Frequently Asked Questions

Commonly asked questions regarding stem cell sources, collection, implantation and other general questions regarding stem cell therapy at the Stem Cell Institute in Panama.

If you wish to send medical records to us, do not send them to the address on this page. Special instructions are required to ensure that records arrive to our clinic in Panama. Please contact your International Patient Coordinator for more information.

To start your evaluation, please complete our online Patient Application. If you still have questions, please feel free to contact us today!

Once our medical team has received your medical application, it usually takes one or two working days (but no longer than five working days) to review it.  If you are conditionally approved for treatment, we will contact you to discuss available treatment options and to request medical records.

Once fully approved, you may schedule your treatment.  The further out you wish to schedule your appointments, the more likely it is that you can have your preferred dates.

If you are not approved for treatment based upon your medical history, you will be notified by email.

Golden Cells™ are highly effective cells from six particular cell lines. After a retrospective analysis of our most successful procedures, we discovered that these particular cells were almost always present. We have developed the technology and procedures to identify, isolate, and grow these Golden Cells™ for our patients.

We receive cord donations after normal c-section births from healthy women in Panama. Our donors sign a consent form, fill out a detailed questionnaire, and give a blood sample. The mothers’ blood undergoes extensive testing for HIV, STD’s, hepatitis, etc.

At Stem Cell Institute, stem cells are administered several ways depending on each patient’s ailment and physical condition. Patients typically receive a minimum of 3 stem cell applications during the course of an entire treatment protocol.  Methods of administration include: Intravenous (IV), intramuscular, intrathecal, and intra-articular.

Generally speaking, aside from the initial pain at the injection site, the patient will not experience any discomfort. Less than 10% of (mostly lumbar puncture) patients have developed a minor fever, headache, nausea or vomiting. However , these side effects have never lasted more than three days and usually resolve within 24 hours. No long term negative side effects have been reported.

Each patient is unique, and there is no guarantee that positive results will be seen or how quickly they may be observed. Some patients have reported improvements during the course of their treatment, while others have experienced improvements as long as 6 months after returning home. However, not all patients improve.

Treatment protocols vary by disease. Each patient’s physical condition and other medical factors also play roles. Most protocols last for 3 – 5 days and consist of 3 – 4 sessions. Find out more about conditions we treat by contacting us today.

 

For certain treatment protocols, physical therapy will be recommended by our medical team and provided during the course of treatment.

 
 

Typically, the doctors do not prescribe any medication as a part of your treatment. However, they may advise a circulating stem cell enhancing supplement regime following treatment.

 
 

Insurance companies do not cover stem cell therapy, especially not in foreign countries.

 
 

Fees for services start at $15,825 USD for children and $26,900 for adults.

Cost depends on the recommended treatment protocol and will be given to you in writing upon approval.  It includes the treatment itself plus a Hilton hotel room with breakfast, WIFI, transportation from and to the airport with VIP airport gate service, and expedited customs clearance upon arrival.

If you would like to get a ballpark idea about how much a particular treatment protocol might cost, please contact us.  One of our patient coordinators will be happy to assist you.

Alcohol consumption and cigarette smoking can both be detrimental to new progenitor stem cells. It is advisable that you do not smoke or drink during your treatments.

 
 

Adult stem cells are not encompassed by the controversy surrounding fetal and embryonic stem cells. Both the Catholic Church and the Southern Baptist Church have issued papers which actually encourage research and the use of adult stem cells in the treatment of human disease as an ethically acceptable alternative to the use fetal and embryonic stem cells.

No stem cell product from any source is approved by the US FDA for any condition we treat.

However, human umbilical cord tissue-derived mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) that were isolated and grown in our laboratory in Panama to create master cell banks are have recently been used in the United States under US FDA regulation.

These cells served as the starting material for cellular products used in MSC clinical trials for two Duchenne’s muscular dystrophy patients under US FDA’s designation of Investigational New Drug (IND) for single patient compassionate use. (IND 16026 DMD Single Patient).

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