Fat graft a boon for breast cancer survivors

Every time Seema Mehra takes time off from climbing the corporate ladder, she  climbs mountains. So when this 42-year-old avid hiker was diagnosed with breast cancer in February, she could not help wondering about changes in her life after the surgery.

“I was certain that once I was back on my feet, I would like to sling a backpack on my shoulders and keep it there during the hikes.

For that I needed both my breasts,” says Mehra, who had to undergo a mastectomy on her right breast. Preserving the breast skin, (including the nipple) was not an option for her because the cancerous growth was just behind the nipple. “I decided not to go for silicone or saline breast implants since I had heard enough horror stories about leaks and replacements,” she adds.

Mehra is in luck. There are now safer options available for women who have lost a breast to cancer. “It is important to give women choices when it comes to improving the quality of their life after surviving a threatening disease,” feels Dr Satish Arolkar, a Mumbai-based cosmetic surgeon, who swears by autologous fat graft — a technique used in breast reconstruction.

In this procedure, the patient’s own fat (from the abdomen, buttocks or thighs) is suctioned off, processed and then injected into the damaged breast tissue. The concentrated stem cells found in the fat keep the tissue healthy and allow it to rejuvenate. Cosmetic surgeons think that stem cells derived from fat tissue increase the survival of the transplanted tissue while promoting healing and repair. The treatment can cost between Rs2.25 lakh and Rs3.5 lakh. 

(Some names have been changed to protect privacy)