Adipose Stem Cell Procedure: The Breakdown

Blog post for an international veterinary stem cell treatment company

Adipose Stem Cell Procedure: The Breakdown

Maybe you’re thinking about bringing up the adipose stem cell procedure to your vet. Not sure exactly what it entails? Well here’s a breakdown of exactly what will happen.

1. Your veterinarian will put your pet under general anesthesia and will remove a small sample of fat from underneath their skin. It is a pretty simple procedure and your animal won’t experience much pain during or after the procedure. Why fat? Fat cells are easy to harvest. It’s also a much less painful procedure to extract fat cells than, say, bone marrow. Another benefit is that fat tissue contains a much higher concentration of stem cells than other body sources. That means that you can get all the stem cells you need from one simple extraction. What’s great about adipose (fat) stem cells is that they can become a multitude of different types of cells: muscle, bone, liver, cartilage, neuron pancreas and more.

2. A special enzyme wash is used to break down fat sample. The sample is put in a centrifuge to separate out certain cells, called stromal vascular fraction (SVF).

3. Your vet will also take a blood sample from your pet. It is also centrifuged in order to separate out the platelet-rich plasma. This plasma actually helps the stem cells divide and proliferate.

4. The stromal vascular fraction from the fat sample and the plasma are combined. The vet will use a low-level laser light that actually activates the dormant stem cells.

5. Now the sample is ready to go back into your animal. Typically, the newly activated stem cells are injected directly into the affected area. If it’s a hip that is causing your dog problems, the vet will place the stem cells right into the hip joint. Sometimes, the stem cells are applied via an I.V. It depends on the location and type of injury.

6. The stem cells do the rest. They begin to divide and perform the functions that the body needs. They may start to form new cartilage in a damaged joint. They may form tissue where a lesion exists. The healing begins.

I hope I have cleared things up for you. Still confused about the adipose stem cell procedure? Ask away!