A Vail doctor is in the midst of employing cutting edge medical technology that could bring an end to invasive reconstructive surgery for people with joint and cartilage injuries.
Dr. Scott Brandt, M.D., medical director of ThriveMD in Edwards, has a background in anesthesiology and specializes in regenerative and restorative medicine. He is one of a handful of doctors in the country who recently began employing the natural regenerative benefits of stem cells as an alternative to highly invasive joint replacement surgeries for patients with acute and chronic pain in their knees, shoulders, wrists, ankles, hands, feet, hips, elbows and certain spinal conditions.
In addition, because stem cells can take the form of bone, cartilage, ligament, tendons, muscle or fat, they also can be used to treat debilitating conditions, such as degenerative arthritis, rheumatoid arthritis or osteoarthritis.
Trained at the University of Illinois and Michael Reese hospitals in Chicago, Brandt first began practicing in Denver. Although he moved to Vail eight years ago, he waited until last September to move his practice and open ThriveMD.
Ive been specializing in bioidentical therapy in some form (since 1997), but I didnt think this procedure was quite ready for prime time until about a year and a half ago, Brandt said. Its the perfect procedure for the location because we have a lot of aging baby boomers who moved here because of all of the activities Colorado offers and they want to remain active.
Although stem cells may conjure strong opinions in the minds of many people, Brandt said his practice is a far cry from the embryonic stem cell debate of the George W. Bush years.
Instead of growing human embryos, Brandt uses a Food and Drug Administration-approved technique trademarked in the U.S. as Tickle Lipo (liposuction) to harvest adult stem cells from fat.
Doctors have known about stem cells since about the 1950s, Brandt said, but they werent discovered in adults until six years ago. They were first found in the bone marrow of adolescents and since that time theyve been used as a treatment for cancer, particularly leukemia.
But stem cell numbers are few in bone marrow and cant be practically applied to regenerative procedures without cell expansion, a practice currently prohibited by the FDA. In other words, if stem cells are to be harvested from a person for medical purposes, they must be replanted in that person the same day, Brandt said.
Fortunately, further studies revealed about five years ago that adults have a healthy reserve of stem cells in fat tissue. Not only do stem cells occur naturally in human fat reserves, they also can be harvested in far greater numbers.
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Vail doctor leading the way in adult stem cell therapy