Stem cell therapy for spinal cord injury in Centro Médico Teknon

Teknon Hospital in Barcelona was founded in 1994 by Tenet Healthcare Corporation, the American company that takes the 2nd place for the number of established hospitals worldwide.

Since 2014, Teknon Hospital has been working on the premises of Quironsalud Hospitals Group. According to this network's data, Quironsalud is the 1st in Spain and the 3rd in Europe for success rates of treatment, number of highly-skilled medical staff, and cutting-edge equipment.

Centro Medico Teknon has the quiet and high-end district location 14 km away from Barcelona–El Prat Airport.

 

 

BENEFITS OF CENTRO MEDICO TEKNON

1. Outstanding doctors. Dr. Raimon Miralbell (oncologist), Dr. Antonio Russi (epileptologist), Dr. Joaquim Casanas (orthopedist), Prof. Gerardo Conesa (neurosurgeon) are recognized as the best specialists in Spain. Years of experience, new therapeutic methods development, and hundreds of international publications are under their belt.
2. Revolutionary technologies. Centro Medico Teknon is a digital hospital where doctors apply Novalis (radiosurgery device), Da Vinci (minimally invasive robotic surgery system), Renaissance (spinal robotic surgical guidance system) and other tools for accurate operations.
3. Innovative treatment methods. Institute for Regenerative Therapy (Institut de Teràpia Regenerativa Tissular) works on Teknon premises to provide stem cell therapy for orthopedic injuries or diseases resistant to conventional treatments.
4. Digital patient-oriented approach. The Teknon experts develop computerized programs that focus on making healthcare accessible, fast, accurate, and affordable. Most of these programs rely on technologies, useful for doctors and patients, to make a decision and reduce medical errors to zero.
5. Accurate diagnosing. The Teknon specialists provide 3D modeling and 3D printing programs to develop three-dimensional display of the organs and parts of the body. This approach helps to develop the most effective treatment plan and choose implants that will fit perfectly the patient’s anatomy.

 

EPILEPTOLOGY DEPARTMENT

Teknon Hospital Barcelona is famous around the world for success epilepsy therapy for children and adults. Doctors have been treating patients with this disease for over 30 years.

Teknon is the leading epilepsy center for Americans. Companion Global Healthcare (US Medical Tourism Agency) has included Teknon Hospital to the list of clinics with international medical accreditation that accept American patients with different diseases including epilepsy.
 

 

As Teknon doctors report, over 10 patients are from Russia (the most severe stages of epilepsy are observed in Slavic people).

Centro Medico Teknon is No.3 neurological facility in Spain according to the Institute for Environmental Health (IEH), US laboratories and consulting group. During the evaluation, IEH representatives have taken into account surveys of 1,750 Spanish doctors.

 

Conservative epilepsy therapy

Prof. Antonio Russi provides medication therapy and specializes in the treatment of severe and rare epilepsy stages.

Prof. Antonio Russi in the best epileptologist in Europe due to the number of successful cases. He is included into Top 100 list of the best Spanish doctors by the Forbes magazine.

The doctor found Epilepsia Russi Institut, where he and his team develop new medications, conservative and surgical methods for epilepsy treatment.

The Teknon specialists provide a comprehensive treatment program that aims to get rid of seizures completely.

 

Surgical epilepsy treatment

30% of patients need surgical intervention to defeat the disease. Prof. Antonio Russi (head of the Epileptology Dep.) and Prof. Bartolome Oliver work together to help with disposing of severe epilepsy stages performing the surgery.

The Teknon neurosurgeons perform 90 operations per year under the supervision of Prof. Russi and Prof. Oliver.

Doctors provide stereoelectroencephalography (SEEG). It is a surgical procedure that identifies areas of the brain where the epilepsy seizures originate. SEEG is successful in 90% of cases and helps to fight against disease even in the most challenging cases.

 

TEKNON NEUROSCIENCE INSTITUTE
 

The Teknon Neuroscience Institute is specialized in the diagnosis and treatment of complex pathologies that affect the central nervous system and the spine, offering a fast and agile circuit for patients.

It has the most modern techniques and the most innovative facilities and technologies, as well as a team of renowned professionals led by Prof. Gerardo Conesa, an expert in neurosurgery.

Prof. Gerardo Conesa  is a Head of the Teknon Neuroscience Institute. The doctor has over 36 years of experience with
specialization in minimally invasive neurosurgical operations. 

