German Doctors Improve Burn Treatment
German Doctors Improve Burn Treatment
A “spray-on skin” technique has revolutionized burn treatment, which has advanced significantly over the last 10 years. Berlin doctors have developed their own version, which helps burn victims return to normal lives.
The “spray-on skin” technique, pioneered by Australian surgeon Fiona Wood, was used to treat Australians who were victims of the Bali bombings in 2002.
WARNING: An image below may offend those who are sensitive to images of pain.A biopsy of healthy skin tissue is taken from the patient, put in a suspension and cultured for five days, and then sprayed back into the wound. The body responds to the cells, healing with less scarring than skin graft treatments.
Many burns units around the world now use the technique. Doctors at Berlin’s Trauma Hospital have developed their own version where the skin cells are ready in one and a half to two hours.