Dr. Perry Offers FDA-Cleared Option for Patients Between Conservative Therapy and Major Surgery

Natural, Minimally Invasive Procedure that Helps Shrink the “Treatment Gap”

Dr. Johnathan Perry at TCO is leading the way in orthopaedic cellular and tissue therapy medicine by assisting patients who fall in the “treatment gap” between historically standard conservative therapies and major invasive surgical intervention.  One treatment option Dr. Perry has implemented is an innovative system called Lipogems that provides patients a natural, FDA-cleared option compared to unproven, non-FDA approved stem cell therapies.

When patients experience injuries or orthopaedic issues that cause them discomfort, the first line of treatment is typically conservative interventions like physical therapy, steroid injections, and viscosupplementation or gel shots.  Unfortunately, when these options are no longer effective or the patient is not ready for major, invasive surgery, they suffer from debilitating pain, reduced quality of life, and significant financial burden.

With FDA clearance, strong scientific evidence, and teams of scientists and physicians, Dr. Perry at Tri City Orthopaedics has decided to add this option to help people currently struggling with a variety of orthopaedic issues.

“Many patients from around Washington State and other states have come to me seeking options after failed conservative therapy but are not ready to undergo major invasive surgery. This is especially true for older, highly active folks that want to enjoy their retirement without suffering from orthopaedic issues and younger patients who do not want to take time off work or from their families or want to enjoy playing sports/activities,” said Dr. Perry

Typically patients can remain in the treatment gap for 9-12 years, but sometimes the gap is closer to 20 years.²   Younger patients spend 40 years in the treatment gap, which may be a majority of their lives.²  Most people are in the treatment gap for a variety of factors: they live alone, are worried about asking for help, and are concerned about long term recovery and complications from major invasive surgery, extended time for recovery, and taking time away from work or their families.³

With FDA clearance, strong scientific evidence, and teams of scientists and physicians, Dr. Perry at Tri City Orthopaedics has decided to add this option to help people currently struggling with a variety of orthopaedic issues. Lipogems’ minimally invasive procedure uses the patient’s own fat tissue and the patented system processes the tissue using only saline in minutes. There is no need for a centrifuge or heavy equipment, making the procedure quick and efficient. Since fat is a structural tissue, it provides cushion and support, allowing it to support the healing of the damaged or injured tissue.

“Tri City Orthopaedics is always on the forefront of research and technology. We are committed to delivering ethical and quality care to our patients. We fully evaluate technologies and offer those that have strong scientific evidence,” said Dr. Perry.

 

Fat is easy to collect from the body from the belly or love handles using a minimally invasive procedure and local anesthetic. Studies have shown that the quantity of many of the important cells in fat do not decline with age in comparison to other tissue sources, such as bone marrow.^4,5,6   A clear advantage of using one’s own tissue is the decreased likelihood for rejection and infection. The Lipogems system facilitates washing, rinsing, and resizing the tissue for multiple site injections during a single session.

References

1. Inside Health Policy. FDA Plans Drug Inspection Pilot, Increased Oversight Of Stem Cell Clinics. Dec 12, 2018.
2. London et al., Clinical and Economic Consequences of the Treatment Gap in Knee OA management. Medical Hypothesis (2011) 837-843
3. Beane, O.S., et al. (2014). “Impact of aging on the regenerative properties of bone marrow-, muscle-, and adipose-derived mesenchymal stem/ stromal cells.” PloS one 9.12. e115963.
4. Stolzing, A., et al. (2008). “Age-related changes in human bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells: consequences for cell therapies.” Mechanisms of aging and development 129.3: 163-173.
5. Kern, S., et al. (2006). “Comparative analysis of mesenchymal stem cells from bone marrow, umbilical cord blood, or adipose tissue.” Stem cells 24.5: 1294-1301