.
"To wake up after such a traumatic event and have breasts and then
after the second surgery they looked that much better I just cried it
meant the world to me," Colleen says.
Dr. Feng has done more than fifty natural breast enhancements. The
procedure is not meant for obese or very thin patients and cost is
around $14,000.
WKYC