Liquid fibrin (PRF) in aesthetic urology – how does it work?

Content author: Jakub Krącz, MD, urologist · Editorial work: Editorial team of Wyspa Medycyna Przyjaznej · Medical review: Jakub Krącz, M.D. · Date of creation: 07.08.2026 · Date of review: 07.08.2026 · Updated: 07.08.2026

The article is of an educational nature and does not replace a urological consultation or qualification for the procedure. Regenerative methods in andrology remain an area of ​​limited scientific evidence and are not the standard of treatment for erectile dysfunction. Increasing pain, swelling, redness, fever, urinary disturbances or painful erection lasting more than four hours after any treatment require urgent medical attention.

The most important information at a glance

• Fibrin is a fiber - a protein produced in the natural clotting process. PRF stands for platelet-rich fibrin, not plasma.
• The preparation is prepared from the patient's own blood, collected just before the procedure, without the addition of anticoagulants and foreign substances.
• Centrifugation parameters are crucial. Lower speeds produce a liquid form suitable for injection.
• After collection, liquid fibrin remains liquid only for a few minutes, so the procedure must be performed immediately after preparing the preparation.
• Selected protocols use thermal treatment of plasma, which allows obtaining material with a slower absorption rate.
• The fibrin mesh acts as a scaffold from which growth factors are released gradually over many days - unlike in plasma preparations.
• PRF and PRP are not the same. PRP is platelet-rich plasma, PRF is fibrin. They differ in preparation, consistency and method of releasing growth factors.
• Hyaluronic fillers work completely differently: they add volume mechanically, but do not stimulate regeneration. This is a separate category of treatments.
• Scientific evidence for restorative treatments for erectile dysfunction is limited. They do not replace the diagnosis of the causes or treatment of underlying diseases.
• Qualification requires examination and interview. Erectile dysfunction may be a signal of cardiovascular diseases that should not be ignored.

Find out more about the specialist

Jakub Krącz, MD, PhD, is a urologist at Wyspa Medycyny Przyjaznej in Gdańsk. He deals with the diagnosis and treatment of diseases of the urogenital system and procedures in the field of aesthetic and regenerative urology. In this area, qualification is particularly important: determining the cause of symptoms before proposing any treatment.

Meet Jakub Krącz, M.D.

What is liquid fibrin?

Let's start with the name, because it can be confusing. Fibrin in Polish means fibrin - a protein produced in the natural process of blood clotting. When an injury occurs, fibrinogen dissolved in the plasma is transformed into insoluble fibrin, which forms a mesh that closes the wound and provides a scaffold for repair cells. It's a physiological healing mechanism.

PRF, i.e. platelet-rich fibrin, stands for platelet-rich fibrin. The idea is to recreate this natural mechanism under controlled conditions: to obtain a concentrated fibrin mesh from the patient's blood with platelets, leukocytes and the growth factors they release.

In its classic form, PRF is a gelatinous clot that can be placed in a wound but cannot be injected. Therefore, protocols have been developed to obtain a liquid form - suitable for administration with a needle. This form is sometimes described as injectable platelet-rich fibrin and is what this is referred to when a patient hears the term "liquid fibrin".

It is worth clarifying the most common terminological error right away. Liquid fibrin is sometimes called "plasma". It's imprecise. Platelet-rich plasma is PRP and it is a different preparation, with a different method of preparation and different dynamics of action. We will return to this difference later in the article.

How the preparation is made - step by step

The entire procedure takes place during one visit and lasts several dozen minutes. The material does not leave the office and is not stored.

The last line explains why this treatment cannot be divided into two visits or "prepared in advance". The liquid fibrin begins to solidify within a few minutes of the end of centrifugation. The entire procedure must run smoothly and in one place.

Why heat treatment?

This is the element that patients ask most often because it sounds unintuitive: if the preparation is supposed to be "natural", why heat it?

The basic problem with autologous preparations is that the body breaks them down relatively quickly. Fibrin is a protein designed to temporarily act as a scaffold, so natural mechanisms remove it within a few days. The effect is therefore short-lived.

Controlled heating of the plasma fraction changes the spatial structure of the proteins it contains, primarily albumin. Protein modified in this way is less accessible to decomposition enzymes and remains in the tissue longer. After cooling, they are combined with the fraction containing platelets and growth factors, obtaining a material that is both biologically active and absorbs slower.

Not every treatment requires this stage. The decision depends on the purpose of the procedure and the protocol adopted by the doctor. However, it is worth knowing that even after such modification, the material remains absorbable - it is not a permanent filler.

Liquid fibrin, PRP and hyaluronic fillers - three different things

This distinction is of practical importance because patients often treat these treatments as variants of the same thing, but they differ in mechanism, purpose and what can be expected from them.

Briefly: PRF and PRP belong to the same family of regenerative methods and differ mainly in the rate and method of releasing growth factors. Hyaluronic filler is in a different category - it has no regenerative effect, but it gives an immediately visible volume effect. This is why they cannot be compared in terms of "which is better". They respond to other goals.

