Medical breakthrough: Surgeons use stem cells from patient's fat for cosmetic procedure

We've all heard stories about medical breakthroughs involving stem cells in recent years. But stem cells and cosmetic surgery?

"We've learned that your own fat is a great source for stem cells," says Dr. Mark Berman, MD, President of the American Academy of Cosmetic Surgery. "With our current technology, we can harvest fat and actually separate the stem cells."

While progress with stem cells is in the early stages, cosmetic surgeons will be one of the principal players in this new segment of medicine.

In cosmetic surgery, a patient's fat can be fortified with stem cells and used for procedures to rejuvenate the face, eyelids, hands, breast augmentation, buttock augmentation and more. Many cosmetic surgeons perform liposuction already, and they will likely be the foundation for many stem cell procedures in the near future.

"Not only will this be the next major plateau in cosmetic surgery, this is likely to represent the next major breakthrough in medicine in general," Dr. Berman says.