Thank you for choosing The Regenerative Clinic for your procedure. Please read the following information carefully as it contains useful advice for your recovery after your procedure. Please call us with any questions, if your call is out of normal clinic times please email (messages@theregenerativeclinic.co.uk) and a member of staff will get back to you.
What Should I Expect After My Surgery?
Now that you have had your procedure,
Do not be surprised if you feel very tired when you get home, especially if you have had general anaesthetic. You should only do as much as you feel able to in the days after your procedure. Rest and recuperate as much as needed. But it’s important to try to move around as soon as possible and follow your consultant’s advice on getting active again. This will encourage your blood to flow, any wounds to heal, and will build up strength in your muscles. Please carefully read the section on Physiotherapy below. Generally, try to get back into your regular routine as soon as possible.
MFAT Procedure: You will have a small dressing on the area where the fat was extracted and a small dressing on the area(s) where the MFAT was injected. If the fat was extracted from your abdomen (your tummy) area, you will have been fitted with a binder. This is a band which goes around the tummy area and provides support for the first 48 hours. Please do not remove it for the first 48 hours, thereafter you are free to remove. Advice will have been given about this at the time of your procedure.
BMAC Procedure: You will have a small dressing on the area, usually the hip, where the bone marrow was extracted and a small dressing on the area(s) where the BMAC was injected.
I/O PRP Injections: You will have a small dressing on the area(s) where the PRP was injected.
The effect of the your injections can take 3-6 weeks to become apparent (depending on treatment), though some patients report that the joint feels quite good for a few hours after treatment. However, in some cases it may be a few months for the effects to be noticeable. All patients react differently and there is no way to predict how you will react. Driving and weight bearing are both fine to do the day after the procedure but we advise caution. Please contact us for advice if you need to fly in the days immediately following your procedure or if you have any concerns or questions.
Follow up Contact.
We will be in contact within a few days to check on your recovery and allow you to ask any questions. We will also arrange a 6 week check up/follow up appointment with your consultant at this time (depending on treatment).
There are a few more things that you should be aware of now that your procedure is complete:
For the first 2-3 weeks, it is recommended to take things easy and not rush into any major activities (swimming, cycling, running, jogging, yoga, etc). There can be some pain for the first few days and it is recommended you take paracetamol as needed. Although this is a minimally invasive procedure, it is a surgical intervention and we expect you to have some pain and discomfort. Full details of how to manage post-operative pain can be found later in this guide.
Your Consultant or one of our Physiotherapists will talk to you immediately before or just after your procedure and will email you a range of exercises suitable for the area being injected (depending on treatment). The physiotherapist will guide you through the most appropriate exercises. Focus is on the range of movement and strengthening exercises. Start slowly with the gentle exercises and progress through them as you are able. Stop immediately if you feel any pain. The guide provided will help you for the first few weeks only, we recommend you do the exercises twice a week. You should talk to your own physiotherapist after this time to put a customised physiotherapy plan in place. If you do not have a physiotherapist, please contact us to discuss your options. We can set up a meeting for you with our physiotherapy partners at Isokinetic London.
Some patients may be fitted with a brace on the day of the procedure. Full instructions for fitting, removing and cleaning of your brace will be provided.
You may be asked to ice your joint for the first few days, please use a thin towel/tea towel and ice over clothing. You will be given the frequency and timing for how often to ice and for how long (duration).
If you do not receive the Physiotherapy guide or have any questions/concerns, please contact us for assistance.
MFAT procedures: The area where the fat has been harvested can “leak” for the first 24 hours. The dressings will be changed prior to your discharge and extra dressings will be given to you. The dressings are water proof and last 3-5 days. You may have been fitted with a binder (a band that goes around your tummy), this can be removed 48 hours after your procedure. Please do not shower or take a bath in the first 48 hours after your procedure. You can remove the dressings over the injection site after 24 hours.
BMAC procedures: Please do not shower or take a bath in the first 48 hours after your procedure. You can remove the dressings over the injection site after 24 hours. You can remove the dressing over your hip (extraction site) after 48 hours.
Some bruising around the areas of where the fat has been harvested or the bone marrow extracted and on occassion at the site of the injection(s) is normal. This is similar to having blood withdrawn and will clear up in 5-7 days.
Possible Side Effects or Complications
As with any surgical intervention, there are some risks associated with your procedure.
An infection in the harvesting/extraction area is extremely rare, however, if you notice increased pain, swelling, redness or fever from the tissue harvest/extraction area, you should contact your healthcare provider immediately. Signs of infection include: abnormal heat at the wound site, a yellow/green discharge through the bandage, feeling generally unwell (flu-like symptoms), fever or temperature (above 38.0 degrees).
A patient plan will have been provided with instructions for seeking assistance.
Mild to moderate swelling and/or local inflammation at injection site and/or site of the tissue harvest for up to 5 days (or, rarely, more than 2 weeks) post-procedure is normal. Ice may be used to reduce local inflammation/swelling. There is a huge variation between individuals in our experience, however if you have any concerns about swelling, please contact us for advice.
A “ball-like” collection of fluid and/or blood (seroma or hematoma) is rarely seen, you should contact either your healthcare provider, or The Regenerative Clinic if this occurs.
Pain Management
Research
As part of the Research that The Regenerative Clinic undertakes we maintain a Registry of all the outcomes reported by all our patients. We use this information to support on-going global research into the treatments we provide. We have published a number of medical papers (which can be found on our website) in reputable medical/scientific journals.
We value the importance of measuring outcomes and the ongoing assessment of your treatment along with your opinion with the service we provide. In order to allow us to assess the success of your treatment we carry out both Pre- and Post- Operative questionnaires.
We hope that you will be able to assist with this valuable analysis.
To measure your response to your procedure we use internationally recognised methods and questionnaires, which will ask about your pre- and post- operative pain, functionality and quality of life. We ask that you complete these questionnaires before your procedure and again after 3 months, 6 months, 1 year, 2 years and finally 3 years following your procedure. Please feel free to request more information about PROMs (Patient Reported Outcome Measures) and their importance in aiding diagnosis, measuring outcomes and on-going global research/clinical studies.
The questionnaires will ask about all aspects of your condition, from pain and flexibility to how your day to day activity is affected. If you have any difficulty completing the questionnaires online, we will be delighted to assist and can complete them with you over the telephone.
Additionally, to provide the best possible service, we will ask you to complete a patient satisfaction questionnaire 2 weeks after your procedure. This will cover all aspects of the service we provide.
All the data that you provide is stored in an encrypted secure location and completely anonymised and no personal details will be shared or published.