Stromal Vascular Fraction (SVF)

Liposuction derived healing factors

SVF is a product from a small liposuction procedure which harvest stem cells, collects healing factors such as endothelial progenitor cells, leukotrines, IGF-1, HGF-1 and VEGF and much more. This basically means these are the things which promote healing and regeneration of tissue, which become concentrated in the SVF procurement process.

Stem cells procured from your own body

Its all “natural” as it comes from your own body and is in the SVF in what Dr. Pasquale calls a healing broth of accelerators and regeneration. This healing broth is then typically injected into the area which needs regeneration or repair or given intravenously where its believed to go to through the blood stream where its needed. What Dr. Pasquale believes is most remarkable is that by injection into the area where its needed there is a focus of activity for regeneration as the normal state of the body does not allow for this concentration of these factors to one area. This is speculation but certainly appears to be the case by deduction.

Safety and complications

Not surprising is the lack of reporting of any complications from the use of SVF. Certainly minor issues such as bruising can occur at the site of liposuction, but one would not expect complications from using your own tissues and cells if normal sterile procedure are followed. So far the data supports this is a safe procedure and there are many reports which demonstrate that its effective for decreased pain and other reports which show advanced healing as observed by plastic surgeons. Yet by no means is all the scientific data in so this remains as clinical study.

Quantifying what exactly is in SVF as to how many stem cells, or quantities of various healing or modulating factors is very difficult. Its not like a drug where one could say that it contains this many units of substance a or b. The reason is that it will vary not only according to each technique but also vary according to how many fat cells an individual has, age and normal distribution of stem cells. These variable will change from person to person and are as individual as you are. Therefore its impossible to list in any specific quantitative fashion exactly across the spectrum SVF contains. This is much like water and its mineral composition. This will vary from location to location, some places rich in calcium others not but some calcium still present in the water.

Research Phd’s verses Clinicians

This drives some PhD research scientist crazy, as their training is for very precise measurements, clinicians on the other hand are accustom to working in general effects of a treatment, rather than precise measurement. So when it comes to SVF you can expect to see criticism when you do your research. So do your research if you are considering any treatment with SVF and consider the sources if physician or laboratory researcher.

The first principle of medical care is to do no harm. We at the Hawaii Stem Cell Treatment Center are studying the safety of using SVF and we feel its safe. All data however is not in yet, nor will it ever be as medical art and science is always changing. We use the tenant we would deploy SVF on our selves or our families and we would.

If you are interested in reading more hard science surrounding SVF please take a look at this paper. Science Paper On SVF.