Are you considering stem cell treatment? The questions you ask before choosing a stem cell clinic can directly impact your results.
Not all stem cell procedures are performed the same way, and not all stem cell clinics follow the same standards. Understanding what to ask helps you identify experienced providers, avoid ineffective treatments, and improve your chances of a successful outcome.
Below are the top 10 questions every patient should ask before moving forward with stem cell therapy.
Experience matters. The more often a physician performs a procedure, the better the outcomes tend to be and the lower the risk of complications.
For context, many surgeons consider themselves an expert once they have done a procedure two hundred times or more. Some clinics talk about the total number of procedures they have performed, including blood platelet procedure numbers.
Did you know that Regenexx physicians were some of the first physicians to use stem cells to treat orthopedic issues? We have spent decades refining our treatments, and today, Regenexx Cayman proudly offers the world’s most advanced orthopedic stem cell treatment: Regenexx-C.
Tip: Ask specifically how many stem cell procedures the provider has performed.
No medical treatment has a 100% success rate. Even the most experienced clinics will have patients who do not respond as expected.
What matters is transparency and data.
Clinics should track and report patient outcomes, including:
Ideally, this data should be part of a registry so it can be reviewed by the broader medical community.
Regenexx has an active patient registry that tracks patients’ progress or side effects, post-procedure. Our outcomes database is currently tracking tens of thousands of procedures performed by physicians in the licensed Regenexx network.
Tip: Ask about success rates for your specific condition and if they have any publications in medical journals regarding your specific stem cell treatment.
Specialization plays a critical role in outcomes.
Board certified physicians specializing in sports medicine, physical medicine, or interventional pain treatment, are trained to perform injection-based care for joints.
They should also have extensive training in image-guided injections, including ultrasound or fluoroscopy, to ensure your cells will be precisely injected where needed.
Regenexx procedures are 100% focused on orthopedics. This level of specialization supports deep clinical expertise and refined protocols that reflect years of experience rather than broad generalization.
Tip: Ask about the provider’s training in image-guided injection techniques.
A Regenexx Cayman Physician performing treatment using image-guidance.
Not all stem cells are equal.
Bone marrow is one of the richest sources of mesenchymal stem cells, which have been shown in published studies to support orthopedic repair, including cartilage and tendon tissue.
Additionally, using autologous cells (cells taken from your own body) reduces the risk of immune rejection compared to treatments using allogeneic cells (cells from a donor).
Tip: Ask where the stem cells are sourced from and what type is being used.
The harvesting technique directly affects the quality and quantity of stem cells collected.
Bone marrow stem cells are obtained through a procedure called a bone marrow aspiration. This requires precision, experience, and image guidance. Without proper technique, there is a risk of collecting blood instead of stem cell-rich bone marrow.
Harvesting from only one site may also result in a lower yield.
Tip: Ask how many bone marrow aspirations the provider has performed, whether imaging is used, and how many sites they extract from.
Dosing is a key factor in treatment effectiveness.
After harvesting, stem cells are processed to remove the less useful tissues, including inflammatory agents, to produce a highly purified concentration of stem cells. Some clinics use small bedside centrifuges, which produce poor stem cell concentrations and cannot provide precise cell counts.
This means clinics don’t know how much of what they re-inject is actually stem cells.
At Regenexx Cayman, our advanced laboratory platform allows us to hand-process every single sample. Why is this important? This customization allows us to produce the right concentrations to treat your unique condition, so you can achieve the best possible outcome.
We are also the exclusive provider of Regenexx-C – a cultured stem cell therapy offering up to 1,000x more mesenchymal stem cells than same-day procedures. More stem cells = more healing power!
Tip: Ask how the clinic isolates, concentrates, and counts the number of stem cells.
Mesenchymal stem cells in culture under a microscope at the Regenexx Cayman lab.
For stem cell therapy to be optimally effective, the cells must be placed precisely in the targeted area.
Your physician must know how to accurately inject your cells into the damaged or degenerated area. Being off by as little as an eighth of an inch may make the difference between a successful outcome and continued pain and dysfunction of the joint.
There are three general approaches:
Even small inaccuracies can affect outcomes. All injections at Regenexx Cayman are performed using image-guided techniques, giving you the best possible outcome from your treatment.
Tip: Ask what type of imaging is used to guide the injection and how precise the placement is.
Cell health is essential for success.
Some common medications can negatively impact stem cells. Common local anesthetics, such as lidocaine or bupivacaine/marcaine can damage stem cells, while high-dose steroid injections can also harm cartilage and healthy tissue. There should be a six-to-twelve-week separation between a steroid injection and a stem cell injection.
Many prescription medications also have negative effects on stem cells, reducing your chances of a successful procedure. We provide our patients with pre- and post-procedure guidance around medication restrictions.
Tip: Ask your physician for a clear list of prohibited medication, including when you should stop the medication before the procedure and when you can resume post procedure.
The environment in which stem cells are processed matters.
“Open” systems expose tissues to air, increasing the risk of contamination by bacteria. “Closed” systems keep tissue samples in a germ-free environment.
A dedicated cell-biology lab should include:
Regenexx Cayman is home to the largest cleanroom in the Caribbean, which meets ISO Class 7 criteria, and is staffed by cellular biologists and licensed medical technologists, who are trained in aseptic technique. Take a virtual tour, here!
Tip: Ask whether the lab uses an “open” or “closed” system, and how they protect your stem cells from contamination.
Stem cell therapy is not a one-size-fits-all solution.
Not every patient is a good candidate for every procedure. An honest physician will tell you whether the stem cell procedure is a good fit for your condition. In some cases, alternative treatments may be more effective.
During a virtual telemedicine consult, our physician will be able to review your medical history, treatment goals, and imaging, to determine if stem cell treatment is right for you. Watch this short video to find out the benefits of a virtual consult.
Tip: Ask the physician what your expected treatment outcome is and what the evaluation is based on.
Hear from Regenexx founder, Dr. Chris Centeno, as he explains Regenexx-C, the world-class stem cell therapy offered exclusively at Regenexx Cayman.
Choosing the right stem cell clinic is one of the most important decisions you can make in your treatment journey. Asking these questions helps you understand the level of expertise, safety, and transparency a clinic provides.
If you are considering stem cell therapy and want clear, evidence-based answers about your options, the team at Regenexx Cayman is here to help. Contact us to schedule a consultation and learn whether stem cell therapy can treat your orthopedic condition.
