At this very moment, while you are reading these lines, the doctors of the Biotech are performing another surgery on Petro‘s leg. The treatment scheme has been altered a bit: as Petro got positively better and strengthened following the previous operations, the doctors have taken occasion to draw him onto the surgery table again. Today Petro will undergo two more reconstructive surgeries at once – the medics are going to build up the massive of soft tissues in his foot. To perform this, they will partially transplant fragments of the skin and partly recompense the soft tissues defect with the skin flap directly on his living foot.
But the main news is that it is for the first time the surgeons will deal with the bones of the foot. In the course of surgery, they will prepare the recipient bed – the place for further transplantation of a new bone fragment. Right now the new bone is getting ready at their lab. In some time, about a month or two, it will come to restoration of the heel bone.
This is the fragment out of which Petro’s foot is being restored
Petro himself feels fine and quite happy. Obviously, he is far better than that pale-faced unhappy guy which he was when we met him for the first time. For today, the guy looks visibly stronger; he even gained some weight and does not look that weary as before, anymore.
Let us remind you that in May Petro, a young paratrooper with the 81st Airmobile Brigade, had struck an enemy anti-personnel landmine. Due to the PMN-2 explosion, his heel bone went practically torn off and the entire foot destroyed. In a military hospital, they got Petro mentally and physically prepared to inevitable amputation, still thanks to the eagerness of his friends as well as volunteers he took a risk and, on the very day of pre-appointed amputation, applied to the «Bioengineering Rehabilitation for Wounded» project. The specialists at ilaya clinic, the Project’s consistent base hospital, persuaded him not to agree to the irreversible amputation as it always makes the last, final option to choose. Instead, the Project’s chief surgeon, an orthopedist and traumatologist Volodymyr Oksymets offered Petro a plan: a prolonged and painful, still resultative, treatment leading to complete restoration of the injured foot. Over time, subsequent to a number of reconstructive surgeries, the doctors managed to assemble a rather presentable duplicate of a foot out of that dreadful bloody mess the guy previously had. Besides, they also succeeded to get the tibia fused. Now the medics continue working on formation of the foot and the soft tissues restoration, aiming to start reconstruction of bone structures soon.
For comparison: the foot before the treatment and the same foot a few days ago, following the first stage of restoration
Meanwhile we, the volunteers at People’s Project, are proceeding with our part of work as well: people’s donations still remain the only source enabling us to pay for Petro’s treatment within the Project. We have already accumulated and paid bills for about 700 thousand hryvnias. A fairly lesser sum is still needed; it makes over 130 thousand. All this money will be paid for complete restoration of Petro’s heavily damaged foot and bringing it to the condition which will allow him to step and walk on his own legs in full. So if all together we participate in this conjoint action and raise the required amount of money; if everyone donates just a small sum, – this wonderful guy who sacrificed his health for our peace and security, will get back to normal life. And he deserved it, did not he? So dear friends, please join the «Bioengineering Rehabilitation for Wounded» project, and together we will get it done very soon!
