i am bone on bone in both knees. Horribly painful just to get up and walk. I'm 50 and I don't want to have another surgery for a few more years. I'm wondering if I fly to Thailand can I get stem cell treatments that would make my knees better?
Hi. Why would you need to go to Thailand for the treatment? I am interested to know if they work using the lipogems procedure but I have been looking at the option in the UK.
Hi there , I am in the USA and my surgeon told me that bone on bone with NO cartilage does NOT work for stem cell - stem cell has to conect to cartilage and if there is nothing to connect to it is a waste of money, google it and there is a lot of information there , dont waste your money
My Doctor's partner needed a knee replacement. I asked her if she'd considered stem cell therapy. She said yes, but it's not perfected yet. She said it's just too early for those of us in need of relief, right now.
Also I would not have any procedure in Thailand unless I was a resident here with superior local knowledge. There are good hospitals in Bangkok however they don't attract the world's best surgeons or have the reputation or facilities that a specialist top class western hospital in U.S, Australia, Singapore or U.K. might. Having lived over here in Thailand I would always travel home to Australia if it was possible.
I looked this up last year when the subject came up.
If your arthritis is bone on bone, stem cell therapy is too late for you. There is a trial which started in 2014 & goes on for 5 years & eligible patients are asked if they would like to participate. It is being run by Arthritis UK. It involves 2 operations initially, one to remove stem cells from the knee cartilage which is keyhole & 1 to remove bone marrow from the hip. These cells are then grown in vitro. Once the cells are ready for implantation, the last operation is performed. This is an open knee procedure, the same as TKR! But without the drilling & bone shaving! The trial then goes on to participate in 12 months of intensive rehabilitation & physiotherapy. With movement, & weight training etc.
So to recap, stem cell treatment is only used for moderate osteo arthritis, cannot be used for bone on bone arthritis & there are more operations than TKR & intensive rehabilitation.
Therefore it most definitely is NOT the soft option!
Sorry to burst your bubble.
I hope you have a Happy Christmas & are not in too much pain.
Marilyn
XX
Hi There
I am in the UK and like you did not want surgery. So I did copious amounts of research into stem cell therapy and eventually found someone who could do the procedure in the UK - there are only about 3 surgeons at present. However, the same as the other follower, I too was told bone on bone will not work and a replacement is the only option. I have since had a partial medial replacement which was a success and am now going to go ahead with stem cell therapy for the other knee which although reduced cartilage it has enough for the stem cells to adhere to.
Hope this helps
Hi
I echo all that’s been said here. I had stem cell treatment 7 years ago in U.K. I was able to have this as it wasn’t bone on bone. It gave me 7 great years. Ive recently had a TKR as it was bone on bone.
I tried stem cell treatment to avoid surgery and it did not work. I had a LTKR last May and now considering Synvisc injections for the right knee to delay surgery until I recover. Best advice is to get personal recommendations for a surgeon and physical therapist instead of risking getting a good or bad practitioner.
I'm in Hawaii, they don't do stem cells here yet.
i am bone on bone just on the inside anterior area.
I dunno I thought Thai might have a better program.
plus I recently got spinal meningitis, I heard Thailand treats this
more commonly than here?
Wow ok,ok.
we went to Bumrungrad my wife had a
cataract surgery they replaced the lens in her
eyes with a magnified lense to correct her vision.
we had a great experience.
im just sick of not being able to walk properly, so stiff and
painful unstable.
im a surfer and I cannot bend my knees freely enuf to pop
up on my board any longer.. Help
TKR sounds like no more skateboarding, big wave surfing, snowboarding,
working doing flooring or finishing concrete.
the doctors here are not telling me the truth, lots of yes yes yes, sure you'll be fine with a knee fusion, you can work and surf pain free. That DR got fired from my list of Dr s after that comment.
I also had an Osteotomy last year, total nightmare. It's made it worse. No relief.
ouch
I was the same way in my 50"s after 4 knee scopes and increasing arthritis. I used Synvisc for 5-6 years; three-shot treatment lasted 10-12 months each. Then I moved from cold New Jersey to warm Texas and needed nothing for SIX YEARS!!! At 68 finally had the first TKR...putting off the second because I have little to no pain in that knee. I would try that route first.
I was approached about the stem cells years ago and you are at the upper age, I think, where they would do them. At that time, I was too old and the treatment was "experimental". From what I understand, the older you get, the less chance for success. However, I haven't looked into that therapy for a while. You hear a bit of it on the Forum with mixed results. If you are considering this, I'd do a lot of research into it first...peer reviewed medical journals!!! No stupid websites and don't take the word of a few patients, good or bad. This would be a big decision...you need accurate information. But Thailand??? Really???
I totally agree. I was 35 when I had stem cell treatment and was treated by a pioneer in the field. It was relatively new but gave me 7 years pain free. This was in UK. I couldn’t speak more highly of the treatment. It was straight forward but completely agree about an individual doing their own research
Bumrungrad is a great hospital. However, I chose RPA in Sydney because their Orthopaedic ward is acknowledged as being minimum risk for staph and other airborne or skin infections. Their nursing staff were mediocre however I came out of there in pretty good shape after having my legs sawn off. If I had a choice, and my circumstances allowed me to fly home, I would choose Sydney for any surgery. My husband had both lenses replaced in Chennai, India. Great result. My dentist is in Georgetown, Penang. But for bone surgery, I want the best I can afford. Good fortune to you. x
Mahalo Chico, I am going to look into Synvisc I don't know if I've had that one yet? I've had the rooster comb one. But I dunno if it was a 3 shot deal..
Awesome advice...
from what I've heard USA is a bit behind the times as far as stem cell, I've heard Europe and Asia it has been legal longer? I know here in Hawaii they don't really use stem cells I thought that George bush had it illegal for some time?
i have many friends that have had big surgeries in Thailand ,I have been to a big hospital there once my wife had a proceedure, it was top notch and affordable.
I will keep looking into this. Thank you for your help. Aloha
Synvisc is NOT a guarantee. I had a lot of success with it, some others not. Do your research...talk to the docs.
Hello!
Why Thailand?! It can be dangerous, even if it's cheaper.
Consider another options, visit this website advancedregenerativeorthopedics.com or ARO, they do stem cell therapy for knees.
For the beginning you can email them your MRI or X-ray and they will provide you with FREE review to find out is this procesure is suitable for your condition,
Please, be very selective with clinics and doctors!
good luck!
Mahalo nanette46
im just behind the times.
Weve been living in Indonesia for the last
25 years. The last I heArd George bush made
stem cells illegal in USA .
i have researched it. And it is avail here in hawaii.
Ins doesn't cover. $1000 per knee
and might take a few shots.
My ortho thinks it will not work for me. Stem or prp
because my knees are so badly bone on bone.
I wonder if you or anyone else has testimony that stem treatments
has helped on bad bone on bone osteoarthritis?
http://edition.cnn.com/2009/POLITICS/03/09/obama.stem.cells/ Barack Obama reversed Bush's order in 2009. Trump hasn't made any moves yet.
Here is the list of testimonials from people who tried stem cells: https://advancedregenerativeorthopedics.com/testimonials