San Diego Shoulder PRP Visit

Common questions I am asked are what is the actual PRP procedure like and how long it takes. The entire visit is less than an hour. There is no prep work from the patient except we ask that you refrain from taking non-steroidal anti-inflammatories for at least a week before the PRP treatment. Approximately 60 cc of your blood is drawn. You can go get a coffee or wait in your car or the lobby while the blood is centrifuged, which takes about 30 minutes. During the centrifuge process, the plasma and all the platelets and growth factors are separated from the red blood cells. The red blood cells are discarded, and the remaining plasma is centrifuged again creating a super-concentrated smaller amount of PRP. This is called a double-spin technique.

You are then brought back into the procedure room where the skin is sterilized and temporarily numbed with a freezing spray. Then under ultrasound guidance, the PRP is injected into your shoulder. Some patients have zero pain during the procedure, while others have some pressure and discomfort that lasts several minutes. No sedation or other anesthetic is required. A band-aid is placed and you can drive yourself home. Most patients who have discomfort ice the shoulder for 1-2 days and take over-the-counter Tylenol.

Please call my San Diego office or send in a new patient visit request on my contact page to come see me and discuss your shoulder issue, and see if you are a candidate for shoulder PRP.