Vitaliy K, 26. Main treatment stages completed. Rehabilitation is in progress

How Vitaliy’s treatment is progressing:

Wounded:

Vitaliy K, 26, a fighter with the 28th Separate Mechanized Brigade, wounded August 14, 2014 near Savur-Mohyla in the Donetsk region.

Wound:

Left leg: The consequences of high-explosive combat trauma;
– improperly fused fracture of the left tibia between the middle and lower third
– varus deformity of the left foot with severe pain.

It has been 18 months from the date of injury, but Vitaliy still can not carry weight on the leg. He is plagued with severe pain. There is continuous swelling in the lower leg and foot. His foot is also a few centimeters shorter due to significant distortions. Vitaliy needs to undergo several operations to help restore the natural state of the foot and lower leg and allow him to live without constant pain and physical limitation.

More information about the wounded:

Vitaliy, a 28th Brigade fighter Ombre (from Odesa), was wounded near Savur-Mohyla on August 14, 2014, during heavy mortar shelling of the tank Vitaliy was in. The tank fell from a road bridge and the hero received injuries to his left leg (foot and lower leg) and abdomen. One of his colleagues in the tank was killed.

After being wounded, Vitaliy was treated in the field hospital in Rozivtsi. From there he was sent to Kyiv and then to Odesa. There he received treatment mostly on the soft tissue to the shin and he underwent six surgeries before he could stand on the leg at all.
In November 2014 he underwent plastic surgery in hospital and was fitted with an Ilizarov apparatus. Then Vitaliy received a group 3 disability rating and was dismissed from the Armed Forces as unfit for service. Since then, the soldier has been plagued by persistent pain in the foot and lower leg for up to an hour after walking on it. By evening his foot swells greatly. To obtain help from the Bioengineering Rehabilitation for Wounded project, Vitaliy was advised by volunteer Olha Dombrovskaya in an Odesa hospital.
Vitaliy is an army contractor with five years of service immediately after training. He joined the ATO joined from the beginning – in March 2014. He participated in the battles of Krasnodon, Heorhiivka, Savur-Mohyla.
Vitaliy lives in Odessa. Interestingly, before the war he engaged in professional sports – martial arts. He competed in the team championships in the city. Let’s help the hero to return to a normal life!

Required treatment:

Reconstructive and restorative treatment to the leg and foot, which will helps maximize the return of leg function.

Itemized costs for diagnosis and treatment:

1. Examination and expert advice for treatment (study of cells, blood, urine, control X-rays, ECG, etc) – 14 155 UAH
2. Sampling fragments of the fibula and red bone marrow (discount 40%) – 16 350 UAH
3. Periosteal cells, 20 million (discount 30%) – 28 000 UAH
4. MSCs from bone marrow, 60 million (discount 30%) – 64 400 UAH
5. Total cost of reconstructive and restorative treatment (discount 40%) – 177 434 UAH

Budget update:
Vitali underwent the treatment for improperly aligned fracture of tibia and varus deformity. He can already step on his leg and apply pressure to the healed bone. However, for complete functional recovery of the limb, additional procedures need to be performed. Firstly, the external fixation device has been removed, and now doctors are going to deal with the extension of the flexor tendons toes. The cost of additional procedures amounted to 46 921 UAH.

Back in 2016, the treatment of improperly fused fracture of the left tibia and varus deformity of the left foot was completed. After the bones healed, doctors performed an extension of the flexor tendons toes. Now, in the process of rehabilitation, arose the need for an additional treatment stage that was scheduled for September 2017. It was impossible to foresee at the beginning of the treatment. In order to regain maximum leg function and minimize the effects of the injury, the doctors plan to extend the Achilles tendon and carry out the tenolysis using the repositioning apparatus. This will help relieve pain during walking and improve motor foot functions. The cost of this additional treatment stage, which includes removal of the fixation device, will amount to 91 972 UAH.

Updated cost of treatment including medical center discount of 36%: 439 232 UAH