Cellular Therapy
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FAQ's
Regenerative medicine has the potential to heal any damaged tissues and organs in your body. It gives people with conditions that conventional medicine cannot readily fix. Instead of highly addictive drugs or invasive surgery, regenerative medicine uses the body’s cells to fight and repair the damage.
At VIPrivate Care Clinic, we use the latest techniques in regenerative medicine to help those suffering from pain. Our FDA-approved treatments can make you feel better without the need for drugs or surgery.
Here are a few answers to a few common questions we receive about regenerative medicine.
What is Regenerative Medicine?
Cellular therapy is the concentration that VIPrivate Care Clinic utilizes. Our physician injects a solution filled with adult stem cells into a diseased or damaged tissue. We utilize advanced high definition ultrasound guidance to ensure pinpoint accuracy while injecting your stem cells directly into the treatment area. The stem cells will then release growth factors that help control the inflammatory response as well as begin to repair the damaged area.
What Type of Stem Cells Do You Use?
VIPrivate Care Clinic uses adult stem cells that came straight from your very own bone marrow. Research has shown bone marrow derived stem cells are safe, comply with FDA CGMP (Current Good Manufacturing Practice) and GTP (Good Tissue Practices) standards, and have been shown to target specific tissues in the body to repair the damage
Why do you use bone marrow stem cells?
Bone marrow is easily obtained. Your bone marrow can be processed with minimal manipulation, per FDA guidelines. But most importantly, they are closer in cell lineage to cartilage and tendon than fat stem cells. That means they have less to differentiate (change) to become the cells we need them to. Finally, there are many more clinical studies documenting the efficacy of bone marrow derived stem cells as compared to adipose cells.
Is Cell-Based Regenerative Medicine Safe?
Like any medical treatment, a question of safety is always a significant concern. But rest assured, our cell-based therapy programs are low risk. That’s because we use your cells and blood for healing. Numerous studies have shown musculoskeletal stem cell therapy to be safe. The risks of the procedure include infection, stiffness, swelling, or abnormal tissue growth. These risks are very rare. Other risks include swelling at the injection site or bruising at the bone marrow harvest location. You may feel some pain, nausea, and dizziness following the injection; however, the downtime is minimal, and you should be able to go back to your daily routine shortly after the treatment.
Can I Still Have Treatment if I Already Had Surgery?
If you had surgery but are still experiencing pain, you may still benefit from these treatments. However, it’s always best to consult our physician to see if our treatments are right for your case.
Can I still have the stem cell procedure if I have had a hip replacement?
Yes, the iliac crest bone, where we obtain the stem cells, is not the bone that was replaced with your replacement surgery. It is relatively distant from your hip joint, anatomically speaking.
What makes me a candidate for stem cell therapy?
We base the recommendation for the therapy on multiple factors, including: your exact medical condition, failure of other treatment methods, joint alignment, age, activity level, and overall health.
What are some examples of musculoskeletal treatments using stem cells?
At this point, most musculoskeletal treatments using stem cells are performed at research centers as part of controlled clinical trials. Stem cell procedures are being developed to treat bone fractures and nonunions, regenerate articular cartilage in arthritic joints, and heal ligaments or tendons. These are detailed below.At this point, most musculoskeletal treatments using stem cells are performed at research centers as part of controlled clinical trials. Stem cell procedures are being developed to treat bone fractures and nonunions, regenerate articular cartilage in arthritic joints, and heal ligaments or tendons. These are detailed below.
Bone fractures and nonunions: In bone, progenitor cells may give rise to osteoblasts, which become mature bone cells, or osteocytes. Osteocytes are the living cells in mature bone tissue. Stem cells may stimulate bone growth and promote healing of injured bone. Traditionally, bone defects have been treated with solid bone graft material placed at the site of the fracture or nonunion. Stem cells and progenitor cells are now placed along with the bone graft to stimulate and speed the healing.
Articular cartilage: The lining of joints is called the articular cartilage. Damage to the articular cartilage can frequently lead to degeneration of the joint and painful arthritis. Current techniques to treat articular cartilage damage use grafting and transplantation of cartilage to fill the defects. It is hoped that stem cells will create growth of primary hyaline cartilage to restore the normal joint surface.
Ligaments and tendons: Mesenchymal stem cells may also develop into cells that are specific for connective tissue. This would allow faster healing of ligament and tendon injuries, such as quadriceps or Achilles tendon ruptures. In this instance, stem cells would be included as part of a primary repair process.
What Injuries Do You Treat?
Knee- Osteoarthritis, Rheumatoid arthritis, ligament tears and sprains/strains (ACL, MCL. PCL, LCL), Patellofemoral syndrome, Meniscal damage and tears
Shoulder- Rotator cuff tears, sprains/strains, Tendonopathy, Osteoarthritis, Rheumatoid arthritis, Labral tears
Hip- Greater trochanteric bursitis, gluteus tendonopathy and sprains/strains, hip joint osteoarthritis, labral tears, hip adductor and abductor injuries.
Elbow- Lateral and medial epicondylitis (Tennis and Golfer’s elbow), tendonopathy, elbow joint arthritis, ligament sprains/strains and damage such as Tommy John’s.
Wrist/Hand- Tendonopathy, arthritis of the thumb, hand, wrist, and finger joints, TFCC tears, wrist and hand sprains/strains
Ankle/Foot- Ligament tears, ankle sprains, Arthritis of the ankle, foot, and toe joints, metatarsalgia, plantar fasciitis
PRE-PROCEDURE PLANNING:
Should I stop any medications?
