The Basics

Stem cells carry within them the blueprint to become nearly any tissue in the body. When they are placed in the appropriate environment, for example in an arthritic knee joint, there are a set of signals produced in that environment which coax those cells to begin growing and changing to become the tissue needed in this area. In this case, new cartilage can develop. Although this seems experimental or futuristic, stem cell therapy is being used to treat a multitude of conditions in millions of patients. This technology, though still in its infancy, has the potential to change the entire face of modern medicine and rival some of the greatest developments in the history of medicine.

Because it is the patient’s own tissue, there is no chance that the body will reject it. The stem cells harvested from fat are more mature than the cells from an embryo and this maturity appears to make all the difference when it comes to prohibiting tumor formation; a known problem when it comes to embryonic stem cells. Imagine the impact it will have if we are able to actually address the underlying disease itself rather than simply treating the symptoms of disease.

The Procedure

The treatment itself is a relatively simple three to four hour procedure conducted in our state of the art spa-like facility. A patient arrives at our clinic and may opt to take a mild tranquilizer such as Valium. The area of fat for harvesting is identified and the patient is locally anesthetized. Liposuction captures the fat (often an additional bonus for patients) to be combined with plasma (which contains a variety of growth factors) which is isolated from a small amount of blood that is drawn from the patient. The stem cells and the growth factors are mixed together and directly injected into the area being treated without alteration by drugs or chemicals.

The procedure and follow-up may best be described as the medical version of gardening. That is, the stem cells are the seeds which are dormant and the growth factors (from the plasma) are the fertilizer. When these are mixed and then placed in the appropriate soil (the diseased or distressed area of the patient’s body), the seeds grow into the appropriate tissue needed to treat or heal the target area. Post-treatment, patients notice improvement after two to four weeks, and the amount of discomfort during or after treatment is often negligible. Follow-up typically includes a booster dose of the patients own plasma at six and twelve weeks after the procedure to further encourage the body’s tissue growth and continued healing.

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