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Could you be a candidate for Lipogems?
Frequently Asked Questions:
If you are suffering from an orthopaedic condition, your doctor may determine that using our own powerful fat with the Lipogems system may be an option for you. Patients that suffer from orthopaedic conditions that have damaged or injured tissue may need to be repaired, reconstructed, replaced or supported using your own fat tissue. Depending on your condition, your doctor may decide to use the Lipogems technology for acute or chronic injuries.
Your own fat cells are the best cells. Your own fat will have less likelihood for rejection.
- Talk to your doctor to find out if Lipogems is right for you. You may be a candidate for Lipogems if:
- You suffer from an injury or ailment that limits your normal daily functioning or physical activity.
- You have painful joints with limited range of motion, such as your knee, ankle or shoulder.
- You have a soft tissue defect in your tendons, ligaments, and/or muscles (in order to restore orthopaedic function, these defects may require tissue repair as well as cushioning and support).
- Treatment options, such as physical therapy, NSAIDS, or steroid injections have not provided you with significant relief.
- You would like to explore Lipogems as a minimally invasive option to a major surgical intervention.
- Your doctor will determines if Lipogems may be used in addition to your surgery.
- You may not be a candidate for Lipogems if:
- You currently have a systemic infection.
- You suffer from an autoimmune disease.
- You currently are taking blood thinners or anti-coagulation medication.
- You are being treated for any other malignancy or blood borne disease.
- You have an allergy to Lidocaine.
- You are currently breastfeeding or plan to begin breastfeeding in the near future.
- You have undergone previous abdominal surgery.
- You have a hematologic condition.
More than 25,000 Lipogems procedures have been performed worldwide, and your physician can speak with you about the possible outcomes associated with this procedure.
The recovery process varies for each patient. Your doctor will determine the best treatment option for you.Your doctor will help determine what activities you can perform and put you on an appropriate treatment plan. Patients should not engage in strenuous activity for at least 1-2 weeks following the procedure.
Similar to most new technologies, the Lipogems procedure is not covered by insurance at this time. Please speak to your doctor about using your flexible spending account.
- Your physician will apply an absorbent dressing pad and compression tape or wrap to the area and may recommend a compression garment or bandage to wear for 24-48 hours following the procedure.
- There may be some drainage from the harvesting site, which typically ceases within 24 hours.
- You should follow your physician’s recommendations for post-operative medications.
- Do not over-exert yourself; let your tissue start its repair process!
- Slowly return to physical activity as recommended by your doctor.
Mild to moderate swelling or soreness at injection site may occur, depending on the location of the treatment site.
Your own powerful fat has 100-500x more reparative cells than other similar therapies. Not all fat technologies are FDA cleared for use. In fact, Lipogems is the only technology that is FDA cleared for use in orthopaedics.
As with all procedures, the Individual results may vary. The lifetime of any procedure is limited and depends on several factors like patient weight and activity level. Your doctor will counsel you about strategies for your post-procedural care. It is important to closely follow your physician’s instructions regarding post-procedure activity, treatment and follow-up care.
The procedure is one time procedure. However, the effects may vary based on individual and their activity level. Sometimes, a separate procedure may be needed in the future.
Lipogems is injected precisely into areas of the body in order to help establish an environment conducive to tissue healing and repair. As part of this overall process, Lipogems provides cushioning and structural support to your body’s tissues wherever it is injected.
Disclaimer: Individual results vary. Not all patients will have the same post-procedure recovery and activity level. See your physician to discuss your potential benefits and risks.
The Lipogems System is a sterile medical device intended for the closed-loop processing of your own fat tissue in medical procedures involving the harvesting, concentrating and transferring of your own fat (adipose) tissue harvested with a legally marketed lipoplasty system. This can be a minimally invasive procedure that’s done in the office, to support soft tissue defects and may promote healing in orthopaedics and arthroscopic surgery. Lipogems may or may not appropriate for all patients.
Like any medical procedure, there is a risk for soreness, redness, swelling, and/or pain. These procedures require needle access (size, location and depth vary depending on the procedure) and this may result in (but not limited to), discomfort, pain, apprehension, bruising, tenderness, bleeding, swelling, or infiltration at the injection site. Other symptoms that may occur include lightheadedness, fainting, nausea, or vomiting. There is slight risk of infection at the injection site and have minimal risk of adverse reactions or complications as with any other injection procedure. Since the fat is from your own body there is little concern of disease transmission, allergic reaction or tissue rejection. For patients with chronic medical conditions such as autoimmune, diabetes, heart or lung disease, circulatory diseases or obesity, extreme caution may be necessary.
There are rare but possible risks and complications due to fat transfer including an allergic reaction to the local anesthetic, damage to underlying structures, hematoma or seroma (an accumulation of blood or fluid under the skin that may require removal), changes in sensation, unsatisfactory results that may necessitate additional procedures, permanent discoloration caused by a ruptured blood vessel at the treatment site, calcification, a divet in the area of the tissue harvest, peri-operative bleeding, a blood clot at the treatment or donor site, an infection, scar tissue, and a fat embolism caused by a fat injection mistakenly directed into a blood vessel, and death.
The information presented is for educational purposes only. Speak to your doctor to decide if Lipogems procedure is appropriate for you. Individual results vary and not all patients will return to the same activity level. The lifetime of any procedure is limited and depends on several factors like patient weight and activity level. Your doctor will counsel you about strategies for your post-procedural care. It is important to closely follow your physician’s instructions regarding post-procedure activity, treatment and follow-up care. Ask your doctor if Lipogems procedure is right for you.
Lipogems or other corporate affiliated entities own, use or have applied for the following trademarks or service marks: Lipogems. All other trademarks are trademarks of their respective owners or holders.