A path has opened to enlarge breasts using a patient's own cells instead of silicone or saline. The method grows the patient's fat cells in a biodegradable support shaped like a bra cup. If clinical trials succeed, breast augmentation could become more natural without complications from foreign materials.
German medical device corporations BellaSeno said on the 11th (local time) that a research team led by plastic surgeon Prof. Anand Deva at Macquarie University Hospital in Australia performed the world's first breast augmentation using a biodegradable polymer scaffold and the patient's own fat cells. The surgery is part of a clinical trial to evaluate the efficacy of BellaSeno's breast augmentation scaffold. A total of 53 people are taking part.
◇Scaffold printed from biodegradable suture components
Breast augmentation typically enlarges the chest by inserting implants such as saline packs or silicone gel. In some cases, implants rupture, causing pain and complications. In that case, patients need another operation to replace the silicone gel. BellaSeno CEO Mohit Chhaya said this breast augmentation used only the patient's cells without implants, avoiding those problems.
Before surgery, the Macquarie team harvests fat from areas such as the thighs or abdomen. The harvested fat is injected into a porous scaffold shaped like a bra cup inserted inside the breast. Prof. Deva said, "Over time, fat cells proliferate to regenerate the patient's own tissue, and the scaffold breaks down after 1–2 years, leaving no residue," and added, "Years later, when a doctor looks at the patient's MRI, they will say they are looking at normal breast tissue."
The core technology of this surgery—the porous scaffold—was developed by Chhaya at Queensland University of Technology starting in 2011. The scaffold is made of polycaprolactone (PCL), a biodegradable plastic. This material is already used in biodegradable sutures that later dissolve without leaving scars. He earned his Ph.D. for this research in 2015 and co-founded BellaSeno two years later to commercialize the technology.
BellaSeno used a 3D printer to lay down fine filaments and print the shape of a bra cup. As cells from the fat and existing breast tissue grow into the scaffold, they form a composite in which fat, connective tissue, and blood vessels integrate, just like natural breast tissue. Chhaya said, "The scaffold is a structure of interlaced fine filaments," adding, "The filaments act like small highways along which cells can proliferate."
◇Safety shown in small clinical trial, but data not disclosed
Prof. Deva said at the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery meeting in Boston in May that the porous scaffold's safety had been demonstrated. From 2021 to 2023 in Brisbane, Australia, the team performed procedures implanting BellaSeno's porous scaffold in 19 people.
Participants were patients who needed breast reconstruction after removing silicone implants due to complications. According to two-year follow-up results, there were no scaffold-related complications, and the average breast volume retention rate reached 83%. Patients reported that the tissue felt soft and natural, indicating high satisfaction.
Of course, some remain skeptical. The early clinical trial results have not been published as a formal paper. Other scientists have not been able to verify the clinical data. In a media interview, Andrew Campbell-Lloyd, a surgeon in Adelaide, Australia, said, "Porous scaffolds tend to fill with scar tissue rather than the desired breast tissue," adding, "Until all the evidence is presented, I will remain unconvinced."
References
BellaSeno (2026), https://www.bellaseno.com/world-first-breast-augmentation-using-absorbable-3d-printed-scaffolds-performed-in-sydney