How a stem cell treatment eliminated a long-standing knee problem
Mrs. K. wanted to enjoy her retirement to the fullest. Knee pain caused by osteoarthritis, however, limited her plans. After a treatment of her knee joints with stem cells from her own body fat, she is now fully agile and has regained her quality of life.
The patient suffered from wear-related knee problems for years and they worsened with age. Pain and reduced mobility caused her great difficulties in household chores and physical activities: “I climbed stairs like a three-year-old child – from one step to the next,” Mrs. K. recalls. She also had to cancel her hobby Nordic Walking from her daily program. When she finally woke up at night due to knee pain, she started looking for medical help.
X-ray and MR examination revealed cartilage damage in both knees. Knee replacement surgery was proposed to her, but Mrs. K. wanted to avoid that. Physiotherapy provided relief only for a short period of time. Finally, she read about a new treatment option in the newspaper: Successful treatment of joint problems with stem cells from the patient’s body fat.
DDr. Karl-Georg Heinrich, who focuses on body fat and the stem cells contained therein, says, “Stem cells are responsible for the healing of injuries or damage in the body. As part of the treatment, stem cells are taken from a body’s own deposit – in this case adipose tissue – and are injected where regeneration is needed: In the affected joints.”
By now, several scientific papers have proved the potential of this method. For several years it has been a worldwide research topic for the treatment of joint problems such as osteoarthritis. It turned out that damage to knees, hips, and other joints can actually be regenerated up to a certain degree.
“With an ideal course the symptoms will subside, which also improves mobility. Patients can be spared getting surgeries followed by a long hospitalization and rehabilitation period,” says DDr. Heinrich.
Mrs. K.’s knee treatment was carried out by DDr. Heinrich on an outpatient basis. First, he obtained a small amount of the patient’s body fat by liposuction. The stem cells contained in the fat were injected during the same procedure under local anesthesia in the area of the defective knee joints. Ms. K. was able to leave the clinic on her own two feet. The next day she came back for check-up.
Mrs. K. can climb stairs again – DDr. Heinrich is satisfied with the knee of the patient after check-up
Already a few weeks after the treatment Mrs. K. noticed an improvement of her knee problems. “Today I am free of pain and my joints are as mobile as they have not been for a long time,” the patient reports happily. Meanwhile she has been able to climb stairs in her house without problems, to sleep through restful nights, and even to do sports for a long time: “I walk for over an hour with my neighbors almost every day and I enjoy the time in nature!”
“Being mobile again gives joint patients more autonomy and enables them to better participate in social life,” DDr. Heinrich is pleased with the recovery of his patient. When Mrs. K. regained her mobility, also her zest for life returned: She wants to go swimming again and is already planning a voyage in Russia. She attributes the recovery of her quality of life to the fat stem cells.
DDr. Karl-Georg Heinrich,
Contact: ☎ +43 1 532 18 01,
info@ddrheinrich.com
Published in Krone Gesund on February 23, 2019.