OPINION — An estimated 1.4 million Americans travel outside the United States for medical care each year, with Mexico among the most popular destinations. Increasingly, patients are crossing the border for stem cell and PRP treatments.
Many return believing they received cutting-edge care. Others come home with little improvement, complications or no nearby physician to manage follow-up care. The concern isn't regenerative medicine itself. It's whether patients fully understand what they're receiving and the potential risks.
As a physician specializing in regenerative medicine and interventional pain management, I've seen how appropriately used PRP and certain stem cell therapies can reduce pain, improve function and sometimes help patients avoid surgery.