Critical Limb Ischemia
Critical limb ischemia (CLI) is a severe blockage in the arteries of the lower extremities, which markedly reduces blood-flow. It is a serious form of peripheral arterial disease, or PAD, but less common than claudication. PAD is caused by atherosclerosis, the hardening and narrowing of the arteries over time due to the buildup of fatty deposits called plaque.
CLI is a chronic condition that results in severe pain in the feet or toes, even while resting. Complications of poor circulation can include sores and wounds that won’t heal in the legs and feet. Left untreated, the complications of CLI will result in amputation of the affected limb.
Stem cells are extracted by one of our physicians and then sent to the lab for expansion. This procedure normally takes around 30 minutes. First, local anesthetic is administered to the area of skin where the puncture will be made. Then, a thin needle is used to extract around 150- 200 ml of fluid.
The quality and quantity of the stem cells will depend on the age and health condition of the patient. For severe cases or elderly patients allogeneic cells will be used. First, the concentrate with stem cells is isolated. Then a chromatographical procedure is used to separate them from the red and white blood corpuscles and plasma. The cleaned stem cell concentrate go through a cell counter and viability checks are made.
The enhanced cell concentrate are implanted back into the patient by angiography to the affected vessel(s) under local anesthesia. If necessary, treatment might include dilatation and/or stenting of narrowed and/or blocked vessels in addition to the stem cell implantation.
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