Platelet Rich Plasma (PRP) is
exactly what its name suggests. The substance is a
by-product of blood (plasma) that is rich in platelets.
Until now, its use has been confined to the hospital
setting. This was due mainly to the cost of separating
the platelets from the blood (thousands) and the large
amount of blood needed (one unit) to produce a suitable
quantity of platelets. New technology permits the doctor
to harvest and produce a sufficient quantity of
platelets from only 20 cc of blood drawn from the
patient while they are having outpatient surgery.
Why all the
excitement about PRP? PRP permits the body to take advantage of the normal
healing pathways at a greatly accelerated rate. During the healing process, the
body rushes many cells and cell-types to the wound in order to initiate the
healing process. One of those cell types is platelets. Platelets perform many
functions, including formation of a blood clot and release of growth factors (GF)
into the wound. These GF (platelet derived growth factors (PGDF), transforming
growth factor beta (TGF), insulin-like growth factor (IGF), vascular endothelial
growth factor (VEGF) and epithelial growth factor (EGF) function to assist the
body in repairing itself by stimulating stem cells to regenerate new tissue. The
more growth factors released sequestered into the wound, the more stem cells
stimulated to produce new host tissue. Thus, one can easily see that PRP permits
the body to heal faster and more efficiently.
This is of great
significance to the surgeon who places dental implants. By adding PRP to the
implant site permits the opportunity to grow bone more predictably and faster
than ever before.
PRP has many clinical applications:
- Bone grafting for dental implants.
- Sinus lift procedures.
-
Repair of fistulas between the sinus cavity and mouth.
- Onlay grafts.
- Bone grafting in conjunction with tooth extraction.
- Periodontal connective tissue grafts and donor site.
- Repair of failing implants.
- Hemophiliacs, which undergo surgery.
PRP also has many advantages:
-
Safety: PRP is a by-product of the patient’s own blood, therefore,
disease transmission is not an issue.
- Convenience: PRP can be generated in the doctor’s office
while the
patient is undergoing an outpatient surgical procedure,
such as placement of
dental implants.
- Faster healing: The super saturation of the wound with PRP,
and
thus growth factors, produces a faster rate of tissue
(hard and soft tissue)
synthesis and thus faster tissue regeneration
and less scare tissue formation.
- Cost effectiveness: Since PRP harvesting is done with only
20 cc of
blood in the doctor’s office, the patient need not incur
the expense of the
harvesting procedure in hospital or at the
blood bank.
- EEase of use: PRP is easy to handle and actually improves
the ease
of application of bone substitute materials and bone grafting
products by making
them more gel-like.
Frequently asked questions about PRP:
Is PRP safe?
Yes. Prior to the surgical procedure a small amount of your own blood is drawn
into a syringe. This blood is then placed in the PRP centrifuge machine and
processed. In less than twenty minutes, the PRP is formed and ready to use.
Should PRP be
used in all bone-grafting cases? Not always. In some cases, there is no need for
PRP. However, in the majority of cases, application of PRP to the graft will
increase the final amount of bone present in addition to making the wound heal
faster and more efficiently. PRP is particularly recommended in individuals with
less or poor healing potential (Diabetics, Smokers, Elderly).
Will my
insurance cover the costs? Unfortunately not. The patient pays the cost of the
PRP application. Our office makes every attempt to communicate with your
insurance company in attempts to reduce the cost to the patient prior to the
procedure.
Can PRP be used
alone to stimulate bone formation? No. PRP must be mixed with either the
patient’s own bone, a bone substitute material such as de-mineralized
freeze-dried bone, or a synthetic bone product, such as BIO-OSS.
Are there any
contraindications to PRP? Very few. Obviously, patients with bleeding disorders
or hematological diseases do not qualify for this in-office procedure. Check
with your surgeon and/or primary care physician to determine if PRP is right for
you.
Libertyville: 847 362-6650
