The Otorhinolaryngology Service of Hospital da Luz Vila Real already applies a procedure to treat the loss of smell, recent or not, consisting in the injection of platelet-rich plasma. “Besides safe, this is a minimally invasive technique that can be repeated in selected cases. It does not replace other approaches, but is a viable alternative when conventional options fail”, explains André de Sousa Machado , otorhinolaryngologist that applies this technique. Platelet-rich plasma is obtained by collecting a small amount of the patient’s blood, which is then centrifugated to isolate a fraction rich in growing and cellular regeneration factors. The concentration obtained is then injected, under local anaesthesia and endoscopically controlled, in a specific area of the nasal cavity accommodating the olfactory mucous. “An essential aspect should be clarified: not all patients with olfactory problems are candidates to this treatment”, alerts André de Sousa Machado. Therefore, before advancing to intervention, “detailed assessment is mandatory in otorhinolaryngology consultation” in order to “identify the cause of the olfactory dysfunction, exclude structural or inflammatory pathologies, and perform objective olfactory psychophysical evaluation tests already validated”. Only then is this option contemplated. The platelet-rich plasma injection: Is safe, minimally invasive, and practically painless. Does not require hospitalization. Induces a significant improvement of the olfactory function in patients with no smell or reduced smell, as already demonstrated in several studies. “It does not replace other approaches but is a viable alternative when conventional options fail” for the treatment of smell loss, points out André de Sousa Machado. “And above all gives new hope to those who often feel misunderstood and lacking alternatives”, he adds. The protocol applied at Hospital da Luz Vila Real has been developed based on previous experience in the context of national clinical research, published in scientific journals of the field. The technique has already been used in patients with over 12 months of persistent loss of smell not responding to other treatments, and the results are encouraging. “An objective and subjective improvement of the olfactory perception was observed, with absence of relevant complications”, further explains the specialist. Learn more about the platelet-rich plasma injection technique . The scheduling of Otorhinolaryngology consultations can be done on MY LUZ app or MY LUZ web version .
