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Surgery. SCAARS is an operation that corrects the mechanical problem in your joint. Stem-cell augmentation is one part of that operation: the cells are placed under direct vision where the tissue heals poorly. We do not offer stem-cell injections on their own.

SCAARS stands for Stem Cell Augmented Articular Restoration Surgery. It is Dr. Vega-Croker's approach for selected patients: an operation that corrects the mechanical problem in the joint, with cultured donor cells placed under direct vision where the tissue heals poorly. Read how it works, step by step.

Five situations: ligament injuries that need repair or reconstruction, alignment problems that need a corrective osteotomy, injuries that healed in the wrong position, cartilage and osteochondral defects, and selected muscle injuries. All joints are treated, including the knee, ankle and foot, shoulder, hand, elbow and hip. See who SCAARS helps.

A healed bone is not always a healed joint. Pain that persists after a fracture has healed may have a mechanical cause, such as a bone that healed slightly short or rotated, a step in the joint surface or a ligament that did not heal, and a standard X-ray can miss it. When the cause is mechanical and the joint is still worth keeping, a fracture that healed out of position is one of the situations SCAARS is designed for, and reconstruction is the operation that addresses it. Your evaluation looks for the cause of the pain before any treatment is proposed. See the five situations SCAARS treats.

For selected patients it may preserve the joint or delay replacement. It depends on where the damage is, how much of the joint is affected, alignment, stability and your goals. When the damage involves the whole joint, a replacement or, in some joints, a fusion is usually the better operation, and we will tell you.

Age is one factor. The location and extent of damage, alignment, stability, activity goals and overall health also matter. An individual assessment is needed; a diagnosis or an age range alone cannot establish suitability.

No. When the damage involves the whole joint, a replacement or, in some joints, a fusion usually offers a more predictable improvement. Preservation also has recovery demands and risks. The useful comparison is which option offers the best balance for your joint and your goals.

From umbilical-cord cultures produced by independent laboratories in Panama; imported products are also an option. You contract and pay for the cell product directly with the laboratory, and Dr. Vega-Croker's professional fees are paid to him through the hospital's and the laboratory's charges. He does not manufacture or sell the cells; he coordinates its use and performs the treatment. Each lot comes with documentation you can review.

During the operation, under direct vision. Depending on the case, they are placed directly on the injured tissue, and part may also be left in the joint space. In cartilage defects, your own cartilage tissue collected during the operation is combined with the cells and a matrix that holds them in the defect. In other lesions, a gel or a collagen membrane keeps the cells where they are needed, depending on the defect.

Each lot comes with the laboratory's documentation, which you can review on request: the lot of origin, the results of biological-safety testing, and the cell count and quality. It describes the product supplied for you; it is not a regulatory approval and does not by itself establish a clinical benefit. These cultured donor cell products do not have a specific regulatory approval in Panama, where the only recognized clinical use of stem cells is blood-forming stem-cell transplantation and other uses are considered investigational, and in the United States no umbilical-cord cell product is approved by the FDA for any joint, cartilage, ligament or muscle problem. Dr. Vega-Croker explains what this means for you before you decide.

That is not a promise we make. Evidence for stem-cell augmentation in orthopedics is limited and differs between cell types and conditions. The cells are placed to support healing where your tissue heals poorly, alongside a surgical correction that has its own established purpose. We explain what is known and what is not before you decide.

Yes. SCAARS, by definition, combines the correction with stem-cell augmentation. Whether the cells are indicated in your case, and what they would add, is part of the discussion of your plan, together with the alternatives.

Yes. Write a short message first. Dr. Vega-Croker can arrange a video consultation in which you explain your situation and he makes an initial assessment of whether SCAARS could help you. Examination in person and imaging are still needed before any decision.

For your first WhatsApp or email inquiry, keep it brief: the joint concerned, a line about your problem and your country. Dr. Vega-Croker personally reviews the inquiry you send to the practice and can advise whether a video consultation is an appropriate next step. If you use the AI assistant, you choose whether to send its summary to the practice. Ask how to provide imaging or records before sending detailed medical information.

You explain your case and your goals; he asks what he needs to know and makes an initial assessment of whether SCAARS could help you. Ask about the arrangements for the video consultation when you write. It does not replace an in-person examination.

You receive an itemized estimate before you travel. You pay the hospital for the surgery and any hospital stay, and the laboratory for the cell product, which you contract directly with it. Dr. Vega-Croker's professional fees are paid to him through those charges. Hotel and transport are separate and paid directly to those providers.

Yes, on request. Dr. Vega-Croker's practice can book your hotel and arrange transport when you need it. You pay those providers directly; they are external services with their own conditions, and they are not included in the treatment estimate.

There is no single timetable. Your stay covers the in-person evaluation, surgery and the days of follow-up before you are cleared to fly. It depends on the procedure, your mobility and your health. Discuss the expected length with Dr. Vega-Croker before you book.

Not necessarily. Your recovery depends on the procedure, your health and your individual healing response; the cells are not expected to shorten it. Some preservation procedures require lengthy rehabilitation and protected weight-bearing. Expected milestones are discussed for your specific procedure and health.

Dr. Vega-Croker follows you in Panama during the days after surgery and then by teleconsultation once you are home. Before you leave, discuss the records and rehabilitation instructions you will need, your teleconsultation schedule and any care to arrange locally in your country.

Seek local urgent or emergency medical care. Do not wait for a response to a website, email or WhatsApp message. These channels are for routine inquiries and scheduled follow-up.