12 Mar The Importance of Consultations in Regenerative Medicine
Regenerative medicine is an up and coming field in the scientific community. With the discovery of the potential of stem cell therapy and other regenerative therapies, there has been a considerable amount of funding and time poured into this research. While many offices across the United States are offering various regenerative medicine procedures such as stem cell therapy and platelet-rich plasma therapy, there is still a lot of variation in the quality of treatment offered and thus whether or not it can be helpful for a specific individual.
Regenerative medicine is not yet FDA approved. This is not because the therapy does not work. Rather, it is because regenerative medicine utilizes biologics, which cannot be approved or denied by the FDA since they come from the human body as opposed to a lab. As a result, the quality of therapy can vary greatly from place to place. This is why it is important to schedule a consultation visit so you can fully understand what the clinic you are visiting offers, and what you can expect from the physicians and therapy going forward.
Without FDA approval, there are a variety of ways regenerative therapies can be administered. This means the term “regenerative therapy” can mean something different from one clinic to the next. The best clinics use labs that are FDA regulated. This means that while the therapy is not necessarily approved, the labs that handle the biologics are monitored by the FDA and must hold up to FDA standards. Visiting a clinic that uses FDA regulated labs versus one that is not FDA regulated can make a very large difference in how effective the therapy is. In addition, some clinics offer a variety of regenerative therapies, while others only offer a specific kind. All of these can make a difference in how well the therapy works for any given person.
It is important for prospective regenerative medicine patients to schedule a consultation before any prior treatment occurs. This is important because there is such a wide range of variability within the field of regenerative medicine. During a consultation visit, potential patients can ask treating physicians questions about the specific clinic and regenerative therapies. These questions should center on the kind of biologics used, whether or not the labs are FDA regulated, the clinic’s philosophy behind regenerative medicine, and what regenerative therapies are offered at the clinic. In addition, potential side effects and risks should be discussed as should the likelihood of regenerative medicine working for the specific patient and associated costs.
Regenerative medicine is a field with a lot of variabilities. While there have been plenty of positive results from regenerative therapies, there is still a lot of research that needs to be done in this field. Because regenerative medicine varies so widely, it is important for prospective patients to schedule consultation visits so they can fully understand what to expect from their treatment. Consultation visits give patients the ability to have all their questions answered, become comfortable with the treating team, and decide whether or not regenerative medicine is the correct path of treatment.
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