“Lucky man!” – the rest of the Biotech’s patients say about Volodymyr as they hear the news that the metal structure is going to be removed from his leg shortly. It is good news, indeed: Volodymyr has been wearing the external fixation apparatus for more than one year. His recovery took time as the bone was not fusing up fast. Also, his injury was very serious – it was one of the most difficult cases within the Biotech project.
However, yesterday, the chief surgeon of the Bioengineering Rehabilitation for Wounded project, Volodymyr Oksymets, examined the leg, had a look at the latest X-rays and allowed to install dampers on apparatus (it is a kind of amortization in insignificant motion of metal spins). Usually, this is done before apparatus removal, so Volodymyr will have to come for medical examination in a month and a half. If all is well, he will go home without apparatus!
Volodymyr was severely injured near the village of Popasna in June, 2015. Being a fighter of the National Guard, he was on duty at a checkpoint when russian terrorists shelled the city with “Grads” MLRS in the morning. One rocket exploded in three meters’ distance from the fighter: he lacked a second to reach the dug-out. His arms and legs got damaged by numerous shrapnel fragments. Also, his left leg got hit by a part of shell casing which torn the muscles and skin off and heavily injured the bone.
After this, Volodymyr spent a year in conventional hospitals, but despite 16 surgeries his leg remained non-supportive. Due to a 14 centimeter defect in the bone, there was no other option left except for treatment with the help of biotechnologies. If it was not for them, the damaged leg would have remained 6 centimeters shorter. Moreover, it would break in future, because at conventional clinic they replaced the tibia with a thinner fibula. This substitute makes leg’s bone much weaker, and in 100% of cases causes subsequent fracture.
Within the Biotech project, Volodymyr got 10 centimeters of the damaged bone restored, and the doctors decided to complete the missing length using the Ilizarov apparatus. For a year, Volodymyr has been undergoing regular medical check-ups that showed: the new tissue was step by step forming up.
Volodymyr Mykhailovych shows how, instead of hollowness filled with a mess of bones, we can clearly see the new bone
During the latest medical examination, Volodymyr Mykhailovych Oksymets recommended the guy to start stepping on the injured leg. Volodymyr was unable to do this for many years! At first, carefully, with a big angle to floor, he moves his leg far forward. “Go ahead”, – the doctor smiles and offers him to step on entire foot. The man goes overjoyed: in a month and a half, if all goes well, he will make his first steps without apparatus. Difficult treatment was totally worth it, he admits!
The full price of his treatment which made up 665 345 hryvnias, we, the volunteers of People’s Project, have paid for with the help of sympathetic contributors. We are deeply thankful to all the people who proved supportive in treatment of the severely injured fighters! Today, a number of other wounded are undergoing treatment within the Bioengineering Rehabilitation for Wounded project, so we are urging you to support them as well: please do it by clicking the big green button below right now, as even a tiny contribution is always better than big inaction.
