For many years, autologous blood has been successfully used for therapeutic purposes, for example to stimulate wound healing and thus achieve better healing results. The PRP procedure (PRP = platelet rich plasma) is a very popular method here, which has its place in naturopathy, but also in conventional medicine.
We have been using the PRP method very successfully for years to promote wound healing after oral and maxillofacial surgery and are always delighted with the results.
What is PRP?
PRP stands for platelet rich plasma and is a state-of-the-art method to enhance wound healing.
Platelet-rich plasma is obtained from the patient’s own blood and is concentrated plasma that is applied to the wound. The concentrate contains numerous endogenous growth-promoting substances, so-called growth factors, which stimulate cell renewal and wound healing and lead to better and significantly faster healing results.
The promoting effect of autologous blood in the treatment of wounds was already discovered in the 1960s. And in naturopathy, too, autologous blood therapy was a method that had been recognised for decades. But it was not until the 1990s that the US surgeon Robert Marx further developed the PRP method and scientifically confirmed its effectiveness. In doing so, he investigated methods that are beneficial for the integration or fusion of bone transplants and discovered that plasma extracted from blood promotes the growth and healing process many times over.
Today, the PRP method is used primarily in oral and maxillofacial surgery, but also in sports medicine, orthopaedics, plastic surgery and aesthetic medicine. The PRP procedure is also known for its effective anti-aging properties and is often used for skin rejuvenation as a gentle method of wrinkle treatment.
The use of the PRP method plays a particularly important role in implantology: wounds around implants heal much faster and bone formation is less complicated. All this contributes on the one hand to an increase in the success rate of implant therapy and also reduces the healing time – which in turn leads to faster regeneration of our patients. However, the PRP procedure is also often used for the removal of teeth, a root tip resection or oral surgery to accelerate healing and regeneration.
The positive effects of the PRP process:
- Wound pain is reduced
- Swelling is less severe
- Wound healing and healing are accelerated
- Risk of infection is greatly reduced
- Bone regeneration is promoted
- Optimal body compatibility is guaranteed
Since the PRP method only uses the patient’s own body substances, the procedure is 100% biological, very well tolerated and does not cause any allergies or intolerances. Furthermore, the use of animal substitutes can be completely avoided.
How is the concentrate produced?
The effect of the PRP concentrate is achieved by the growth factors (= substances responsible for wound healing) that are found in the plasma of the body’s own blood.
In order to obtain these growth factors, we first take a small amount of blood from the patient’s arm vein in our practice and have it centrifuged, i.e. spun, by a special device directly on site, thus separating the components of the blood. During the centrifugation process, the blood cells and the blood plasma are separated from each other. Thanks to today’s technology, the whole process takes only a few minutes.
We then remove the blood plasma and prepare it in such a way that the body’s own growth-promoting proteins are removed and concentrated. The concentrate obtained, which incidentally is yellow in colour, is applied during an operation to the wound surfaces to be regenerated in the form of membranes, plugs or liquid, where it can then exert its effect during wound healing.
Fields of application of the PRP autologous blood therapy
The use of the PRP method for wound healing has been an integral part of medical fields for many years and has finally been scientifically confirmed by numerous publications and international clinical studies.
Improvement of the healing process in implantology
The progressive development of implant surgery means that the PRP procedure is becoming increasingly important. Through the use of the body’s own growth factors, wounds around the inserted implants can heal much faster and the bone structure can develop more favourably – and all this with optimal body compatibility. Finally, the shortened healing time also contributes decisively to a faster regeneration of the patient. Overall, the use of the PRP method means that we can achieve generally better treatment results with this procedure.
Further areas of application for wound healing
But the PRP method can also be successfully applied in other areas of wound care, such as the removal of NICOs and cysts, but also after surgical tooth removal such as wisdom teeth or after a complex apicoectomy. And also in sinus lift surgery and jawbone transplantation, the use of the PRP method reduces the risk of post-operative inflammation and wound infections and ensures faster healing and less pain and swelling.
PRP procedure outside of wound healing
The PRP procedure is also used by orthopaedic surgeons, sports physicians and traumatologists for the knee, shoulder or hip to speed up the regeneration and healing of conditions such as osteoarthritis or chronic tendon disorders. And in aesthetic medicine, PRP is often used to combat wrinkles for skin rejuvenation. In so-called plasma lifting or vampire lifting, the body’s own growth factors are injected into the skin of the face, neck and also the décolleté to treat wrinkles and improve the structure of the skin.
Are there disadvantages to the PRP process?
The PRP procedure is a safe method which, because it uses the body’s own blood, does not present any risk of disease transmission and is optimally tolerated. There are no known health risks or side effects. However, it should be noted that the PRP procedure cannot be performed on everyone without restrictions: For example, PRP is not carried out on people suffering from hepatitis, cancer or HIV, or on pregnant women.
What does PRP autohaemotherapy cost?
The costs depend very much on the area of application and the extent of the respective therapy, which means that we cannot give any general information about the costs.
However, we would be happy to draw up an individual therapy plan with a detailed cost estimate in advance and clarify all your questions in a personal consultation.