OK, so what does THAT stand for? "Autologous" means that it's from your own body. "Platelets" are that part of your blood that contains both clotting chemicals and (more importantly for us) wound-healing factors. Clinical trials have shown that growth factors and wound-healing factors help enhance and accelerate your body's normal healing process. (As an aside, it is also called PRP, for Platelet Rich Plasma.) These are as close to your own stem-cells as you can get.
Potential benefits of APC+ (which is the proprietary name for the APC plus the concentrated growth factors) include reduction of bleeding and bruising, as well as enhanced wound closure. For most of the problems we face in this kind of medical practice, the more important features are a decrease in inflammation and swelling, accelerated bone growth, and reduction of overall healing times.
Is this something new and experimental?
No. APC+ has been used for over a decade. Leading clinicians in specialties such as dental, ENT, facial and plastic surgery, orthopedics, cardiovascular surgery and wound healing routinely use APC+ to deliver a concentrated amount of your own bioactive growth/healing factors.
How is APC+ obtained?
The procedure itself is done right here, in the office. About 20 cc of your own blood is drawn at the time of the procedure. The blood is then placed in a special centrifuge that spins and automatically separates the red blood cells from the plasma. This plasma is further spun to concentrate the platelets and, therefore, your natural growth factors - that is, the APC. In general, the APC is then ready to be injected into the painful site.
What is it used for?
The most common problems that we use this for are heel/arch pain, chronic sprained ankles, Achilles tendonitis, Posterior tibial tendonitis, chronic weak tendons, slow-to-heal open wounds, and even fractures that haven't healed in the normal period of time.
