Petro B, 24. Treatment is in progress

Wounded:

Petro B, 24, fighter fighter with the 80th Brigade, wounded near Lugansk Airport.

Wound:

Left leg: the consequences of open vertebral-spinal injuries – bruises to the spinal cord in the lower-thoracic region. Severe paresis (incomplete paralysis of muscles) of the left foot.

Half-a-year after his injuries and the subsequent operations took place there is still no restoration of leg function. Muscle atrophy in the soldier’s leg continues as he can not rely on the leg to carry weight and is reliant on crutches to walk. In addition, the soldier is plagued by severe back pain. In case of non-treatment, he will remain disabled because of atrophied leg, and the fact it can not carry any weight will lead to curvature of the spine. However an ilaya Medical Center neurosurgeon expects good results in paravertebral nerve recovery (in the spinal canal) after the introduction of cellular material.

More information about the wounded:

Petro, a fighter with the 80th Brigade, was wounded on August 16, 2014 near Lugansk Airport. During defense of the airport from separatist fighters, he received numerous shrapnel wounds, including an open vertebral-spinal injury.

Wounded, Petro was transported to a Kharkiv hospital, where his first surgery was performed, and then – transferred to Lviv. A few days after surgery the fighter was able to move his left leg, but the recovery process then stopped. The soldier’s foot has been non-operational for about 1.5 years. His thigh muscles have atrophied and he experiences a loss of sensitivity. Petro walks using crutches. In addition, he often feels pain in his back.

The soldier gained assistance under the social project Bioengineering Rehabilitation for Wounded with the help of Valery Dubov, who takes care of wounded in Lviv. The neurosurgeon at ilaya Medical Center expects good results in the recovery paravertebral nerves after the introduction of cellular material. Treatment will take place in three stages: sampling of cellular material followed by two paravertebral introductions after a certain period of time. The expected result is recovery of leg function.

Petro, a native of Lviv, began service in the army in 2013, later switching to contract service, where he became friends with another fighter and participant in our project – Dmytro. They served together in the ATO from the spring of 2014, tasked with defending their homeland.
Waiting at home for Petro to recover are his parents, brother, sister and a large circle of friends.

Required treatment:

Restoration of nerve tissue using cellular technology.

Itemized costs for diagnosis and treatment:

• Consultation with neurosurgeon, sampling cellular material via liposuction and punch-biopsy (discount 40%) – 4 600 UAH
• Cultivation of MSC in suspension, 40 million (discount 30%) – 38 920 UAH
• Neural cells, 40 million (discount 30%) – 49 000 UAH
• Paravertebral introduction of cellular material in two stages – 16 200 UAH

Budget update

Biotechnological treatment needed to recover after spinal cord injury, is performed in three stages. During the second stage the need for additional injection of autologous cells in the area of the lower leg occured. The cost of the procedure amounted to 15 180 UAH.

Petro responds to the treatment very well. There are first serious results – sensitivity returns to his legs, he can stand and walk without support. To secure positive dynamics soldier needs to undergo the third phase of the cell treatment. The cost of the final part of the treatment amounted to 68 900 UAH.