Surgeons successfully repaired breast tissue damaged during cancer surgery with stem cells derived from liposuctioned fat.
Doctors in Japan have used the procedure on a very limited number of volunteer patients. Nonetheless, they believe it could be a realistic option for millions of women seeking cosmetic surgery on their breasts in the future.
Twenty-one cancer patients allowed doctors to remove fat from their stomachs, thighs and hips using liposuction for the study.
Dr Keizo Sugimachi of Kyushu University, who led the study, explained that doctors removed stem cells from the fat and injected them in different locations around the breast. Doctors hope the resulting "implants" will persist.
Dr. Sugimachi told the Press Association that more than three-quarters of the patients in the study said they were satisfied with the results.
The new procedure is exciting for plastic surgeons, says Dr Karol Gutowski of the University of Wisconsin-Madison.