Austin, TX (Law Firm Newswire) May 27, 2019 – Traumatic brain injury (TBI) can be devastating and deadly. Over the last two decades, research has progressed rapidly in finding solutions to help those with TBI. The latest discovery involves stem cell therapy using a patient’s own adipose stem cells. The 10-month therapy program started last spring.
Although the stem cell therapy program is taking place outside of the United States, in Freeport, Bahamas, 24 highly decorated U.S. military veterans are taking part in the innovative new program with the hope the therapy improves healing of bone injuries, reduces pain and improves TBI outcomes. The participants provide the medical staff with pre-and post-treatment data.
The Department of Defense (DOD) and the Defense and Veterans Brain Injury Center (DVBIC) estimate 22 percent of all combat casualties from Iraq and Afghanistan are brain injuries. Sixty to 80 percent of soldiers with other blast injuries may also have traumatic brain injuries. Common causes of TBI include use of heavy weaponry, falls, motorcycle or other vehicle accidents and damage from various explosive devices.
One treating doctor at the clinic, Dr. Matt Stiebel, is a noted orthopedic surgeon who hails from South Florida who is working with vets reporting mood disorders, chronic pain, short-term memory loss, headaches and trouble concentrating. The symptoms reported by the vets are being treated using regenerative cells from the patient’s own fat. By all reports, the results have been very encouraging.
Liposuction begins the process of treatment, with each vet being treated with their own adipose tissue (fat), a process that gets rid of any risk of cell rejection. The process works by injecting mannitol, a sugar, in order to open the blood brain barrier. Next, patients are given an IV infusion of stem cells for up to 45-minutes. For orthopedic issues, the stem cells were injected to the specific joint involved.
“This is an exciting and interesting new approach to treating TBI and other injuries that plague our military personnel on return from deployment. If it helps, it may a higher bar for the future,” said Austin, Texas TBI attorney, Brooks Schuelke.
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