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Can that spare tyre around your belly actually be of help? Yes, say scientists, who have finally a good use for that troublesome belly fat that always seems to get in the way, keeps you out of your favorite outfit or off the beach. New research is showing that belly fat is rich in stem cells and that fat removed from the belly in liposuction may be useful in breast reconstruction and other plastic surgeries.

Stem cells are cells in the body that haven’t yet developed a specific function. They have the potential of developing into any number of specialized cells that would perform specific functions. Scientists and researchers now believe that these cells can be used to replace dead or diseased cells in the body.

They believe that by placing the stem cells into a certain part in the body, the stem cell will develop into a specific cell that meets the functions of that site. You may have heard of the possibilities of using stem cells to regrow heart tissue to cure heart failure or pancreatic tissue to cure diabetes, but new research is the use of stem cells in breast reconstruction.

Even better news is that tests have shown that belly fat has a significantly higher amount of stem cells than fat isolated from other parts of the body. This makes it very useful and much more potent when being used to regenerate tissue. Doctors hope to be able to take stem cells from the belly fat removed in liposuction surgeries and reinsert them areas that need to be regenerated or augmented.

These cells could be used to reconstruct the breast tissue or even in cosmetic procedures to fill in wrinkles and fine lines or augment the breasts. This comes as great news for women who have had a lumpectomy for breast cancer and would like to have their breasts reconstructed and also presents an interesting option for new cosmetic plastic surgery techniques. Who wouldn’t want to take some bulk from their belly and add it to their bust?

The procedure would involve a liposuction surgery removing fat from the belly. Using a centrifuge, a high concentration of stem cells removed from the unwanted belly fat would be immediately injected into the breast tissue. The initial result wouldn’t be large but over time the stem cells would differentiate into healthy tissue and continue to grow, enlarging the breasts.

This procedure was originally designed to treat women in cases of a lumpectomy or partial mastectomy. It would be a means for breast reconstruction. With the thousands of cases of breast cancer diagnosed each year, this procedure brings incredible confidence and relief for these women. Its uses for augmentation and other plastic surgeries such as wrinkle reduction, are also being studied.

Although this still is not an approved procedure in the United States, clinical experiments are going on around the world testing the potential of stem cells from fat. This procedure is not currently used it, but it may be something available in the near future.

Resources: For autologous breast reconstruction, Texas women prefer a plastic surgeon specially trained in DIEP techniques. Find out how a trained surgeon can use your own body’s abdominal tissue for breast reconstruction, without the need for implants, at www.basuplasticsurgery.com.