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What is autologous platelet concentrate (APC)?
APC is composed of platelets and plasma. Platelets
are tiny cells that are partially responsible for causing blood to
clot. Platelets also contain a large reservoir of natural growth
factors. The process of making APC extracts these platelets along with
their beneficial growth factors in a highly concentrated manner. While
the normal concentration of platelet circulating in your blood is
200,000 per micro liter, the platelet count in APC can exceed 1,000,000
platelets per micro liter! back to
top
What are growth factors?
Platelets contain potent growth factors necessary to begin tissue repair
and regeneration at the wound site. Growth factors derived from
platelets initiate connective tissue healing, bone regeneration and
repair, promote development of new blood vessels, and stimulate the
wound healing process. back to top
How Long Has APC+ Been Used?
APC+ has been used clinically for over a decade. Leading clinicians in
specialties such as dental, ENT, facial plastic & reconstructive
surgery, orthopedics, cardiovascular and wound healing
routinely use APC+ to deliver a mixture of natural, bioactive growth
factors. back to top
How Could APC+ Be Used For My Surgery?
The use of APC+ varies from procedure to procedure. APC+
is generally applied topically to the wound site. It can be used to
control bleeding in applications such as cardiovascular and orthopedics.
APC+ is used to help fixate bone grafts as well as accelerate bone
growth in orthopedic and dental procedures such as dental implants. APC+
is also used to seal wounds and accelerate soft tissue healing in facial
plastic and cosmetic surgeries.
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Why Is APC+ Preferred Over Other Products Or Methods?
APC+ is the only available product that
contains elevated levels of all your naturally occurring growth factors.
These growth factors are maintained in precisely the same ratios found
circulating in your body. Although recombinant products are available,
these products are usually synthetic derivatives of a single growth
factor as opposed to the multiple, natural growth factors encompassed by
APC+. Fibrin glues are another product readily available to the
physician. However, the fibrin glues currently marketed do not contain
any growth factors and are virally inactivated derivatives of blood
components drawn from other donors rather than being produced from your
own blood. back to top
How is APC+ produced? Historically,
the production of APC+ at the time of surgery was complex, time
consuming, expensive, and required large blood volumes. The process
often involved outside personnel and a transfusion of blood products.
The recent introduction of small, automated, office based APC+ systems
makes the benefits of APC+ practical in the office and outpatient
setting. Now, your surgeon or nurse can prepare APC+ in parallel with
the surgical procedure deriving it from a small quantity of your own
blood drawn at the time of surgery. And because the APC+ is made from
your own blood, it is insulated against the risk of disease
transmission. back to top
More specifically, what is the process of making
APC+? The surgeon draws approximately 22cc of
your blood at the time of surgery. The blood is placed in a specialized
centrifuge that spins and automatically separates the red blood cells
from the plasma. The plasma is then further centrifuged to concentrate
the autologous platelets and hence your natural growth factors. The APC+
is then available for your surgeon to use as needed. The entire process
takes less than 15 minutes and adds no extra time to the surgical
procedure. back to top
To request more
information on APC+, please use the contact us
page. |