The popular name P-Shot refers to a treatment using platelet-rich plasma administered to the penis area. Therefore, it is a procedure based on PRP, not fibrin, although in practice both terms are sometimes used interchangeably - incorrectly.

Use in aesthetic urology - and what the data says

In aesthetic and regenerative urology, autologous preparations are considered in the context of supporting tissue quality, including in men reporting deterioration of erection, and as an element of procedures improving the aesthetic parameters of the intimate area. They are also sometimes used to support healing after treatments.

This is where honesty is needed, which is often overlooked in marketing materials. Regenerative approaches to the treatment of erectile dysfunction - including plasma and fibrin preparations - remain an area with limited evidence. European guidelines treat them as an approach still requiring confirmation in research and do not include them in the standard treatment of erectile dysfunction. Published works differ in protocols, group sizes and methods of assessing the effect, which makes comparisons difficult.

What does this mean in practice? Three things.

• This is not the first choice method. Treatment begins with determining the cause of the disorder and methods with documented effectiveness.
• Does not replace causal treatment. In the case of diabetes, hypertension, testosterone deficiency or sleep apnea, no regenerative treatment can replace the treatment of the underlying disease.
• Results cannot be promised. Accurate qualification includes clearly telling the patient that the response to the procedure is individual and not everyone will respond.

At the same time, it is worth emphasizing what speaks in favor of this group of methods: the material is autologous, i.e. it comes from the patient, does not contain foreign substances and is associated with a low risk of reaction to the preparation itself. This distinguishes it from synthetic materials.

Qualification - where you really need to start

Erectile dysfunction is not just a local problem. Penile arteries have a smaller diameter than coronary arteries, so worsening erections can be an early signal of vascular changes throughout the body. Performing a regenerative procedure without diagnostics means omitting this signal.

Therefore, a reliable qualification includes:

• an interview regarding the nature and duration of symptoms, including the presence of morning erections,
• an assessment of comorbidities: diabetes, hypertension, lipid disorders,
• a review of medications taken that may affect erections,
• a physical examination,
• laboratory tests, including glucose or HbA1c, lipid profile and testosterone measured in the morning,
• assessment of sleep apnea in the case of snoring and daytime sleepiness,
• in selected cases, penile Doppler ultrasound,
• assessment of the patient's expectations and discussion of what the procedure can actually achieve.

Contraindications to the procedure itself include, among others, active infection at the site of administration, coagulation disorders, blood diseases, active cancer, decompensated chronic diseases and taking certain medications that affect coagulation. A full assessment is carried out by a doctor during qualification.

What does a treatment visit look like?

The procedure takes place on an outpatient basis. After qualifying and signing the informed consent, blood is taken, the preparation is prepared and the administration is performed, usually after applying local anesthesia. The duration of the visit is mainly due to the preparation of the material, not the injection itself.

After the procedure, transient local symptoms are typical: slight swelling, redness, tenderness and possible minor bruising at the injection sites. It is usually recommended to limit intense exercise for a few days, avoid the sauna, swimming pool and hot baths, and refrain from sexual activity for the period indicated by the doctor.

The effect is not assessed immediately after the treatment. The mechanism of action of regenerative preparations is based on the gradual stimulation of repair processes, so the evaluation requires weeks. The number of treatments, the intervals between them and the method of assessing the effect are determined individually by the doctor during qualification.

Possible side effects

Autologous preparation does not mean a risk-free procedure. Each injection disrupts tissue continuity. The following are possible:

• pain, swelling and tenderness at the injection site,
• bruises and hematomas,
• infection of the injection site,
• temporary hardening or unevenness of the tissue,
• vasovagal reaction, i.e. fainting during blood collection or procedure,
• none expected effect,
• the need to perform further treatments with no guarantee of improvement.

Separately, it is worth saying about the place where such procedures are performed. Treatments in the genital area using blood products should be performed by a doctor, under conditions ensuring sterility, after assessing contraindications. The market for "regenerative" treatments is sometimes unregulated, and promises of spectacular effects are a warning signal, not an argument for choosing a salon.

Most common myths

• "Fibrin and plasma are the same." No. PRF is fibrin with a fibrin scaffold, PRP is platelet-rich plasma. They differ in preparation and dynamics of action.
• "Since it's your own blood, there's no risk." NO. The material is autologous, but the injection itself carries local risks.
• "This will replace erectile dysfunction drugs." No. Regenerative methods are not a standard treatment for erectile dysfunction and do not replace diagnosis or causal treatment.
• "The effect is visible immediately." No. It works by stimulating repair processes, assessed over a period of weeks.
• "Fibrin acts as a filler." No. These are two different categories. The filler changes volume mechanically, the fibrin has a biological effect and is absorbed.
• "Thermal treatment makes the preparation durable." No. It increases the absorption time, but the material is still absorbable.
• "The treatment can be performed in any beauty salon." No. It is a medical procedure that requires medical qualifications and sterile conditions.
• "One treatment will solve the problem." No. Protocols usually involve a series, and response to treatment is individual and does not always occur.

