Understanding how your body’s natural growth

factors may help accelerate the healing process

What is Autologous PlateletConcentrate (APC)?

Autologous Platelet Concentrate (APC) is

composed of platelets and plasma. Platelets

are tiny cells that are partially responsible for

causing blood to clot. Platelets also contain

large reservoirs of natural growth factors.

While a normal concentration of platelets

circulating in your blood is 200,000 per

micro liter, the platelet count in PRP can

exceed 2 million platelets per micro liter.

What are Growth Factors?

Platelets contain potent growth factors

necessary to begin tissue repair and regenera-

tion 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.

Is Autologous Platelet ConcentrateEnriched with Growth Factors(APC) for You?

The use of APC is considered by many to be

a “new frontier” of clinical therapy. Since

APC can be used in so many types of

procedures and for so many types of patients,

you should discuss your specific surgery with

your doctor.

Helping.Yourself.Heal.

For more information call or write:

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Who Makes APC?

Historically, the production of APC at the timeof surgery was complex, time consuming,expensive, and required large blood volumes.The process often involved outside personneland a transfusion of blood products. The recentintroduction of small automated, office basedAPC systems makes the benefits of APC practical in the office and outpatient setting.Now, your surgeon or nurse can prepare APCin parallel with the surgical procedure.

How is APC Made?

The surgeon draws approximately 20-50 cc ofyour blood at the time of surgery. The blood isplaced in a specialized centrifuge that spins andautomatically separates the red blood cells fromthe plasma. The plasma is then further centrifuged to concentrate the autologousplatelets and hence your natural growth factors.The APC is then available for your surgeon touse as needed. The entire process takes lessthan 15 minutes and adds no extra time to the surgical procedure.

Individuals undergo surgery for a variety of different reasons. For some, the decision is prompted by the need to repair damage caused by trauma, birthdefects, and/or the aging process. For others, the decision is to improve their personal appearance and well being. In either situation, Autologous PlateletConcentrate enriched with growth factors (APC) is one tool used by surgeons to help improve surgical outcomes.

APC is made from a small sample of your own blood (approximately 11/2 oz.). The process concentratesthe platelets found in the blood sample. These concentrated platelets contain huge reservoirs of growthand wound healing factors. Growth and wound healing factors are natural components of your body.Clinical data has shown that growth and wound healing factors may enhance and accelerate your body’snormal healing process.

The use of APC is now readily accessible to all segments of the medical profession. Potential benefits ofAPC include the reduction of bleeding and bruising, decreased inflammation and swelling, enhancedwound closure, accelerated bone growth, and reduction of overall healing times.

How Long Has APC Been Used?

APC has been used clinically for over adecade. Leading clinicians in specialties such as Dental, ENT, Facial Plastic &Reconstructive Surgery, Orthopedics,Cardiovascular, Plastic Surgery, and WoundHealing routinely use APC to deliver a cock-tail of natural, bioactive growth factors.

How Could APC Be Used for My Surgery?

The use of APC varies from procedure toprocedure. APC is generally applied topically to the wound site. It can be used tocontrol bleeding in applications such as cardiovascular and orthopedics. APC is oftenapplied to bone grafts and soft tissue grafts tostabilize the graft material. APC is used tohelp fixate bone grafts as well as acceleratebone growth in orthopedic and dental proce-dures. APC is also used to seal wounds andaccelerate soft tissue healing in facial plasticand cosmetic surgeries.

Why is APC (Enriched with GrowthFactors) Preferred over OtherProducts or Methods?

APC is the only available product that containselevated levels of all your naturally occurringgrowth factors. These growth factors are maintained in precisely the same ratios found circulating in your body. Although recombinant products are available, these products are usuallysynthetic derivatives of a single growth factor.Fibrin glues are another product readily availableto the physician. However, the fibrin glues currently marketed do not contain any growthfactors and are virally inactivated derivatives ofblood components drawn from other donors.

Is APC Safe?

APC is derived from a small quantity of yourown blood drawn at the time of surgery. TheAPC is made point-of-care at the time of surgery and under physician's control. Also, sincethe APC is made from your own blood, it is insulated against the risk of disease transmission.

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