Dubai: The Dubai Health Authority (DHA) has issued guidelines for increasingly popular Platelet Rich Plasma (PRP) therapy.
The treatment that accelerates regeneration and healing using one’s own blood has gained popularity in recent years.
The PRP guidelines issued by the DHA’s Health Regulation Department specify professional experience and training requirements that health care professionals must have in order to offer this therapy.
The guidelines also seek to help health facilities and health care professionals perform safe procedures and promote patient education.
Layla Al Marzouqi, director of health regulation and the Dubai Medical Tourism initiative, said: “Health care professionals have seen a relatively robust response and significant improvement in tissue health with this therapy. PRP is a significantly complex procedure that requires special equipment. The regulation department decided to control this practice in Dubai in order to promote patient safety and ensure that the procedure is performed by experts who use the right equipment in the right setting.”
PRP therapy involves injecting plasma-rich platelets from an individual into a targeted area in the body. Platelets contain hundreds of proteins called growth factors, which are very important in the healing of injuries. These growth factors stimulate tissue recovery by increasing collagen production, enhancing stem cell proliferation, stimulating blood flow and hence, causing the cartilage to become more firm and resilient.
“PRP injections have improved function and decreased pain in various maladies, including but not limited to elbow, wrist, shoulder, hip, knee, and ankle. In addition to its wide use in sports medicine, PRP has been also used in dental and oral surgery and to aid in soft tissue recovery following plastic surgery, spinal surgery, heart bypass surgery and burns,” Layla said.
