Historically, PRP is a treatment that is considered to be safe. Because the PRP sample originates from a patient’s own body, the risk of an allergic reaction is vanishingly rare. The inherent risks with any PRP system are similar across the board—transmission of a blood-borne illness, infection, and pain at the injection-site.
That being said, the Tropocells PRP system has some distinct advantages over other PRP systems.
- Entirely closed system—decreased risk of external contamination
- Minimal transfers—decreased risk of external contamination
- Less blood required per treatment site
- Buffered anticoagulant—less pain during injection
Although not a guarantee, a fully-closed system minimizes the risk of infectious contamination. Many PRP systems require a step when the blood is exposed to air. Since PRP systems are usually at the point of care and not under a hood, the risk of contamination is increased.
Similarly, each time the blood has to change containers carries a small but measurable risk. The “next-generation” Tropocells® PRP system has developed a simplified preparation process in which the blood is drawn into the same container that undergoes centrifugation. The one and only transfer is drawing up the PRP into the injection syringe. Other PRP systems require multiple transfers.
Because of minimal transfers and proprietary treatment of the glass tubes (to avoid premature clumping or activation), the amount of blood drawn from a patient is about 3x less than what other PRP systems require. Less blood required decreases the risk of blood borne illness, needle-stick injury, and vagal/near syncopal episodes.
Tropocells® PRP includes a buffer to the ACD-A to maintain a physiologic pH during processing and injection—this results in higher platelet yields and less pain during injection.
