There are many conditions that research has been able to show respond well to stem cell treatment. Diseases that are hard to treat through conventional medical means, like stroke, asthma, pulmonary fibrosis, and so on, have a chance of getting so much better with stem cells.
However, as a regular person, there can be so much unknown about this form of therapy. You might not know what to expect from the treatment — both before, during, and after.
The good thing is, that this article will show you how to prepare for stem cell therapy and tell you more about the process and aftercare.
Table of Contents
Preparing for your stem cell therapy consultation
If you’ve made your mind up to treat a condition that you have with stem cells, it is important that you know how to prepare for stem cell therapy. This will ensure that you’re in the right frame of mind and it will also help counteract any anxiety that you might be feeling.
The first thing that you will need to do is find a professional and qualified stem cell center for treatment — particularly one with experience and success treating patients of all kinds, and also with reviews that you can rely on.
Once you do, the next thing is reaching out for a consultation. This stage is very important because you have the opportunity to have all your concerns addressed. Some centers offer free consultations, which means that there’s nothing to lose.
The experts speaking to you may also ask you many questions to get a better idea of your medical history and the severity of your condition and also to predict the number of improvements possible due to stem cell therapy.
The answers can have a significant impact on the type of treatment that they may plan for you. Some examples of questions that you might want to ask during the consultation include:
- How long will treatment be for?
- Will the procedure be painful?
- What are the results I can expect for my condition?
- How much does the procedure cost?
Just ensure that you go into the consultation ready to listen, and don’t shy away from asking any questions that occur to you.
Understanding the stem cell treatment process
Even before considering this approach for your case of the disease, you are likely wondering, what is the process of stem cell treatment exactly?
Well, this can be divided into two broad stages: the harvesting of stem cells, and the administration.
Harvesting
The condition to be treated may determine who and where the stem cells are being harvested from.
Stem cells from your own body are autologous, and this is supposed by many patients as the safest option for treatment.
When the cells are taken from a separate donor, such as from an umbilical cord or bone marrow, it is called allogeneic. These are beneficial particularly if you want to start therapy right away.
The harvesting process is important if you’re using autologous stem cells. The tissue will be taken from the appropriate location under anesthesia, and the stem cells will be separated from this tissue, and then cultivated to therapeutic quantities. This can take up to four weeks to complete.
Administration
When it is time to administer the cells, they may be given through various routes including intravenous, intramuscular, or into the skin or joints. The route depends majorly on the disease being treated.
This process can be completed in as little as 30 minutes and patients will be medically supervised for two hours afterward. This is to make sure there are no immediate side effects or reactions to the stem cells.
Post-treatment care and long-term outcomes
In most cases, there is not much need for intense post-treatment care. This is because it is rather rare to see anything beyond minor side effects after stem cell therapy.
However, when present, most patients will only have a fever to deal with. In the case of any prolonged or serious side effects, it is important to reach out to the team at your stem cell clinic.
Long-term outcomes of this treatment are generally positive. The results of stem cell therapy may vary, but most of the patients will see some degree of improvement in their condition, and may sometimes just feel healthier.
In conclusion
In the article, we covered several questions, including:
- What can you expect from your consultation?
- What is the process of stem cell treatment?
- Is there any special post-treatment care needed?
In summary, it is important to know that stem cell treatment is a safe option that can be highly effective in treating several difficult conditions, and it may become a key to a better life for many patients.
