Free regenerative medicine seminar planned

Dr. Frank Sayre and Laura Mallery-Sayre, along with MedRebels, will host a free healthcare seminar on the process of utilizing one’s own stem cells for healing.

The event is from 5:30-8 p.m. Nov. 18 at the West Hawaii Civic Center in the Council Chambers.

The seminar will feature Katy Moncivais, PhD, executive scientific director of BennuLife at Austin, Texas, and Dr. Margaret Meyer, orthopedic surgeon with Alii Health Center at Kailua-Kona, as they discuss the benefits of regenerative medicine to treat musculoskeletal and other health conditions.

Mallery-Sayre, a marathon runner, had sustained a torn meniscus in her knee while training for the Boston Marathon back in 2001, and she subsequently had the meniscus surgically removed. X-ray scans showed that Mallery-Sayre’s knee joint was bone-on-bone causing her continuous swelling and pain. In the fall of 2013, Mallery-Sayre visited Dr. Christina Sheely, one of the foremost orthopaedic surgeons in the United States who has had success utilizing bone marrow-derived stem cells to treat damaged joint cartilage, according to a press release by the seminar’s organizers.

After being determined a candidate, Mallery-Sayre underwent a bone-marrow derived stem cell procedure where her bone marrow was extracted from her hip bone and centrifuged to concentrate the adult stem cells, which were then injected into her knee. Six-months after her procedure, her follow-up scans had shown that her affected knee was no longer bone-on-bone, pain resided, and functionality had been restored. Since then, Mallery-Sayre has no pain or swelling in her knee, and she is back to exercising without discomfort.

Prior to this success story in 2012, Mallery-Sayre also sought out Dr. Lew Schon, renowned orthopaedic foot and ankle surgeon at Johns Hopkins University, who reconstructed her joint of her left large toe, and he utilized her bone marrow-derived stem cells to enhance the healing cascade. Mallery-Sayre now has 100 percent functionality in her toe, whereas before, she had none.

Many former patients, friends, and community members have expressed interest in learning about bone marrow-derived stem cell procedures, the release said, and how it can treat a wide variety of conditions, which include treating pain and delaying complete or partial joint replacement, to name a few.

Some conditions that can benefit from regenerative medicine include orthopedics, pain management, osteoarthritis, tendonitis, spine fusion, non-unions, malunions, rotator cuff repairs, as well as erectile dysfunction.

Food and beverages will be provided from 5:30-6:15 p.m., and the seminar will start at 6:15 p.m.

Make reservations by Wednesday: mallerysayre@hawaii.rr.com.