What is Platelet-Rich Plasma (PRP)?

Platelet-rich plasma or PRP is an "autologous blood therapy" that uses a patient's own blood components to stimulate a healing response in damaged tissues. In response to an injury or tissue damage, your body naturally recruits platelets and white blood cells from the blood to initiate a healing response. Under normal conditions, platelets store numerous growth factors which are released in response to signals from the injured tissues. Modern technology allows us to concentrate platelets and white blood cells from your blood, and induce this growth factor release as we inject the solution directly into injured tissue, simulating this same healing response in a more powerful form. By enhancing the body's natural healing capacity, the treatment may lead to a more rapid, more efficient and more thorough restoration of the tissue to a healthy state.

Treatment Process:

Following a formal evaluation and diagnostic workup, an individualized treatment plan will be discussed with you. A full explanation of the procedure including risks and benefits will be reviewed. Once written consent is obtained, blood is drawn from your arm and placed in a special processing unit, which separate platelets, white blood cells and serum from red blood cells. The platelets and white blood cells are then concentrated and collected into a sterile syringe. This concentration is injected to the injured tissue. A compression bandage and camwalker are applied and you are sent home.

Treatment Plan:

A follow up visit occurs at approximately one week. At this visit an evaluation of your response to the initial therapy is performed and a decision is made regarding follow up treatments. On occasions, a chronic injury may require more than one injection.

Are PRP injections safe?

Research and clinical data show that PRP injections are extremely safe, with minimal risk for any adverse reaction or complication. Because PRP is produced from your own blood, there is no concern for reaction or disease transmission. There is a small risk of infection from any injection into the body, but this rare. Of note, recent research suggests that PRP may have an anti-bacterial property which protects against possible infection.

How do I find out if PRP is right for me?

Questions regarding PRP or your candidacy for the treatments can be addressed to Dr. Gordon, Dr. Adarve or Dr. Spain in any one of our four convenient locations. Please call the Naples Park office at 239-566-8800, Bonita Springs office at 239-949-3399, Physicians Regional office at 239-304-5161 or our new Marco Island office at 239-393-0400.

1. Patients blood ready to be spun in the centrifuge	2. The blood will be spun for 5 minutes
3. Clear separation of plasma and red blood cells	4. PRP ready for ultrasound guided injection
5. Dr. Adarve ready to inject PRP	6. Appropriate ultrasound visualization
7. PRP ulttrasound guided injection to heel	8. Continuing to inject PRP
9. Close-up of PRP injection