Artificial skin needed for skin graft

beeza

Silver
Nov 2, 2006
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Back in January this year, my sister-in-law was tragically caught in an explosion in a Metro Gas station in Santiago.

She has been in the Homs hospital since then recovering from third degree burns. She has had multiple skin grafts, which unfortunately haven't all been successful. She is running out of places where they can harvest healthy skin to graft.

Aside from the pain and distress she and our family are going through, the surgeon is now suggesting the use of a new artificial skin. However he, nor any of his colleagues know how to obtain it and the insurance company are reluctant to assist due to the cost of it.

Does anyone have any experiences how one might obtain this skin and how we can instruct the insurance company to purchase it?
 

gringostudent

New member
Jun 20, 2005
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Ive never dealt with this personally, but I do know that its quite common to use american tissue banks when this sort of thing is needed. I think Belmonts suggestion is good.
 

Acira

Silver
Sep 20, 2009
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www.blazingfuries.com
I know the Integra skin grafts are very good but they still need to apply life skin grafts above the Integra grafts to enduce the growth of the epidermus but still...worth to try to contact them because its a proven graft that isnt rejected by the bodies own tissue and gives the burn wound the chance to heal at least from the inside and pretty rapidely also.

Hope all goes well with your sister-in-law.
 

jrjrth

Bronze
Mar 24, 2011
782
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Try this too......

U.S. Department of Health and Human ServicesNational Institutes of HealthUSA.gov
National Institute of General Medical Sciences ? 45 Center Drive MSC 6200 ? Bethesda, MD 20892-6200

Tel: 301-496-7301 ? E-mail: info@nigms.nih.gov
 

SKing

Silver
Nov 22, 2007
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I will ask one of the plastic surgeons here. I am curious to why her own skin grafts have not taken? They usually heal very well. I've only done a few though.

SHALENA

P.S. UNC IN CHAPEL HILL has a very well reknowned and respected Burn center, try to call them....
NC Jaycee Burn Center
101 Manning Drive CB #7600 Chapel Hill, NC 27599-7600.
Phone: 919-966-3693 FAX: 919-966-5732 Espa?ol: 919-966-3464

Welcome to North Carolina Jaycee Burn Center — North Carolina Jaycee Burn Center - UNC School of Medicine
 

Reese

New member
Oct 5, 2010
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Here is the link for American Burn Association. They also have an international outreach progam, although it does not say that they are doing anything in the DR at this time, they should at least be able to give some information. I wish you and your family the best!

American Burn Association


311 S. Wacker Drive, Suite 4150
Chicago, IL 60606
TEL: (312) 642-9260
 

beeza

Silver
Nov 2, 2006
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Thanks for all those really helpful replies. I will follow up on them.
 

PJT

Silver
Jan 8, 2002
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It is tragic about you sister-in-law and PJT sends his best wishes and prayers for her.

PJT finds it appalling HOMS is not being pro-active in a search for the artificial skin and it is a abuse by the insurance company not to assist. However, it is not above suspicion if the skin was obtained the medical staff at HOMS is not medically trained to work with the product. Hence, the hesitancy to obtain it because they don't know how.

The University of Miami, Jackson Memorial Hospital may be a source of information as they have a burn center. Their number is 305-585-1111.

Regards,

PJT
 

beeza

Silver
Nov 2, 2006
3,480
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So what happened, was she getting gas when everything just exploded?

She is an employee of Metro Gas. She was an unfortunate victim of a horrible accident. Her colleague had finished gassing a minibus. The driver of the minibus assumed that the hose had been disconnected as he had paid and got his change. However, the hose hadn't been disconnected and the driver proceeded to drive off.

The hose broke and there was a massive leak. The hose also pulled down a metal structure that caused a spark as it hit the ground. My sister-in-law was engulfed in the fireball.

A tragic story. She was a young beautiful woman with such a positive outlook on life.

Credit where credit is due. Metro Gas have done absolutely everything to care for her since the accident. But we are now at a stage where desperation sets in. Three out of four skin grafts have failed and her new surgeon wants to try this artificial skin.

The reason for this appeal for suggestions is that he keeps running into obstacles trying to get it. As you would imagine these obstacles are being put in place by the insurance company which is just a corporate monster without any concern of the patient's pain and suffering.
 

Trainman33

Bronze
Dec 11, 2009
1,146
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I would check with the health ministry to see if anyone in the DR is trained for this product. It was originally made for military use, I would call the DR army hospital.