After a surgical procedure, your body begins the process of healing itself. It works to stop the bleeding and regenerate new cells and tissues. Following any surgical procedure, our goal is to ensure that you heal properly and that there are no issues such as infections. At Karl Zeren DDS, we can help to speed up your healing and reduce your risk for complications with platelet-rich plasma.
How Does The Body Heal?
After a surgical procedure, your body triggers platelets to be sent to the wounds. Platelets are tiny cells that are found in the liquid portion of your blood, along with red blood cells, white blood cells, and other components. These cells aid in clot formation to help stop bleeding. Platelets also contain growth factors that trigger cell and tissue growth and repair to close and heal surgical wounds.
What Is Platelet-Rich Plasma?
Platelet-rich plasma is a treatment used to expedite the healing time after a surgical procedure. Also called PRP, this treatment involves concentrating platelets and applying them to the surgical wounds. The addition of these platelets, along with the ones your body sends through your bloodstream, supplies the wound with more growth factors. What is incredible about this treatment is that involves concentrating platelets from a small sample of your blood.
How Is Platelet-Rich Plasma Made?
Making PRP is incredibly quick and simple. Right before your procedure begins, we draw a small sample of blood. This sample is placed into a centrifuge, a small machine that spins rapidly. As the sample spins, it separates your plasma and your red blood cells. The plasma portion is taken and spun a second time. During this cycle, the platelets are concentrated. Once your surgical procedure is complete, the PRP is applied in a thick layer over the wounds.
Uses For Platelet-Rich Plasma
There are numerous uses for platelet-rich plasma. It can be used following surgical procedures such as:
- Pocket reduction surgery.
- Osseous surgery.
- Soft tissue grafting.
- Bone grafting and guided tissue regeneration.
- Dental implant placement.
Platelet-Rich Plasma Benefits
There are numerous benefits associated with PRP. These benefits include:
- Convenience. Your blood is drawn the same day as your appointment. There is no need for additional appointments.
- Affordability. You do not have to worry about hospital costs for the blood draw or lab fees for preparing the PRP.
- Safe. Because we are using your blood, there is no risk for disease transmission or any other complications that may arise from using donor blood.
- Faster healing. The addition of extra platelets to the surgical wound provides the site with extra growth factors. These extra platelets help to expedite tissue regeneration and repair.
- Reduced risk for infection after surgery. When the PRP is applied to the surgical wound, it acts as a bandage, sealing out bacteria. Moreover, because PRP expedites the healing process, your wounds close faster. These factors help to greatly reduce your risk of infection and other complications.
With platelet-rich plasma, we can help to speed up your recovery following surgical procedures, reducing your risk for infections and other complications.