The 12 functional units of the Institute of Neurosciences:

• Functional Unit of Complex Column and Scoliosis
• Functional Unit of Memory
• Epilepsy Functional Unit
• Functional Unit of Surgical Neuromodulation of Mental Disorders
• Pediatric Neurosurgery Functional Unit
• Neuromuscular Functional Unit
• Functional Unit of Skull Base Surgery
• Neurovascular Functional Unit
• Functional Unit of Surgical Neuro-oncology
• Parkinson's Disease and Movement Disorders Functional Unit
• Functional Unit of Headaches and Craniofacial Pain
• Functional Unit for Surgery of the Peripheral Nervous System.

The Institute is made up of functional units: organizational structures that accommodate a whole series of professionals focused on a specific aspect of the pathology and on the patient who suffers from it.

The objective is to integrate the different information and multidisciplinary visions, enriching their diagnosis and treatment, implementing protocols, streamlining care circuits, creating databases, reviewing and updating relevant scientific information, and implementing new procedures and new technologies.

Robotic surgery techniques and artificial intellgence assement for precise treatment planning help to achive the best resulta for every patient.

 

Neurosurgical techniques and equipment in Teknon Hospital Barcelona

1. Minimally invasive spinal surgery is an intervention through small incisions from 0.5 to 6 cm (depending on the type of procedure). Doctors use micro tools and a camera to monitor the process. After minimally invasive operations, patients recover faster than after the open ones.
2. Neuronavigation is a special system tracking the location of surgical instruments during the operation. This method allows a surgeon operating through small incisions and performing movements precisely without touching the surrounding healthy tissues.
3. Tumor surgery with fluorescence is a technique that allows determining the size of the tumor and its borders to completely remove it.

 

HEART INSTITUTE

The Teknon Heart Institute was established in 2017. This facility has combined 2 most prestigious cardiovascular institutions in Catalonia — Sant Jordi Cardiovascular Center and Teknon Cardiovascular Institute.

Specialists have designed a unique infrastructure of the Institute to offer patients excellent, permanent, and comprehensive service according to all patients' needs.

The Teknon Heart Institute includes:

• hybrid operating room (surgical theatre equipped with new medical imaging devices such as CT or MRI scanners to perform minimally invasive operations)
• 3 haemodynamic rooms (digital rooms equipped with the most advanced technology for the diagnosis and treatment of coronary artery diseases)
• consulting area (place, where a doctor examines patients)
• intermediate care unit (specific department for older adults to receive comprehensive medical care that helps them to be independent as much as possible after discharge and prevent moving into residential or nursing homes)
• hospitalization area (subdivision where a patient, who needs an admission, gets all necessary health care).

Dr. Xavier Ruyra heads the Teknon Heart Institute. Dr. Ruyra specializes in minimally invasive cardiovascular surgery. He accepts patients with complex heart disorders and operates even elderly people.

Dr. Ruyra is one of 5 best specialists in cardiac surgery within Spain according to the Forbes magazine.

Dr. Xavier and his team have carried out over 5,000 heart surgeries. The doctor conducts degenerative and functional mitral valve replacements with a 95% success rate and rheumatic mitral valve replacement with up to 45% success index.

 

Revolutionary technologies used in Teknon Heart Institute

The Teknon heart surgeons perform coronary interventions and therapy of structural cardiac pathology guided by X-ray, computed tomography and ultrasound. This approach makes surgeries safer and reduces complication risks.

Teknon haemodynamic rooms are equipped with Philips Azurion, image-guided therapy platform with an intuitive interface. The platform allows performing complex procedures in an app environment, programming a large number of tasks that facilitate the work of professionals and increase the safety of patients.

The Teknon cardiac doctors and patients have participated in the international study of Ultraseal, the new device for the left atrial appendage closure in patients with non-valvular atrial fibrillation and high risk of bleeding.

According to Teknon data, in 97% of cases, surgeons implant the device successfully with no device migration, the deficient percentage of bleeding and perforation during the procedure. Patients have reduced the incidence of thrombosis or secondary embolisms after the implantation.

 

TEKNON ONCOLOGY INSTITUTE

The Teknon Oncology Institute is one of the most extensive facilities for cancer treatment in Spain. Local oncologists has been accepting patients since 2000.

Prof. Raimon Miralbell is a world-renowned oncologist and head of the Teknon Radiology Oncology Center.

