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| Introduction to Fascia and Fascia Grafts. | |||||||||
| What is fascia? | |||||||||
| Fascia
is the medical name for the sheets of thick, white connective tissue
that are located throughout the human body. All doctors, especially
surgeons, are familiar with these important fascia layers because
they wrap around many muscles and internal structures, packaging them
and giving them support. Surgeons often sew layers of fascia together
because they are strong and hold sutures well.
Fascia is living tissue that is largely composed of the protein collagen and the fibroblast cells that make collagen, although other materials, such as the protein elastin, are also present. The protein collagen is found in many tissues besides fascia, such as skin, cartilage, and tendons. |
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| What are preserved fascia grafts? | |||||||||
| A graft is a piece of tissue that is removed from one individual or area of the body and inserted into a different individual or area of the body, usually as part of a surgical procedure. In the case of preserved fascia, the material is removed from a human cadaver donor and then processed and preserved. Each donor is carefully screened for diseases that might commonly be transmitted. Typically, the preservation steps include freeze-drying, so that the material can be stored for long periods of time before being used as a graft. Thousands of preserved fascia grafts are implanted every year by many kinds of surgeons for dozens of surgical procedures. | |||||||||
| How long do fascia grafts last? | |||||||||
| Since fascia is naturally thick material, it often takes the body many months to digest. Furthermore, the fascia graft is usually invaded by the recipient's own fibroblast cells and collagen, to produce a layer of scar tissue that may appear and function in a fashion that is similar to the original fascia. The resultant material often remains in the area indefinitely and studies have shown that in many instances fascia grafts are effective many years, even decades, later. | |||||||||
| Can I make my own collagen ever again? | |||||||||
| At any age, the body contains fibroblast cells that are constantly making fresh collagen. | |||||||||
| About Fasican™ | |||||||||
| What is Fasican™ | |||||||||
| Fasican™
is a special preparation of human fascia. To make Fasican™, preserved
fascia grafts are procured in the traditional manner and then processed
under sterile conditions to different particle sizes. The material
is then supplied to doctors in a form which easily can be stored,
and then rehydrated and injected when it is needed. |
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| Is Fasican™ New? | |||||||||
| Yes and No. The use of preserved fascia as a graft material is an accepted procedure that began in the 1920's. Fasican™, an injectable form of preserved fascia, has only recently become available to physicians. | |||||||||
| What happens when Fasican™ is injected? | |||||||||
| Fasican™ is a very thick suspension of solid bits of fibrous material. Once it is injected into an area, the liquid in the suspension is absorbed and the residual particles may aggregate locally. This thick material fills the defect into which it is placed. | |||||||||
| How does Fasican™ improve fascia grafting? | |||||||||
| Before Fasican™
was available, fascia grafting was performed as part of a surgical
procedure that usually required an incision into the skin and some
dissection of the area to place the graft. Since Fasican™ is
injectable, fascia grafting can be performed in some cases without
some of these steps. Furthermore, Fasican™ is available in multiple particle sizes so it can be more readily considered for some defects that may have been technically difficult to place a fascia graft in previously. |
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| Where can Fasican™ be injected? | |||||||||
| Your physician must be the one to decide if Fasican™ is an appropriate material for injection in each instance. Fasican™ is intended for the repair of small tissue defects resulting from either medical or surgical conditions- those in which preserved fascia would otherwise be considered an appropriate treatment option. | |||||||||
| What type of pre-evaluation is required? | |||||||||
| Check with your doctor about his or her own requirements for pre-evaluation before Fasican™ injection. Test insertion in a remote area of the body, to pre-evaluate the reaction to the material, is usually unnecessary with fascia grafts. | |||||||||
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| General Features | |||||||||
| The original material, fascia is produced by the human body. Fasican™ is a derivative of that material. | |||||||||
| * Fasican™
is an injectable product. The technique of implanting it is relatively
simple compared to fascia grafting of the noninjectable forms of fascia. * Fasican™ is particulated so that it tends to spread evenly through the tissues. * Fasican™ is provided in a variety of particle sizes that can be employed to treat problems of different size and type. * Fasican™ is stored at room temperature. * Fasican™ is available at affordable prices. Check with your physician. * Fasican™ is easy to handle. The physician simply needs to rehydrate the material to prepare it for injection. * The material is screened according to the guidelines of the American Association of Tissue Banks. |
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| The Downside | |||||||||
| What are the risks of injecting Fasican™? | |||||||||
| This is an
important question that you should discuss with your doctor. You should
review the package insert with your doctor as well. Here are a few
guidelines. Routinely, the local reaction to the site of injection is mild and pain-free, however, many factors may influence the extent of bruising and swelling- the amount of material injected, the depth at which it is injected, the area of needle dissection performed by the doctor to create a pocket for implantation, the particle size selected, etc. Fasican™ may feel thick or lumpy in the area, especially for the first few weeks after injection, but typically the graft site will soften. Some reabsorption of the material is to be expected. This will depend on many factors, including the size of areas being treated and the amount of material placed in the area. Your doctor may choose to over-correct the area in anticipation of some reabsorption. Infection is possible with any injection or implant, although it is very uncommon. Often, the contaminant is a bacteria from the patient's own skin surface. Injection into an area that is already infected or inflamed is not advised. A local infection may result in tissue damage and scarring. In patients with systemic diseases, e.g. AIDS, their doctor may have specific reservations about Fasican™ use. Scar tissue may develop at the injection site and to some extent this may be an acceptable part of the correction of the defect. An overt scar reaction, e.g. hypertrophic scar or keloid, is unlikely but should be considered. An adverse reaction of any other kind to this graft material, e.g. a local or systemic allergic response, would be unusual, but the possibility must be considered. |
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©Fascia Biosystems, LLC  |
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| Copyright © 2001 Flasch Business Consulting. | . |