What to do as a consumer if you are interested in Regenerative injections?

Once you read the notification printed yesterday by the FDA, it may leave you wondering what to do as a consumer if you are interested in Regenerative injections such as PRP or stem cell injections.

At my office, Regenerative Spine & Musculoskeletal Medicine, I offer cell and PRP injections that are autologous, meaning, from your own body. Together, you and I meet in the office for a consultation to decide your best Regenerative injection treatment options. ALL injections in my office are done only by me, after harvesting your own cells. Platelet Rich Plasma(PRP) injections are from your own blood, and stem cell injections are from your own bone marrow.

Here is my short list of recommendations to ask your Dr. when looking for Regenerative injections:

1. Who chooses and does the injection? Is it done by the Physician, or another level of medical practitioner?
2. Is the Physician a board-certified specialist, as opposed to a general Dr.?
3. Does the Physician have Fellowship training in Interventional Musculoskeletal, Spine or Orthopedic medicine?
4. If the injection is performed by a Nurse Practitioner or Physician’s Assistant, is the supervising Physician on site, or elsewhere, even in a different city at the time of the injection?
5. How long has the Physician or medical practitioner been doing orthopedic injections and where/with whom did they train?
6. Is the product being injected from your own body(autologous), or from a commercial product bought from a company? Did it arrive to the medical office frozen or in a vial? If it is a commercial product, it DOES NOT contain stem cells.
7. Is the injection performed with use of image guidance, namely live C-arm fluoroscopy(X-ray) or ultrasound guidance, or is it done blindly with no guidance to assure the injectate reaches the proper target?
8. Is there FDA approval of the device or product being used?
9. Does the practitioner attend continuing medical education(CME) conferences on the subject? Where and when?
10. Can the practitioner tell you what has been reported in the medical literature on the type of injection you are considering?
11. Can the practitioner tell you how they prepare the cells or platelets in their office?

In summary, as a Physical Medicine specialist and Fellowship trained Interventionalist, I advocate responsible use of Regenerative Injections for spine and orthopedic conditions. I invite you to print this list and take it to your next appointment and ask these questions when you are choosing your Physician who will perform this type of injection on you. If you attend a highly publicized seminar or lecture, please feel free to ask these questions. When making your choice, can you check off the answers that are important to you when making a life altering investment in your health?

I wish you health and wellness,
Dr. Renée S. Melfi, M.D.