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Physicians know about perfusionists. They are the people who monitor heart-lung machines and do blood conservation during surgery. But, what fewer doctors understand is the technique being offered by some perfusionists called autologous blood therapy (ABT), which uses blood collected prior to surgery to create a gel used during surgical procedures to promote ultrafast healing and nip pain in the proverbial tush.

Pat Courtney, retired cardiovascular perfusionist, has opened a company called Prfuzn to not only do ABT, but also to train other professionals around the world in the quick healing process.

"I've actually been doing it since 1999," Courtney explained. "It's a newer role perfusionists are taking on because people are asking for it. It's been on "Ripley's Believe it or Not," "Oprah" and "Montel." It's still not that widely known but it is a developing specialty which has really come into prominence over the last two years."

Courtney said cosmetic surgery has done a lot to bolster ABT. Baby boomers are demanding to look younger with little to no downtime.

In ABT, blood is collected just prior to the administration of anesthesia. The amount drawn depends upon the wound or the anticipated wound from the surgery. It can be as little as 20 ccs up to 400 ccs. A centrifuge process is used to accelerate the separation of the blood components. About 14 percent of the blood drawn is used to create a platelet gel, made of white blood cells suspended with plasma and activated with a small amount of calcium and thrombin. The platelet rich plasma creates a gel, which is then sprayed on the wound at the completion of each stage during surgery. Within three to five seconds of applying the gel, healing powers begin to flow.

"We've known that platelets stop bleeding, but what we didn't know was that they also carry growth factors in addition to vasoconstrictors," Courtney said. "I tell my students that the platelets arrive on the scene of a wound and they release their vasoconstrictors and growth factors then use their lifeless bodies to plug up the hole."

Courtney said cosmetic surgery, for example, now takes just days to recuperate from rather than weeks.

"What we're doing is putting on the first growth factors," said Courtney. "Then, on the fifth day the macrophages come in and supply the wound with new growth factors so they get a second boost. Patients have virtually no pain because at each stage healing begins and inflammation is cut down. When you put platelet gel in the wound, it soothes and seals the third space fluid which cuts pain down to virtually nothing."

At just two weeks post-op, a puppy that had received ABT after having his jaw cleanly snapped apart by a Labrador Retriever showed no evidence a break had ever occurred.

Paul White, open-heart surgery perfusionist at North Mississippi Medical Center in Tupelo, has been doing ABT for about a year and said the results are amazing.
"We really believe in the theory behind it as far as helping with infections and giving a jump-start in growth and healing. In the open-heart business, that's a major concern for us," White said. "It's amazing how quick we can get these folks healed up and back on their feet. It was represented to our group and we felt it was worth giving it a try. We've been really pleased with it up to this point. Outpatients have done well. We haven't seen any start of wound infections, not even minor ones. We felt it was a relatively inexpensive treatment that we could provide for our patients and give them added insurance. I don't follow them, but doctors and their families say their scars look a lot better than others they've known of that didn't have it. Scarring improved also because you don't get the inflammation when you use this that you do without it. We're only using it in heart surgery, but it is used in about every surgical procedure there is."

Rikki Helms, BSRN, founder of By The Blood Inc. in Arkansas, also trained under Courtney. Helms, who owns a Magellan portable unit to provide mobile ABT services, said she got involved with ABT after having a horse injured in barbed wire in what could have been a life-threatening injury. Instead, after just 33 days of receiving the ABT, the injury was completely healed.

"I knew conventional methods wouldn't heal her. I talked to my vet about this new therapy I heard about to enhance the healing process and thought it would be good for my horse. He agreed I could try it and she was healed completely," Helms said. "I had a 17-year-old girl who had suffered with a wound on her foot since she was 13. Within 22 days, she was healed after four years of suffering. I cannot tell you how many times I have been told if only we had known about this when Aunt So-and-so or some other relative had that bad sore on her foot, they might not have had to amputate. This is a wonderful option to provide healing for people and cut down on infections and pain."

Helms said unlike most ABT therapists, she does follow-up with her patients and also works closely with Hospice.

"I take digital images of their wounds and show them to the treating physician so they can monitor the progress," Helms said. "This works great but without follow-up they could have another breakdown. Follow-up is very important."

Courtney said professionals from 14 countries have come to Mississippi for the training. The two-and-a-half day seminar costs $795 and includes hotel, meals and a shuttle to and from the airport. Material is mailed to participants in advance to get them up to speed so they can absorb the power packed training more quickly.

The next class will be held June 22-24. For more information, call (601) 824-3915 or contact prfuzn@bellsouth.net.


May 2007

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