REGENERATIVE PLASTIC SURGERY: Pietro Gentile, MD, Ph.D
Regenerative Plastic Surgery is a new branch of plastic surgery aimed at tissue regeneration using one’s own cells and tissues. Among these, the adipose-derived mesenchymal stem cells AD-MSCs – derived from one’s own fat – and autologous growth factors derived from platelets, better known by the acronym PRP – Platelet-Rich Plasma, play a fundamental role.
The pioneer of Regenerative Plastic Surgery is Prof Pietro Gentile, Associate Professor of Plastic Surgery at the University of Rome “Tor Vergata”.
Prof Gentile has given a significant boost to the development of Regenerative Plastic Surgery through numerous scientific publications with a high impact factor, which have led him to have bibliometric indicators of absolute international reference. To date, “SCOPUS”, the citation database for articles in research publications, identifies Prof Gentile with the following bibliometric indicators: H-index 44, Citations 4688, Articles 157 (https://www.scopus.com /authid/detail.uri?authorId=26643262900), among the highest in the international scientific panorama in the field of plastic surgery. Its H-Index = 44 (which means having 44 articles cited at least 44 times each) is the highest in Italy in the field of plastic, reconstructive, aesthetic, and regenerative surgery.
His scientific research, resulting in international publications of great interest (such as the use of PRP and follicular cells for hair re-growth and androgenetic alopecia, the use of lipofilling for breast volume augmentation, post-oncological breast reconstruction, malformations such as tuberous breast, face rejuvenation, scar treatment) have introduced the use of regenerative and innovative methods in the field of plastic surgery, leading to the development of Regenerative Plastic Surgery.
Regenerative Plastic Surgery represents the present and the future of Plastic Surgery, as it is based on minimally invasive methods that aim at tissue regeneration and not at their replacement as happened in the past with transplants. It has had a significant increase in the last 15 years.
In particular, the fat grafting, better known by the term “lipofilling”, makes it possible to improve deficient volumes and the quality of damaged tissues. It is based on liposuction which allows for the removal of a double amount of fat. A first part of the collected fat is subjected to centrifugation and/or mechanical filtration procedures, minimal manipulation procedures (law 23 EC 2004 and subsequent) aimed at isolating a suspension of stromal vascular fraction cells (SVFs – Stromal Vascular Fraction cells) in which are contained mesenchymal stem cells (AD-MSCs). A second part of the harvested fat is enriched with the cell suspension and re-injected into the areas of soft tissue deficiency.
As mentioned, examples of the use of lipofilling can in fact be breast reconstruction, scars, congenital or acquired deformities, burns or aesthetic reasons. In the latter case, the fat grafting is enriched and used – in selected patients – for breast volume augmentation or breast remodeling, face rejuvenation, buttock augmentation or hands rejuvenation.
In recent years there are more and more patients who prefer the use of fat for breast augmentation (instead of prostheses) in consideration of the totally natural and harmonious result that this practice allows to have.
Precisely the studies done by Prof Gentile, on the methods of enrichment of lipofilling with stromal vascular cells (SVFs) and minimal manipulation procedures, aimed at reducing the reabsorption of fat, as well as the studies on PRP, have allowed him to be registered, already starting from 2020, in the prestigious list “TOP SCIENTISTS – World’s Top 2%”, ranking of the best scientists in the world, published by Stanford University (September 2022 data-update for “Updated science-wide author databases of standardized citation indicators – published October 10, 2022 –https://elsevier.digitalcommonsdata.com/v1/datasets/compare/btchxktzyw/1/4). The analysis by Stanford university produced a list of 200,409 scientists who fall into the top 2% selected among well 8.6 million (Top 2% Scientists list) of researchers who have distinguished themselves worldwide for their scientific authority. For each scientist, the ranking, the citations, and the related h-index were indicated, measuring the impact in terms of citations of each single work by applying corrective factors, linked to self-citations, to single-author works to the relative positioning and the bibliometric dynamics of each scientific area. The analysis of the bibliometric indicators made it possible to evaluate the research activities by identifying the excellences in the related scientific disciplinary sector.
Prof Pietro Gentile is to date the only Italian plastic surgeon on the TOP SCIENTISTS list.
His studies, many of which as mentioned, have contributed to the birth and development of Regenerative Plastic Surgery, a science based on the use of one’s own cells and tissues, have led to a result that highlights the Italian scientific excellence in world.
For information, updates, and contacts www.pietrogentile.it