Kolkata: A safe, non-surgical and cost-efficient treatment utilizing the healing properties of platelets from one’s own blood is making a silent entry into the field of regenerative medicine. Called platelet rich plasma (PRP) therapy, it is currently used in bits and pieces in conditions like urethral strictures, sports injury, osteoarthritis and dermatology.A recent workshop held at the state-run Medical College Hospital Kolkata, with participants from both public and private hospitals, marked the first step towards standardizing PRP therapy.
“PRP has great healing potential by regenerating and rejuvenating injured tissues if applied at the right time in the correct manner. A cost-effective regenerative therapy requires only about 9 ml of blood to prepare PRP, which is then administered to the patient,” said professor Prasun Bhattacharya, head of immuno-haematology and blood transfusion (IHBT) at MCH.
The workshop was the first such initiative in Bengal, organized by the departments of IHBT, urology and geriatrics, and was accredited by West Bengal Medical Council.
“We have started utilizing PRP therapy on urethral stricture cases with encouraging results,” said urology professor and head Sunirmal Chowdhury of MCH.
Head professor of physical medicine and rehabilitation department Rajesh Pramanik of IPGMER said PRP is being used in sports injury and pain management. “We plan to start another unit for PRP therapy at our Sambhunath Pandit facility,” he said.
Doctors said that with early intervention, PRP has the potential to prevent progression of osteoarthritis. “We are now using PRP mainly for chronic tendon injury,” said orthopaedic surgeon Swarnendu Samanta of Peerless Hospital.
“PRP has great potential for hair and skin rejuvenation,” said Abhishek De, associate professor of dermatology at CNMCH.
Others who attended the workshop included doctors Arunangshu Talukdar, Biplavendu Talukdar and Maitreyee Bhattacharya.