Serhiy K, 40. The treatment is in progress

How is Serhiy’s treatment progressing?

Wounded:

Serhiy K, 40, a fighter with the 30th Separate Mechanized Brigade, wounded near Debaltseve.

Wound:

– Due to a mortar explosion – chronic osteomyelitis of the left femur on the border of the upper and middle thirds with loss of form;
– remaining state after the use of a blocking pin causing lasting instability;
– a defect of the left femur of 9 cm;
– shortening of the left lower limb up to 3 cm.

It is 18 months since Serhiy was wounded and his injuries have been treated by conventional methods for a lengthy period of time. In treating the defect of the femur, doctors have caused shortening of the leg. Yet still, fusion at the fracture site has not occurred due to osteomyelitis (bone infection). On the contrary, more bone has been destroyed. Now the hip defect is about 13 cm, and osteomyelitis continues to destroy bone. Without the use of cellular technology, the soldier is threatened with disability or even amputation.

More information about the wounded:

Serhiy fought in the 30th separate mechanized brigade. He was wounded in the defense of Debaltseve on February 3, 2015. During a mortar attack fragments seriously injured his thigh, he lost a lot of blood, was unconscious, so does not remember how he ended up in hospital.
Serhiy was treated in hospital in Artemivsk, where he underwent five operations on his leg. In May 2015 the soldier’s femur was shortenened by 3 cm and an orthopedic pin was fitted. However, because of the progression of the osteomyelitis infection, a futher 9 cm of bone was lost. When Serhiy realized that traditional methods of treatment used in hospitals were not helping, he then enlisted the help of the Bioengineering Rehabilitation for Wounded project. The project’s doctors have developed a treatment regimen for the fighter that will save his leg. They must first remove the gangrenous part of the bone, and after overcoming the purulent process they will restore the bone using biotechnology.

Serhiy was born in Malyn, in the Zhytomyr Region. Before the war he worked at the local paper mill, then as a security guard in Kyiv. He was mobilized in May 2015 during the first wave. Serhiy went to the East with sincere intentions to protect children and their homeland. During his service in the ATO zone he took part in battles near the cities of Shchastya, Lutugino, Antratsyt, and Vesela Gora.
At home waiting for him to recover his family – his wife Tatyana and three children: 21-year-old and 16-year-old daughters and a 15-year-old son. Together we can help Serhiy rapidly recover and return home.

Required treatment:

Reconstructive and restorative treatment of damaged femur using biotechnology.

Itemized costs for diagnosis and treatment:

1. Examination for treatment (therapy, orthopedics, biotechnologists) – 14 900 UAH
2. Sampling fragment of the fibula and red bone marrow (discount 40%) – 18 060 UAH
3. Endothelial cells, 40 million cells (discount 50%) – 32 000 UAH
4. Periosteal cells, 40 million (discount 50%) – 32 000 UAH
5. MSCs from bone marrow, 200 million (discount 50%) – 121 000 UAH
6. 3D media for cells – bone blocks and bone chips (discount 40%) – 43 254 UAH
7. Anesthesia (discount 15%) – 5 023.5 UAH
8. Reconstructive-restorative treatment in the hospital, including the cost of three operations (discount 40%) – 260 034 UAH

Budget update:
During the first stage of Serhiy’s treatment – collecting of cellular material and removal of gangrenous bone parts, doctors discovered that the bone problems were more complex than it was estimated according to x-rays and preliminary checkup. Two additional surgeries had to be performed to audit the wound. The cost of these operations amounted to 76,726 hryvnias. Also during various stages of Serhiy’s treatment in 2017 due to the complexity of the case incurred additional expenses amounted to 39,799 hryvnia. Among others: the cost of additional examinations, the extension of anesthesia, consumables, as well as an increase in the number of days stay in a hospital.

Sergiy is recovering – the new bone, that was grown with his cells to replace the 9 cm defect, is forming rather rapidly and getting stronger. Sergiy was advised to proceed to moderate exercises. Unfortunately, he took this advice a little bit too far. Due to excessive physical activity, several fixing screws broke. When it happened the bone was already strong enough to sustain the impact. Thus the bone is fortunately fine, but the metal screws need replacement. Doctors had to perform urgent unplanned surgery – reosteosynthesis to fix the plate with new screws. The cost of this additional stage amounted to UAH 65,022.

The process of transplantation and healing of the patient’s bone tissue has been successful. In the course of rehabilitation, that took place outside the clinic, in the state hospital, an aggravation of an infectious disease happened. During the acute phase of the disease, the fragment of the transplanted bone has dissolved, which was neglected. The cost of the additional stage of treatment will be 272 334 UAH.

Updated cost of treatment including medical center discount of 43%: 980 152 UAH