Stem Cell
What Is It?
In stem cell treatment we separate mesenchymal stem cells obtained from my patient’s own fat tissue and deliver them to the area that needs them. We don’t add any permanent substance from outside. We try to support the tissue’s own repair capacity. The fat is taken from the abdomen under local anaesthesia, and on average 15-20 ml is enough.
Why fat tissue? Some stem cells can only repair the tissue they come from. Cells obtained from small pieces of skin taken from behind the ear are like that; they are mostly useful for repairs involving the skin. The mesenchymal stem cells that sit between fat cells can turn into different tissue types and send signals to the cells around them. So we can aim for renewal that goes below the surface, down to the connective tissue and the support beneath the skin. How far the tissue responds varies from person to person.
How Is It Done?
First I look at your medical history, whether you take any medication, and what you expect; we request the necessary blood tests. We plan together where the fat will be taken from and where it will go. Because the treatment is set up as a single session, the preparation is done in a single day as well.
Under local anaesthesia we take a small amount of fat from the abdomen. We separate the fraction that contains stem cells and inject the prepared content into the target area. The whole procedure takes about 60 minutes on average. If needed, we can make it part of the same plan as a thread lift or filler. We decide that at examination.
Who Is It For?
It suits patients who want a general renewal in skin quality and would like us to work with their own tissue instead of an external product. The difference shows more in faces where fine lines, pigmentation and scars have built up over the years. Frankly, in someone very young whose tissue shows no noticeable damage, I rarely see a need for stem cells. Over the age of sixty, the person’s own stem cells may have aged to some degree too, and the result we hope for is not always achieved.
On its own it is not enough for pronounced laxity or advanced volume loss. Pregnancy and breastfeeding, active infection, a bleeding disorder, uncontrolled autoimmune disease, ongoing cancer treatment and too little fat in the abdomen to harvest all change the plan. We go through these one by one at examination.
Process & Recovery
Assessment and tests
We talk about your medical history, any medication you take and your expectations, and we request the necessary blood tests. We plan together where the fat will be taken from and where it will be delivered.
Fat harvesting
We take on average 15-20 ml of fat from the abdomen under local anaesthesia. A small dot remains at the entry point and closes on its own.
Separation
We separate the fraction containing stem cells from the harvested tissue in the same session. The whole procedure takes about 60 minutes on average.
Treatment and first 48 hours
We deliver the prepared content to the target area. Swelling, tenderness and bruising can appear both where the fat was taken and where it was injected. We put off strenuous exercise and sauna for a while.
Month 3-6 assessment
Because the renewal support shows itself over time, we do the photographic comparison in this period.
Results & Duration
The result appears over months. Most of the change you see in the first weeks is swelling. We make the real assessment after the third month, with the photographs side by side. If the result is not enough, that is when we plan a further treatment.
The source data reports an effect lasting 3-5 years. This varies from person to person with age, the condition of the tissue and lifestyle habits. Ageing carries on as well. What we aim for is that you continue from the point you have reached.
What Is Not Promised
We don’t perform stem cell treatment as a treatment for disease, and it does not replace medical treatment. It doesn’t work like a filler: it adds no volume and leaves facial proportions as they are. It doesn’t gather lax skin and it can’t do what a surgical lift does.
The result does not come quickly. Looking for a difference in the mirror in the first weeks is misleading. I can’t promise a particular appearance, amount of renewal or duration. What you get depends on how your own tissue responds, and that cannot be measured in advance.
Key Benefits
- Autologous compatibility
- Natural content
- Long-term support
“My patients ask most about speed. For the cells to work and give us a result, we need to wait at least a month, often two or three. That is why we make the assessment in the third month, with the photographs side by side.”
— Dr. Sinan Akyürek
Frequently Asked Questions
Where are the stem cells taken from?
From your own fat tissue. We take on average 15-20 ml of fat from the abdomen under local anaesthesia and separate the fraction containing stem cells.
How does it differ from fibroblast treatment?
The source and the timing are different. In fibroblast treatment, skin cells taken from behind the ear are multiplied in a laboratory over several weeks. Here the source is fat tissue, and we do the separation in the same session.
How many sessions are needed?
We usually plan a single session. Whether a repeat is needed is something we check at the follow-up months later.
How long does it take, and is it painful?
On average 60 minutes. We take the fat under local anaesthesia. Tenderness and bruising can follow for the next few days.
When will I see the result?
The change develops over months. We make the main assessment after the third month, by comparing photographs.
How long does it last?
The range reported in the source data is 3-5 years. Your age, the condition of your tissue and your habits change this.
Can it be combined with filler or thread lifting?
If needed, we can make it part of the same plan. We decide that at examination, after facial analysis.
Is it used to treat disease?
No. The treatment I describe on this page is aesthetic tissue support. It is not performed as a treatment for disease and does not replace medical treatment. For conditions such as knee osteoarthritis, an orthopaedic or physical medicine specialist is the right person to ask.