Are you considering a regenerative procedure in aesthetic urology?

Start with a consultation during which we will determine the cause of your symptoms. Only on this basis can you assess whether the treatment using an autologous preparation is justified in your case.

Aesthetic and regenerative urology at the Island of Friendly Medicine in Gdańsk

At the Island of Friendly Medicine, Jakub Krącz, M.D., consults men interested in procedures in the field of aesthetic and regenerative. The visit includes an interview, examination, assessment of the causes of the reported symptoms and a discussion of which methods are justified in a given case and which are not.

Part of a reliable qualification also includes advising against a procedure when the problem requires first diagnosis or treatment of the underlying disease, or when the patient's expectations exceed what a given method can provide. The current scope of treatments, availability of dates and prices should be confirmed during registration.

Find out more about Dr. Jakub Krącz Urology consultation Urology

What to ask the doctor before the procedure?

• What is the cause of my symptoms and has it been determined?
• Are there methods with better documented effectiveness in my case?
• Which preparation will be used: fibrin or plasma and why this one?
• Does the protocol include heat treatment and what does it change?
• How many treatments does the protocol include and at what intervals?
• After how long and how will we assess the effect?
• What are the real chances of my situation improving?
• What are the contraindications and do any of them apply to me?
• Do the medications I take affect the ability to perform the procedure?
• What side effects are possible and what to do if they occur?
• How long does the restriction period last after the procedure?
• What will we do if the effect does not occur?

FAQ - liquid fibrin in aesthetic urology

What is liquid fibrin?

This is a preparation obtained from the patient's own blood, containing platelets, leukocytes and growth factors in the fibrin mesh. It is obtained by centrifuging blood collected into dedicated test tubes, without the addition of anticoagulants.

How does it differ from platelet-rich plasma?

PRP is plasma with concentrated platelets, usually prepared with an anticoagulant, releasing growth factors rapidly. PRF contains a fibrin scaffold from which the release occurs gradually over many days.

Is P-Shot a fibrin treatment?

NO. The name P-Shot refers to a treatment using platelet-rich plasma, or PRP. Both terms are sometimes used interchangeably, but they describe different preparations.

Why is heat treatment used?

Controlled heating of the plasma fraction changes the structure of proteins, mainly albumin, thanks to which the material is absorbed more slowly. However, it does not make it permanent - the preparation is still absorbed.

Is it the same as hyaluronic filler?

No. The filler works mechanically, adding volume, and the effect is visible immediately. Autologous preparations work biologically, gradually and are not intended for volume modeling.

Does the treatment improve erection?

Regenerative methods remain an area of ​​limited evidence and are not the standard of care for ED. Effects cannot be promised and response to treatment is individual. Treatment begins with determining the cause of the symptoms.

Does the procedure hurt?

Local anesthesia is usually used. The sensations depend on the area of ​​application and individual sensitivity. After the procedure, the injection site may be tender for a few days.

How many treatments are needed?

Protocols usually involve a series of treatments at specific intervals. The number and schedule are determined by the doctor individually, depending on the purpose of the procedure and the patient's response.

When can you see the effect?

Not immediately after the procedure. The action is based on the gradual stimulation of repair processes, therefore the assessment is carried out after weeks, in accordance with the established control plan.

What are the contraindications?

These include, but are not limited to, active infection at the site of administration, coagulation disorders, blood disorders, active cancer and decompensated chronic diseases. A full assessment is carried out by a doctor during qualification.

Can the preparation be prepared in advance?

No. Liquid fibrin begins to set within a few minutes after centrifugation, so it must be administered immediately after preparation, during the same visit.

Who qualifies for such treatments at WMP?

On the WMP website, Jakub Krącz, M.D., is described as a urologist dealing with the diagnosis and treatment of diseases of the urogenital system as well as procedures in the field of aesthetic and regenerative urology.

Sources

• Wyspa Medycyny Przyjaznej, M.D. Dr. Jakub Krącz: https://www.wyspamedycynyPrzyjaznej.pl/pl/jakub-klacz-urolog-gdansk
• Wyspa Medycyny Przyjaznej, urological consultation: https://www.wyspamedycynyPrzyjaznej.pl/pl/konsultacja-urologiczna
• Island of Friendly Medicine, urology: https://www.wyspamedycynyPrzyjaznej.pl/pl/urologia
• European Association of Urology, Sexual and Reproductive Health Guidelines: https://uroweb.org/guidelines/sexual-and-reproductive-health
• NHS, Erection problems (erectile dysfunction): https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/erection-problems-erectile-dysfunction/
• NICE Clinical Knowledge Summaries, Erectile dysfunction: https://cks.nice.org.uk/topics/erectile-dysfunction/
• FDA, Consumer update on unproven regenerative and stem cell therapies: https://www.fda.gov/consumers/consumer-updates/fda-warns-about-stem-cell-therapies
• British Association of Urological Surgeons, information for patients: https://www.baus.org.uk/patients
• NHS, Cosmetic procedures — what to consider before treatment: https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/cosmetic-procedures/