Cirurgia

Plasma Activated with Growth Factors

Growth factors obtained from the patient's own serum.

Used in the treatment of dry eye, difficult-to-heal corneal ulcers, corneal epithelial dystrophies, aesthetic treatment of wrinkles and revitalisation of mucosal transplants.

Plasma activated with growth factors (PRGF) consists of the extraction of growth factors, which stimulate cell growth and are stored in blood platelets.

Under natural conditions, they are released when the body wants to regenerate tissues, such as wounds or the renewal of the body´s epithelial lining.

There are multiple medical applications. In ophthalmology, it is used in the treatment of dry eye, in the regeneration of dystrophic corneal epithelium or in the healing of trophic corneal ulcers and in plastic surgery.

In other specialities, it is used in orthopaedics, traumatology, stomatology, plastic surgery and vascular surgery (bed sores, diabetic ulcers, etc.).

Growth factors also exist in large quantities in the amniotic membrane, which is marketed for the treatment of corneal ulcers by laboratories and is already prepared (lyophilised). It costs a lot and is obviously not available instantly, nor does it have the indisputable advantage of originating from the patient.

The great advantages of these techniques are:

• The use of a product which, as it originates in our own body, does not carry the risk of rejection or cross-infection (HIV, hepatitis, etc).
• It is readily available and allows the expansion of existing surgical resources.

Growth factors are obtained by extracting a small amount of blood from the patient in a laboratory process that is different depending on the purpose for which it is to be used and under licences granted by the institute that holds the patents, after appropriate training.It is readily available and allows the expansion of existing surgical resources.