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"My starting point as a plastic surgeon was regenerative medicine.
Regenerative medicine is an effective measure to help you achieve the person you want to be."
Regenerative medicine is an effective measure to help you achieve the person you want to be."
Hidemi Akai
My starting point as a cosmetic surgeon was regenerative medical treatments.
This was surgery on the faces of children who had congenital disorders.
My starting point as a plastic surgeon was the treatment of babies who had congenital facial disorders. Specifically, I treated children with cleft lips and palates. Most of these children would need a minimum of three surgeries by the time their face finished its growth at 18 years. The most difficult aspect was resolving their facial bones' natural defects and the functional and aesthetic problems which would arise accordingly.
The first surgery was performed 3 months after birth, when the weight was a mere 6kg. Even if I wanted to transplant bone onto the areas with insufficient bone, there would not be enough excess bone on a baby of that size to act as the necessary material. In the past, I would conduct surgery by creating a natural lip and palate by neatly sewing up the abnormal path of the muscle that forms the cleft, as well the skin.
The first surgery was performed 3 months after birth, when the weight was a mere 6kg. Even if I wanted to transplant bone onto the areas with insufficient bone, there would not be enough excess bone on a baby of that size to act as the necessary material. In the past, I would conduct surgery by creating a natural lip and palate by neatly sewing up the abnormal path of the muscle that forms the cleft, as well the skin.
We used to do it once the age of 10 was reached, as the body would have become large enough for bone to be taken to use for the defective bone area. However, we were aware that if this was possible to do at 3 months, it would be enormously beneficial.
As such, on an experimental level, when we tried to mix up artificial materials with the stem cells and growth factors that composed our own bones, a new method was reported for bone tissue engineering that could substitute for the bone at the transplant location. We conducted detailed research via experimenting with mice, and applied for a medical patent. Furthermore, I was the first person in the world who clinically applied reconstruction of bone deficiencies in the cleft lip and palate. The bone which had been transplanted to upper jaw adhered excellently, and the shape of the upper jaw was also normal, and the milk teeth and later the permanent teeth also had no problem in terms of growth functionality or aesthetics, and the patient is now a healthy ten-year old elementary school student.
As such, on an experimental level, when we tried to mix up artificial materials with the stem cells and growth factors that composed our own bones, a new method was reported for bone tissue engineering that could substitute for the bone at the transplant location. We conducted detailed research via experimenting with mice, and applied for a medical patent. Furthermore, I was the first person in the world who clinically applied reconstruction of bone deficiencies in the cleft lip and palate. The bone which had been transplanted to upper jaw adhered excellently, and the shape of the upper jaw was also normal, and the milk teeth and later the permanent teeth also had no problem in terms of growth functionality or aesthetics, and the patient is now a healthy ten-year old elementary school student.
Beautifying medical treatments help you achieve the person you want to be.
I feel that regenerative medical treatments are an important aspect of that.
I've mentioned that my starting point as a cosmetic surgeon was performing surgery of the faces of children with congenital disorders, but my starting point in regenerative medical treatments was also performing surgery on these children. I want children to be able to live long and happy lives, without having to worry about congenital disorders, and so I hope that these children will be able to have an excellent quality of life.
Thanks to medical advances, many things which were once impossible are no longer so. Furthermore, we are able to do many things with more detail and more accurately. In a way, beautifying medical treatments have the potential to be treatments not for sickness but for granting your wishes. As a form of treatment, regenerative medicine is also a powerful way of granting those wishes.
