STEM CELL THERAPY
Tremendous Ability To Help Treat A Range Of Diseases and Injuries
A fast and simple outpatient procedure
Stem cells have tremendous promise to help treat a range of diseases, injuries and other health-related conditions. Stem cells have proven successful in the treatment of blood diseases saving the lives of people with leukemia. Stem cells have also been used for tissue grafts to treat diseases or injury to the bone, skin and surface of the eye. Research and clinical trials involving stem cells continue for many other conditions.
Stem cell therapy or regenerative medicine encourages the reparative response of damaged or diseased tissue through stem cells or their derivatives. Stem cells are harvested from a patient and the substances of the stem cell are concentrated to get the most valuable parts. The concentrated stem cells are then injected into the patient’s affected body part. The entire process is a relatively fast and simple outpatient procedure.
What Are Stem Cells?
A stem cell is a cell with the unique ability to develop into specialized cell types in the body. They can be used to replace cells and tissues that have been damaged or lost due to disease. Stem cells provide new cells for the body as it grows by replacing specialized cells that are damaged or lost. Their two unique properties enable them to do this: they can divide over and over again to produce new cells and as they divide, they can change into other types of cells that make up the body.
Stem cells can be harvested from different parts of the body. Bone marrow stem cells are taken from the bone marrow and are used in bone marrow injections. Adipose stem cells are taken from subcutaneous fat or muscle tissue and are used in lipoaspirate injections.
What to Expect with Stem Cell Therapy?
Harvesting stem cells is done by inserting a needle into the determined location to extract the stem cells. We harvest adipose stem cells most often from the lower abdomen allowing us to obtain a significant quantity of cells. We collect the stem cells through a minimally invasive liposuction procedure that takes about an hour. If bone marrow-derived cells are used, these are taken from the iliac crest. Light oral sedation is used to help relax the patient for the procedure. No general anesthetic is required. Most patients report feeling only a mild tickling or pressure sensation.
Bone marrow aspirate is collected from the posterior iliac crest. The area is easily anesthetized using a local anesthetic and a needle is placed painlessly into the center of the crest. We usually harvest the bone marrow and centrifuge the aspirate into a small injectable volume of bone marrow concentrate.
These newly multiplied healthy cells are collected and injected into the damaged area. Using live x-ray or ultrasound guidance, the cells and growth factors are injected into the affected site with the use of a local anesthetic. The team’s extensive experience ensures the cells are reaching their targeted area so patients have the best chance for improvement. There are few potential side effects or complications because we inject your own cells back into your body.
The entire stem cell procedure is complete within 2-3 hours. Stem cell patients comfortably walk out on their own and typically return to work and daily activities within a couple of days. Patients may begin to experience pain relief in as little as two to twelve weeks. These new cells may take up to several weeks to help heal and regrow the damaged tissue. It can take up to six weeks to notice improvement. Some people, however, start to see results in a few weeks. Progress should continue to expand over the following six months.
If you’d like to learn more about Stem Cell Therapy or to discuss whether this treatment may be right for you, call our office at (540) 232-8405 or schedule your first consultation online!
