Los Angeles Platelet Gel - Helping Yourself Heal

Spalding Cosmetic Surgery and Dermatology - Our Doctors

Understanding how your body’s natural growth factors can help accelerate the healing process.

HOW LONG HAS PRP BEEN USED?

Improved Fat Graft Volume Retention Through Platelet Rich Plasma (PRP)

Autologous fat grafting, also known as fat transfer or fat injection, has long been a staple of cosmetic and reconstructive surgery. Fat grafts have proven very effective in the reconstruction of soft tissue defects, particularly for facial plastic and reconstructive procedures. Autologous fat is a versatile medium which offers many advantages: it is soft and pliable, readily available, abundant, and able to be harvested with minimal risk. Despite these benefits, however, there has always been one significant disadvantage associated with autologous fat grafting, the unpredictable and often inconsistent graft survival rate. In order to achieve the desired volume and symmetry, it is often necessary to overcorrect soft tissue volume defects and perform multiple procedures.

Promising new evidence has shown that Platelet Rich Plasma (PRP) can enhance the fat graft survival rate. PRP is a type of autologous plasma which contains a platelet concentration that is five to six times greater than the normal baseline levels, having 1,000,000 platelets in a 5ml volume of plasma.

To harvest PRP, a whole blood sample is obtained from the patient and then prepared in the laboratory. PRP may be used directly in its isolated form or in the form of a platelet gel. For autologous fat grafting, fat is removed through traditional liposuction techniques and the PRP may then be added directly to the graft material in a gel form.

Studies have shown that the PRP enhanced grafts have a higher potential for graft acceptance and retention than traditional fat grafting techniques, along with decreased swelling and bruising in the donor sites. Patients showed continued results for as much as one to two years after autologous fat grafting with PRP. A variety of areas were treated on various patients including the nasolabial folds, lips, malar fat pads, and breasts. Patients will continue to be observed for progress. Nevertheless, results to date are promising and suggest that PRP may offer great potential for autologous fat transfer for use in cosmetic and reconstructive surgeries as well as other surgical areas.

PRP has been used clinically for over a decade. Leading clinicians in specialties such as dental, ENT, Facial Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery, Orthopedics, Cardiovascular, Plastic Surgery, and Wound Healing routinely use PRP to deliver a cocktail of natural, bioactive growth factors.

HOW COULD PRP BE USED FOR ANY SURGERY?

The use of PRP varies from procedure to procedure. PRP is generally applied topically to the wound site. It can be used to control bleeding in applications such as cardiovascular and orthopedics. PRP is often applied to bone grafts and soft tissue grafts to stabilize the graft material. PRP is used to help fixate bone grafts as well as accelerate bone growth in orthopedic and dental procedures. PRP is also used to seal wounds and accelerate soft tissue healing in facial plastic and cosmetic surgeries.

WHY IS PRP (ENRICHED WITH GROWTH FACTORS) PREFERRED OVER OTHER PRODUCTS OR METHODS?

PRP is the only available product that contains elevated levels of all your natural occurring growth factors. These factors are maintained in precisely the same ratios found circulating in your body. Although recombinant products are available, these products are usually synthetic derivatives of a single growth factor. Fibrin glues are another product readily available to the physician. However, the fibrin glues currently marketed do not contain any growth factors and are virally inactivated derivatives of blood components drawn from other donors.

IS PRP SAFE?

PRP is derived from a small quantity of your own blood drawn at the time of surgery. The PRP is made point-of-care at the time of surgery and under physician’s control. Also, since the PRP is made from your own blood, it is insulated against the risk of disease transmission.

WHO MAKES PRP?

Historically, the production of PRP at the time of surgery was complex, time consuming, expensive, and required large blood volumes. The process often involved outside personnel and a transfusion of blood products. The recent introduction of small automated, office based PRP systems makes the benefits of PRP practical in the office and outpatient setting. Now, your surgeon or nurse can prepare PRP in parallel with the surgical procedure.

HOW IS PRP MADE?

The surgeon draws approximately 50 cc of your blood at the time of surgery. The blood is placed in a specialized centrifuge that spins and automatically separates the red blood cells from the plasma. The plasma is then further centrifuged to concentrate the autologous platelets and hence your natural growth factors. The PRP is then available for your surgeon to use as needed. The entire process takes less than 15 minutes and adds no extra time to the surgical procedure.

Los Angeles PRP information.

Spalding Cosmetic Surgery and Dermatology | 120 S. Spalding Drive, Suite 315 | Beverly Hills, CA 90212
Phone: 310.275.2467 | Fax: 310.275.6651
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