Patent ID: 8420077

Claim:
A method of breast reconstruction or augmentation, the method comprising the steps of a) implanting a silicone or saline filled breast implant into a site of breast tissue of an individual; and b) implanting a hydrogel scaffold at the site of implantation, the hydrogel scaffold comprising a substantially sericin-depleted silk fibroin and adipose cells, the hydrogel scaffold formed by: extracting sericin from a silk fibroin thereby forming the substantially sericin-depleated silk fibroin; digesting a mixture including the substantially sericin-depleated silk fibroin, thereby forming a digested mixture; collecting a supernatant of the digested mixture after centrifugation, wherein the supernatant comprises depolymerized silk fibroin; gelling the supernatant in an ethanol solution comprising ethanol as a gelation enhancer and porogens, thereby forming a silk fibroin hydrogel; removing the porogens from the silk fibroin hydrogel to form the hydrogel scaffold defined by an array of interconnected pores; and seeding the hydrogel scaffold with adipose cells, wherein the adipose cells are autologous with the individual.