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Autologous Fat Transfer: Risk or Benefit?

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Stem Cells in Aesthetic Procedures

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Abstract

As a modern and innovative tool in modern medicine, fat grafting exhibits numerous benefits including wide availability, an easy and inexpensive procedure, unique regenerative capacity through mesenchymal stem cells, and growth factors with a high patient satisfaction rate. But the popularity of fat grafts is accompanied by numerous concerns. Critics note that fat grafts show a high resorption rate and interfere with the radiological detection of breast cancer. Apart from the aforementioned concerns, the carcinogenicity of fat grafts is subject of heated debate. This chapter will illustrate the most important benefits and risks and especially focus on the carcinogenic potential of fat grafts based on the newest literature.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Plastic Surgery, Hand Surgery, Burn Center, University Hospital of the RWTH Aachen University, Pauwelsstr. 30, Aachen, D-52074, Germany

    Norbert Pallua M.D., Ph.D.

  2. Medical Faculty, Department of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Hand Surgery – Burn Center, RWTH Aachen, Pauwelsstr. 30, Aachen, D-52074, Germany

    Bong-Sung Kim M.D.

Authors
  1. Norbert Pallua M.D., Ph.D.
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  2. Bong-Sung Kim M.D.
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Norbert Pallua M.D., Ph.D. .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Section of Surgery, Newport Specialty Hospital, Tustin, California, USA

    Melvin A. Shiffman

  2. Department of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Marche Polytechnic University Medical School, University of Ancona, Ancona, Italy

    Alberto Di Giuseppe

  3. Department of Plastic Surgery, University of Padova, Padova, Italy

    Franco Bassetto

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Pallua, N., Kim, BS. (2014). Autologous Fat Transfer: Risk or Benefit?. In: Shiffman, M., Di Giuseppe, A., Bassetto, F. (eds) Stem Cells in Aesthetic Procedures. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-45207-9_16

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-45207-9_16

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-642-45206-2

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-642-45207-9

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