We advise you to stop any non-steroidal anti-inflammatory medications 2 weeks prior to the procedure. You may continue to take aspirin if you are taking it for a heart-related condition or preventative purposes. We would suggest taking Tylenol to help any joint pain you have during this time; if you require something stronger, let us know.
Will taking blood thinners impact the outcome?
No. You may have some more bruising at the site of bone marrow harvest, however.
May I have a steroid injection into my joint prior to the procedure?
Yes, as long as it is at least a month prior to the procedure
Do I need to modify my activities prior to the procedure?
No
DAY OF THE PROCEDURE:
Does this all happen in one day? How long does it take?
Yes. If you are having an in-office stem cell procedure, the aspiration typically takes about 15 minutes. There is approximately 30 minutes of processing time to allow our team to identify the stem cells and PRP from your bone marrow. The injection thereafter into your diseased joints just takes a few minutes.
Does it hurt while the procedure is being performed?
For in-office procedures, our patients on average have rated the discomfort an average of 4 on a scale of 0-10, lasting typically less than a minute.
RECOVERY:
Symptoms after the procedure?
The most common symptom patients experience is swelling. Some patients will have some mild pain. If you had a surgical procedure along with the stem cell therapy, you may experience additional symptoms, which we will explain to you in your consultation.
Activity modifications afterwards?
You are able to return to daily activities after 24 hours, but we ask that you refrain from high intensity exercise for 4 weeks.
Medication limitations afterwards ?
We prefer you avoid anti-inflammatory medications (NSAIDs) such as Ibuprofen (Motrin, Advil), Naproxen (Aleve) for a total of 3 months following your procedure. You may take them on occasion, but it is best if you do not take them “around-the-clock”. We recommend you try Tylenol instead, if you don’t have any issues preventing you from taking it (eg. liver disease). You may resume all your other medications immediately
When can I return to work? Sports? What to expect for recovery?
This is best discussed with our physicians, because it will depend on the nature of your work or sporting activity, as well as the actual procedure you are having done. If you are only having a stem cell procedure, without additional surgery, return to work is typically the following day. We ask you to “take it easy” with regards to sports for a few weeks after the procedure. This does not mean you cannot be active, but we would prefer you avoid impact activities to the joint area that was treated.
Why do I have these limitations?
When we use stem cell therapy to treat arthritic conditions, we are trying to grow new cartilage, or tendon, or bone, or ligament depending on the treatment area. Think of it like trying to grow a new grass lawn. You would not want to go run out on the newly sprouting grass right away. We do like the joint to see some “stress” – i.e. from everyday activities such as walking, or light activities such as biking – but we don’t want to “overburden” the healing ti.
How much pain is there at the harvest site afterwards?
Very little. Most patients report a bruised feeling for a few days that does not affect their activity or function. Most patients do not feel they have to take even over-the-counter medications for this discomfort.
OUTCOMES:
What is the success rate?
The success rate varies widely depending on many factors – for example, your age, severity of joint problem, weight, and overall health. Generally speaking, on average, we are noting that 70-80% of our patients see meaningful improvements with the procedure.
How long do the benefits last?
We are hoping for a long term benefit because we believe that we are fundamentally changing the diseased tissues, we have good reason to believe that good results will last for several years
How long until I feel better?
This is highly variable depending on your diagnosis, recommended treatment, your overall health and fitness, activity level, age, and severity. Please ask our physicians regarding your specific case. We do note that patients will see improvements for up to 6 months to a year after a stem cell procedure. The initial recovery is related to the surgery, if any, that was performed. The later recovery is due to the actions of the stem cells.
Will I have to redo the procedure?
This is typically not necessary. We do not routinely schedule repeat stem cell injections. However, if you received a partial response, or a good response that “wore off” over time, then we would consider a repeat treatment.This is typically not necessary. We do not routinely schedule repeat stem cell injections. However, if you received a partial response, or a good response that “wore off” over time, then we would consider a repeat treatment.
FINANCIAL:
What is the cost?
Please contact [email protected] for the latest pricing.There are discounts available for multiple joints performed in one day. Because the procedure protocol will vary from person to person and because each person will have a unique condition to be treated, the pricing of procedures can vary considerably from patient to patient. An evaluation will give you a better idea of condition, treatment, and costs specific to your condition.
Does insurance cover the procedure?
No. At this point, we are unaware of any insurers covering this procedure for musculoskeletal treatment, including workers compensation and auto insurers. Insurers typically do not pay for procedures that are still considered investigational, nor will they pay until specific payment codes (CPT codes) are developed for that procedure.
WHY US? CONFIDENCE
Experience you can trust:
Our physicians have performed over a thousand stem cell procedures throughout the body spanning the largest joints down to the smallest ligaments and tendons. The perspective gained by performing this many procedures gives our physicians vital insight into what overall treatment outcomes can be expected. We take the time to identify whether you are a good candidate for our procedures using our extensive experience as our guide. Outside of safety, nothing is more important to our physicians and patients than achieving the very best possible results.
Post Procedure Rehabilitation Program:
Unique to VIP Clinic is our individualized post procedure rehabilitation program, built by our physicians alongside physical therapists who are among the few PTs to have vigorous hands-on experience treating stem cell patients’ rehabilitation. How we rehabilitate the area after a stem cell procedure is performed is the single most important variable affecting results after the procedure. Our patients have CONFIDENCE that they are doing the right things and avoiding doing the wrong things while they rehab after their procedure.
Efficiency:
Electronic intake forms to cut down on paperwork
Convenience Uber:
For patients who wish, we will cover the cost of your transportation both before and after the procedure so you don’t have to worry about driving after the procedure is done.
MICHAEL CANTOR, DO
