According to the Breast Cancer Symposium in San Antonio, the future looks bright for a Cytori device which helps rebuild and increase the size of womens’ breasts after cancer surgery. We reported on this revolutionary new technology back in July and it seems that the results of the procedure are long-term.

Japanese researchers took fat from the thighs, stomach or hips of 21 women who had partial mastectomies after being diagnosed with breast cancer. Using a Cytori device, they isolated stem cells within the fat before injecting the mixture into the women’s breasts once they had recovered from the surgical procedure.

A month later, the breasts were checked and it was found that the were thicker than they had been. A check at 3 months found that breast thickness had increased by around 11mm (just over 1cm) with a check after six months indicating that the breast thickness was 10mm. The results are promising, showing that the technique may well have long, if not permanent, results. To put the growth into context, adding around 2.5cm to the breast will increase the breast by one bra size.

One of the best features of the technique is that because the original fat cells have been taken from the women themselves, none of the women in the trials developed any form of immune reaction and there were no serious side effects. A further trial in Europe of women who have had partial mastectomies is planned, as well as a trial on women who have had breast tissue damage because of radiation therapy. Research in increasing breast size for women who have not had cancer is also planned.

Whilst the company themselves are currently focussing solely on rebuilding the breasts of women who have had treatment for breast cancer, the technology could have far wider applications not in the least for people who want a more natural form of breast enhancement. There is also the possibility that the technique could be used in other cosmetic surgeries such as in anti-aging surgery, or filling slight defects in the body.