Dr. Raimon has over 35 years of experience. This doctor has received numerous awards as the leading radiation oncologist and author of 100 international publications.

Dr. Miralbell practiced and trained in Spanish, American, and Britain medical institutions.

Oncologists follow strict American standards developed at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (USA) to provide patients with the latest technologies.

 

Medication cancer therapy at Centro Medico Teknon

1. Chemotherapy is an anti-cancer medication treatment prescribed individually.
2. Hormone therapy is a cancer treatment method to slow or stop the growth of a hormone-dependent tumor (grow and survive with the help of hormones). This type of treatment is the most appropriate option to affect malignancies in the chest, uterus, ovaries, thyroid, and pancreas. Drugs block estrogen to stop tumor growing.
3. Immunotherapy is a method of drug treatment that activates the protective function of the body and block the growth of cancer cells.

The Teknon experts currently develop and test new drugs for cancer treatment.

 

Radiation therapy at Teknon Hospital Barcelona

Centro Medico Teknon is equipped with the latest technologies for radiotherapy:

• 3D-CRT (three-dimensional conformal radiotherapy) device to irradiate the tumor, located close to the vital organs without damaging neighboring tissues. The Teknon doctors have been practicing 3D-CRT radiotherapy for more than 15 years.
• Novalis linear accelerator adapts to the tumor size and shape, irradiates it as accurately as possible and does not harm healthy tissues.

 

Surgical oncology

The Teknon surgeons specialize in minimally invasive operations with the Da Vinci robotic system. These are surgeries through small incisions (1-2 cm), the size of which resembles the kidney bean. Minimally invasive surgeries help reduce trauma to the body, avoid heavy bleeding, and speed up recovery time.

Da Vinci robot makes the surgeon’s movements of hands and instruments more precise inside the patient’s body. During the operation, a surgeon is under 100% control of a robot that minimizes medical errors significantly.

 

INSTITUTE OF REGENERATIVE MEDICINE

The Institute of Regenerative Medicine (Institut de Teràpia Regenerativa Tissular) works on the premises of Centro Medico Teknon.

Since 2003, specialists have been providing stem cell therapy. It is a new treatment option with stem cells that are the progenitors of all other types of cells in the human body and may transform in each of them. And since 2013, Teknon doctors have been growing muscles and ligaments using stem cells.

Over 1,300 patients have undergone stem cell treatment at Centro Medico Teknon. 700 of them have received stem cell treatment with high success rate (without complications).

30% of patients may face inflammation after the procedure. However, this is a good sign, and people with inflammation have a better result than people without this side effect. The inflammation usually lasts 1 week.

100% of the procedures have not caused any cancer.

Teknon regenerative specialists give stem cell treatment for:

• osteoarthritis
• disc degeneration
• osteonecrosis
• fractures
• sports traumas.

Stem cell therapy at Teknon is popular among world-renowned athletes. This treatment method speeds up recovery, and as a result, there is no rehab period. Athletes come back to their ordinary life just after the treatment.

The Teknon Regenerative Medicine Institute is among a few medical facilities in the world to have permission to apply stem cell therapy. In 2006, the facility received the certificate from IBGM (Instituto de Biología y Genética Molecular), multidisciplinary center that develops and implements projects for cells functioning and usage.

 

The process of stem cell therapy at Teknon Hospital

1. Bone marrow aspiration: a doctor makes a puncture from the sacral bone to take enough material to receive stem cells.
2. Cultivation of stem cells: specialists grow stem cells for 1 week. Only 1 out of 100,000 cells is the stem one.
3. The second phase of stem cells cultivation: cells planting for the second time also lasts 1 week.
4. Freezing of stem cells: Teknon specialists freeze the cells at 100 degrees below zero in the liquid nitrogen. This period may take years until the stem cells become necessary for treatment.
5. Thawing of stem cells: when a patient needs the therapy, specialists gradually unfreeze stem cells. It takes 10 days.
6. The therapy itself: doctors make injections with stem cells. The procedure is minimally invasive, performed without any incisions. The lifespan of cells lasts 8 hours, so it is necessary to carry out the therapy within this time limit.

 

Trends of stem cell therapy at Centro Medico Teknon

Teknon specialists conduct the numerous trials to improve the effectiveness of the therapy. Doctors look for the specific markers to find out what stem cells are more effective and what diseases they may treat.

Today Teknon doctors develop programs to treat such disorders with stem cells as:

• eye impairments
• heart diseases
• spinal cord disorders.