what is the PRP injection Procedure? Platelet-rich plasma injections are outpatient procedures. Preparing the patient’s blood for injection extends the procedure duration to 45 to 90 minutes.

Unlike blood testsUnlike blood tests, which typically require patients to fast for up to 12 hours beforehand, PRP therapy doesn’t necessitate any preparations. Patients are simply advised to hydrate adequately beforehand to facilitate easier blood drawing.

Whether the patient has a one-time injection or a series of injections spaced over weeks or months is up to the individual patient and doctor. If planning a series of injections, the doctor may suggest a single blood draw during the initial visit. Fresh PRP is then used for the first injection, with the remaining PRP frozen and thawed as required for subsequent injections. However, some experts believe freezing and thawing PRP negatively affects its usefulness and prefer to do a separate blood draw for each PRP injection.

You will need to stop taking corticosteroids or NSAID anti-inflammatory medicines, such as ibuprofen (Motrin) or naproxen (Aleve), for up to a week before PRP therapy. Resuming these medications immediately afterward is not recommended. They will interfere with PRP therapy and possibly nullify any results.

Pre-PRP Injection Precautions

Patients who undergo PRP therapy should be able to return to normal everyday activities almost immediately. As the injection of PRP fills the injury site with fluid, it is normal to perceive the area as swollen and tender, just as if you had suffered a sprain and its resultant swelling. Most patients may treat this discomfort with over-the-counter pain relievers, such as acetominaphin (Tylenol).

Prior to the PRP Therapy session, physicians will discuss what to expect during the treatment. However, it is helpful to remember that there are a few things to take into consideration before your session:

1. At least five days before the procedure, discontinue anti-inflammatory medications
2. One week before the procedure, discontinue any blood thinning herbs or supplements
3. One to two weeks before the procedure, discontinue systematic steroids
4. At least one month before the procedure, discontinue steroid injections
5. On the day of the procedure, eat a full, healthy breakfast and be sure to drink plenty of water.

Please note that if you are taking chronic oral steroids, you should discuss a discontinuation plan with your primary care provider. Abruptly stopping steroids may cause side effects.

Steps of PRP Injection/Therapy

The steps involved in PRP therapy are:

• Step 1: Collect the patient’s own blood.
  Less than two ounces (between 15 to 50 milliliters) are required for the procedure. The collection is virtually identical to giving blood for a blood test, with a collection needle inserted into a vein in the arm and the blood captured in a small vial (use for IPPOCARE Classic PRP tube).
• Step 2: Centrifuge the blood.
  A centrifuge is a device that spins at high speeds. This action physically separates the solid and liquid parts of the blood: red blood cells (erythrocytes), white blood cells (leukocytes), platelets (thrombocytes), and plasma (liquid).
• Step 3: Process and collect the platelets.
  Regular blood contains about 200,000 platelets per milliliter, while platelet-rich plasma contains as much as five times that amount. Collecting the resulting three to seven milliliters of platelet-rich plasma in a syringe for immediate administration.
• Step 4: Inject the PRP into the desired site.
  The final syringe of platelet-rich plasma will contain approximately 1-2 teaspoons of fluid. With the guidance of an ultrasound probe, the PRP will be guided into the proper location, based on the nature of the injury being treated.

Post-PRP Injection Guidelines

After the treatment, there is a chance patients will experience some mild to moderate pain or discomfort at the injection site. This is normal, and it is a sign that your body is healing as it adjusts to the injection. It is best to stay hydrated and drink plenty of water to help promote healing.

It is critical that you DO NOT take ANY medications following your procedure unless specifically directed otherwise by a physician. This is because any medication can affect the healing process or other adverse effects.

Therefore, discontinue use of any of these medications post-injection for best results:

• Anti-inflammatory medications for at least 4 weeks post-procedure
• Blood-thinning herbs, supplements, or vitamins for 21 days post-procedure
• Systematic steroids for 6 weeks post-procedure

A few patients may experience significant post-procedural pain, possibly due to the enhanced inflammatory action that PRP therapy promotes.

Most importantly, PRP will not provide immediate relief from pain. The process of regenerating healthy tissue via PRP will take weeks to complete. Since PRP injections are meant to promote healing or growth, you may not immediately notice a difference after receiving them. However, in several weeks or months, the area may begin healing faster or growing more hair than you would have expected if you hadn’t received PRP injections. However, this represents an improvement over the months needed for the body to naturally repair tendons or ligaments without the additional boost of platelet-rich plasma.

Article written by: Rob Williams, MD