Treatment For Chronic Non-Healing Wound: PRP Therapy Saves 89-Year-Old’s Foot From Amputation

If you're suffering from a chronic non-healing wound, Autologous Conditioned Plasma (ACP) or Platelet-rich plasma (PRP) treatment could be helpful.

An Autologous Conditioned Plasma (ACP) or Platelet-rich plasma (PRP) treatment is turning out to be a boon for people suffering from a chronic non-healing wound. An ACP/PRP injection is now commonly used for treatment of shoulder pain caused by rotator cuff tears, mild to moderate grade of knee osteoarthritis, tendonitis and for other soft-tissue injuries and long-standing painful conditions. Platelet-rich plasma therapy saved an 89-year-old man's foot from amputation, giving him hope to walk again.

The patient Sunil Sharma (name changed) had a chronic non-healing wound on his left heel that had been present for several years. He had already undergone Debridement surgery in 2019 but it did not heal his wound, and eventually got infected. He was then advised by some surgeons to undergo amputation of the leg to prevent the spread of infection in the whole body. Thanks to ACP/PRP injection therapy, his foot was saved from amputation.

Let's get to know more about Autologous Conditioned Plasma (ACP)/Platelet-rich plasma therapy (PRP) from the Orthopaedic Surgeon who performed the treatment on the man.

Advantages of ACP/PRP injection therapy

Dr. Prithviraj Deshmukh, Orthopaedic Surgeon, Orthobiologics expert and Interventional Pain Management Specialist at Nexus Day Surgery Centre, investigated the patient's condition thoroughly and found out that he had less vascular supply in that limb which was the reason behind its non-healing nature.

According to the expert, the man was diagnosed with infected non-healing ulcer with osteomyelitis. He was suffering from Transverse Myelitis and was admitted in 2018 since then he had the wound as he had lost the sensation of that leg.

Dr. Deshmukh recommended a course of treatment to effectively heal the wound with ACP/PRP injection therapy.

The man showed a remarkable recovery after a revision debridement surgery, which was augmented with Autologous Conditioned Plasma/Platelet-rich plasma therapy. Since the patient was not fit for the surgery and no hospital was taking the risk keeping his age in mind, the procedure was carried at his own home by Dr. Deshmukh, after which administration of ACP/PRP injection sessions was done at Nexus Day Surgery Centre. Within the span of 1 month, the bone was completely covered with healthy healing tissues as well as the size of the wound reduced considerably, which had not happened since the last 5 years.

Now the patient is ready for the second stage of the procedure, which is Split Thickness Skin Grafting, which was not possible for many years due to the exposed dead bone parts and infected wound, says Dr. Deshmukh.

How ACP or PRP therapy is performed?

According to Dr. Deshmukh, ACP or PRP therapy is a form of regenerative medicine that can amplify the natural growth factors your body uses to heal tissue. It uses the patient's own healing system to improve musculoskeletal problems.

He elaborates: ACP/PRP injections are prepared by taking just 15 ml of blood from your own blood and running it through a centrifuge to concentrate the platelets, and all this procedure happens in just 5 minutes. An innovative technology called as Double Syringe System is used for this procedure. It has two barrels, one inserted inside the other, and it offers complete protection from exposure to air and lowers the risk of injection and also the additives and anti-clogging's agents are not required in this syringe system. These activated platelets are then injected directly into your injured or diseased body tissue. This releases growth factors that stimulate and increase the number of reparative cells your body produces.