Lipogems stem cell process helps heal Hungarian tigerʼs joints
Lipogems
Igor, the Siberian tiger of Szeged Zoo, is being treated with a stem-cell procedure which has already proven its value in human medicine, and which - it is hoped - will relieve the joint pains the big cat has been suffering for many years, says a press release sent to the Budapest Business Journal.
The 13-year-old carnivore is being treated with a new process developed by Lipogems that has already been successfully used to treat human joints in Hungary. The process cures the injured joints with material taken from the patient’s own fatty tissue, which contains regenerative stem cells.
“Igor’s hip joint will be treated like the hip joint of a human being. During the stem-cell joint treatment process, a small amount of fatty tissue is taken from the patient’s body, which after mechanical purification is implanted during a 45-60 minute procedure into the joint in need of treatment,” said Dr. Róbert Gippert, leading veterinarian at the Ro-Vet Small Animal Clinic in Kaposvár. “Just like in humans, the worn-out joint of Igor the tiger will heal due to the regenerative and self-healing effects of stem cells, without the use of external materials,” he added.
Every fifth person in the world suffers from the wear and tear of a large joint, be it the shoulder, hip, knee, ankle, elbow, or wrist, says the press release. Joint disorders affect not only people, but animals as well, including pets, horses, and exotic animals such as Igor.
The technology to improve the quality of life of patients suffering from joint disorders was developed in Italy in 2010. It offers 100% natural help to patients with joint problems, for those for whom other conservative treatments (painkillers or steroids) may no longer be of help, for whom the implantation of a prosthesis is not yet indicated or not possible, or where the patient is reluctant to accept the surgical procedure but their quality of life can only be sustained by the continuous use of painkillers.
“Around 30,000 patients around the world and over 550 patients in Hungary have been treated so far with the Lipogems stem-cell joint treatment procedure,” said József Veres, managing director of Medropolitan Consulting Kft., the Hungarian business partner of the Lipogems process. “We are confident that as in the case of human patients, Igorʼs hip pain will soon be reduced dramatically or completely eliminated,” he added.
Although the Lipogems procedure has been available in Hungary in human medicine for years, its veterinary application has only been explored recently. There are relatively few clinics that carry out this procedure, even in Western Europe and North America. In Central and Eastern Europe, it is currently available only in Hungary, where it has been used to treat horses, dogs, and now a tiger, noted the press release.
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