Be Wary, You May Be Risking More Than Your Wallet

Scientific American magazine has reported a very scary story. If you think the dangers of trendy new procedures only risk your wallet, think again. With the recent discovery of the existence of stem cells in adipose fat, there are now “stem cell face lifts” being offered. The idea is that these adult stem cells, from your own transplanted fat, will improve the skin quality and encourage growth of the underlying tissues to produce more cells filling out folds and wrinkles. Hence the non surgical face lift. Never mind that there is no scientific evidence of this thus far. Don’t forget that the American Society of Plastic Surgeons and the American Society for Aesthetic plastic Surgery have both stated that, “Stem cells in aesthetic surgery are promising, but marketing claims are too far ahead of the science.”

Now it seems there is more danger than just risking your money on a procedure that is no more than an old fashioned fat transfer. It seems a woman who paid $20,000 for a stem cell face lift had grown small chunks of bone in the soft tissue of her face creating painful, serious, and possibly lifelong complications. The story reported in Scientific American explains how in order to enhance the filler effect of the stem cell rich fat transfer, the surgeon injected these stem cells along with a filler that contained calcium hydroxylapatite. This particular mineral is also used to encourage bone growth. We know that the wonder of stem cells is that they can grow into any kind of cells, which is why they are being touted as creating more fat to fill out the face to begin with. Don’t misunderstand, these fillers that contain calcium hydroxlapatite are safe and have been used for over 20 years by cosmetic surgeons. It may have been the combination of stem cell rich fat and calcuim hydroxlapatite that caused this drastic reaction. The article in Scientific American goes on to warn about untested stem cell treatments.

At Little Rock Cosmetic Surgery Center, face lifts are performed with safe, time tested procedures. Dermal fillers are used safely and properly also. I don’t get ahead of science; I respect science.

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