Device Separates Stem Cells During Surgery for PAD Treatment

This is happening in Arizona and also back in August of 2010 I wrote about the same or similar process happening here in Los Angeles and the link below has a video that tells the whole story.

Stem Cells Used to Treat Peripheral Arterial Disease–Clogged Arteries in the Legs

Also in the PAD area, a company now has a biomarker test to diagnose PAD. PAD is kind of a hidden disease with bad blood flow in the legs that is a silent chronic and could be life threatening condition. Stents have been used to open clogged arteries but with stem cells there’s no need after an artery has been cleaned as the cells grown back new blood vessels. Back in January of 2011 I interviewed Dr. Peter Lawrence, Chief of Vascular Surgery at UCLA and he also informed me of some other methodologies and technologies that are being used to help combat PAD. BD

Banner Heart Hospital and Banner Research are taking part in the MarrowStim PAD Study sponsored by Biomet Biologics, a medical device company based in Warsaw, Ind. The company has created an investigational device that can separate and concentrate stem cells from bone marrow while the patient is in the operating room.
Surgeons can remove healthy heart stem cells, grow them in a hormone bath and place them back in the patient. There, they either repair or regrow blood vessels (researchers aren’t sure which it is, Lambeth said).

Banner is looking for people who suffer from PAD (peripheral arterial disease) who have exhausted all other methods of reintroducing circulation in the troubled limb, such as angioplasty or stents, said Dr Henry Tarlian, a vascular surgeon and principal investigator at Banner Heart Hospital.
“This is an option that may work for those patients that have no other options,” Tarlian said. “We’re looking for (patients) with markedly diminished blood flow to the foot that causes pain or they have ulcers on their foot that are not too big or if things aren’t too far advanced.”

Hospital tests device that uses patients’ stem cells in surgery – Your West Valley News: Topstory