What is Stem Cell Therapy?
Stem cell therapy is an advanced nonsurgical treatment that has the potential to heal tissue without the need for surgery. The benefits of stem cell treatment over other surgical options include:
Mesenchymal stem cells have the ability to differentiate into bone and cartilage cells and can be used to treat a wide variety of orthopedic conditions. Some examples include:
Stem cell therapy involves the extraction of stem cells, typically from the bone marrow, fat, or amniotic fluid, and processing of the cells.
Once the stem cells are harvested and processed, they can be implanted to the site of damage. This procedure can be done by either using your own stem cells (autologous stem cells) or using stem cells that have been extracted and processed from amniotic fluid (allogenic stem cells).
We prefer bone marrow aspiration concentrate (using your own stem cells from bone marrow) but in certain situations, amniotic fluid from a donor can be used.
You may be recommended one or multiple injections to provide the greatest amount of healing.
Autologous Stem Cells
Autologous stem cells are stem cells extracted from your own tissue/body. For this procedure, you may be required to go to the hospital for a very brief, outpatient procedure. Light anesthesia will be administered in the operating room. Dr. Mannan can also harvest bone marrow under local anesthesia depending upon patient preference. The stem cells are then harvested from bone marrow found in the pelvic bone (iliac crest). A narrow needle is inserted into the iliac crest and a sample of bone marrow is extracted. The bone marrow is then centrifuged in a specialized kit to isolate bone marrow concentrate.
Once the stem cells have been separated from the other components of the bone marrow, the cells are injected into the diseased or injured region of the body. You will then be awakened from the procedure, and typically discharged home in 1-3 hours.
Post-procedure Care
Following the treatment, you may experience irritation and mild pain for 24-48 hours. Typically, a day of rest (avoidance of exercise) and cold application to the injection site is all that is needed to reduce mild pain.
Risks and Complications
Stem cell injection is usually a safe and non-invasive treatment procedure. However, as with most treatment procedures, stem cell injection is rarely associated with certain complications. The risks and complications that could be associated with these injections include:
Undergoing the procedure under the hands of a skilled medical provider can greatly minimize these risks.
Recovery Time
Patients will be able to go back to work the following day. The patient might be sore for about a week following the procedure. In a span of two weeks, most patients see a return to normal activity. Within 3-4 weeks, patients have been seen returning to high-level activities.
How Long Does It Take?
Most patient procedures will be completed within 3 to 4 hours.