You would think that having artificial hearts available in the USA would cause other nations to look at us as the greatest lifesavers in the world when it comes to heart patients who would have no chance for survival without one. Well, as it turns out, Thailand is actually engaged in therapy that is saving the lives of heart disease patients by using something you may not know exists...I know I hadn't heard about it. This therapy, although experimental is proving to be an incredible tool and one that will be getting alot more press in the months ahead. What is this "hush-hush" procedure? Stem Cell therapy! No - not using someone else's stem cells, YOUR OWN! That's right - and it sounds fascinating. Here's the story:
I met a courteous man by the name of Al recently who picked me up in a limousine to take me to the airport. Nice guy and in his late sixties. He looked very healthy and we began talking about wellness and natural healh. We talked about how he eats healthfully and why he is so intent upon doing everything possible to stay well. Apparently, Al wasn't always so healthy because he had severe heart and valve damage. He explained that he would have died if he hadn't discovered the new procedure being offered in Thailand.
Heart Health
He and others have opted to leave the American medical care scene to seek treatments only available in that country where there are no regulations governing experimental treatments that offer promise. Risky? Maybe...but he feels the risk was worth it. Is it right for you? You need to do some research and ask alot of questions.
Thailand's stem cell treatment avoids the controversy surrounding ethics involving the use of stems cells from outside donors where human embryos are destroyed to collect the cells. Instead Thailand seems to have developed a method of extracting and harvesting stem cells from the patients own blood. Amazing? It sure is.
Al continued his story, telling me that he flew to Thailand at a total cost of approximately ,000 to have the procedure. Somehow the patient's own stem cells are harvested by chemically "shaking them" loose from the bone marrow of the patients and then extracting them from their blood by a special process.
The stem cells, after processing are reintroduced into the patient's body. After reintroduction, they begin the process of rebuilding the heart tissue and/or valves. Like many of the others having this procedure, Al had a difficult time walking from his driveway into his home. He is now riding his bike daily, lifts suitcases (he easily put my 40lb bag in the trunk) and lives quite an normal life. His family is happy he made the choice.In these procedures, stem cells are extracted from a patient's own blood, cultured in a lab and implanted directly into the blocked coronary artery or, when no artery is available, into the scarred area in the heart. The goal is to rebuild heart muscle and/or improve blood flow. About 350 patients have been treated so far.
More than 400 cardiologists and other healthcare workers are attending a conference to be held in South Wales. The medical conference will highlight the latest advances in stem cell research and how it can repair heart tissue. There is also a possibility that this procedure may be available in the coming months in Canada and other countries.
Apparently, this personal stem cell treatment may be the solution to help reverse certain auto-immune diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis and others. Some doctors in Thailand are using stem cell enriched fat for breast reconstruction procedures. Stem cells seem to help grow new blood vessels in the fat creating new living cells inside the breast. Researchers are saying that this breast tissue is more normal to the touch and can help to repair the breast dents found after lumpectomies and other procedures. It does take longer than implants to get good results but they are hopeful that eventually, using the person's own stem cells may be the best solution. octors in Brazil are using similar techniques successfully to treat Type I Diabetic Patents. It seems that in a small group of diabetics 14 out of 15 patients have been able to stop daily insulin injections. More is on the horizon.
If you or someone you know is suffering with heart disease do whatever you can to help yourself stay well. Follow your doctor's recommendations, eat healthfully, exercise as you are allowed or instructed to, and continue to do your own research. I find that most often doctors have very little time to investigate what is happening in other countries. Wisely, they also will try to prevent their patients from rushing off to other countries where there is no scientific basis for the procedure or therapies offered. In this case, I think your doctor might want to learn more about this new stem cell research. Perhaps your physician can speak with doctors at the Thailand clinic on your behalf to get important details. Do alot of research before you make a decision to participate in this or any other therapy outside of the USA. Talk with patients who have undergone treatment as well as the doctors who provide it.
I think we owe the medical scientists a great deal of thanks all around the world. Perhaps eventually all nations will work together to bring the most efficient and effective discoveries to those who need them. Hadn't I learned about this technique from my limo driver, I would not have known about it...it didn't make the front page news. Valuable discoveries like this should be highlighted immediately and taught to medical teams all around the world. But, before you make your decision please do as much research as possible, look at every other reasonable option you have here in the USA, talk with your doctors, your family, and other health care authorities. No doubt you can probably find patients who have undergone the treatment by searching on line or by asking the clinic in Thailand for patient referrals.
Wishing you wellness.
