We are incredibly lucky to work with a network of medical professionals who bring the gift of life full circle by treating patients with our allografts, delivering amazing results. We are proud to continue our work with a number of surgeons around the country to advance the possibilites of tissue transplantation with the testing of new allografts.
Here Woody Roseland talks about his cancer and how he stays positive despite the odds. His trusted surgeon, Dr. Kelly, is by his side to give expert information on cancer and limb preservation. Check out their interview below.
A chat with Dr. Richard Kagan about his use of allograft tissue as a burn surgeon, and what tissue donation means to him
Dr. Kagan is the Chief of Staff at the Shriners Hospital for Children in Cincinnati and Professor of Surgery at the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine
Q: Describe why allograft skin is crucial to save and heal burn victims.
A: It provides a temporary wound cover until the wound is ready to accept the patient’s own skin or until the patient’s limited donor sites are available for autografting.
Q: Why do you use allograft skin for the treatment of burns, versus synthetic materials?
A: I use a combination of both, but 90% of the time fresh allograft is my preference because it will vascularize and adhere to the wound bed better. Allograft tissue creates a temporary wound cover that permits the patient’s condition to improve without the need to create an additional wound from the harvesting of autologous skin. My use is predominantly in deep and/or extensive burns in which case the allograft tissue is potentially lifesaving, but I also use it in the treatment of small burns, abrasion injuries and infected wounds because of its reliable effectiveness.
Q: What do you look forward to in terms of new innovations and new possibilities for tissue transplantation in the future?
A: I’d like to see day when the viability of allograft skin is actually measurable and repeatable so when a surgeon wants fresh or viable skin there’s a measure that implies or guarantees a standard. I’d also like to see more techniques developed to store and maintain the viability of allogeneic tissue, so we don’t have to hope the timing of a donation and a clinical need coincide. (more…)
As medicine continues to advance, so too do possibilities for tissue donation and transplant. One of the latest medical treatments available use stem cells from tissue donors.
Check out this exciting story out of Baltimore with Dr. Mark Myerson, director of Mercy Medical Center’s Institute for Foot and Ankle Reconstruction. Dr. Myerson used AlloStem Stem Cell Bone Growth Substitute to re-grow bone in the ankle of a woman from New Jersey who was originally told her leg would have to be amputated following a devastating car accident.
OrthoSuperSite reported this week on promising 7-year follow up results for patients who have received a meniscal allograft transplant – the transplant of a meniscus and cartilage from a deceased donor. This procedure is for treatment of patients who have suffered a torn meniscus, suffer from knee pain and do or may suffer from arthritis.
According to the story: “Brian J. Cole, MD, MBA, presented his group’s findings at the 2011 Annual Meeting of the Arthroscopy Association of America … Cole reported that the procedure could reduce pain, increase range of motion and improve joint function in the long term.”
This week we were pleased to chat with Dr. Francis, a podiatric surgeon from Tulsa, about his use of allograft tissue and his hopes for tissue transplant in the future.
Today, we know how to use allografts to replace damaged structures within the human body. Accredited processing facilities such as AlloSource are able to provide safe allografts to surgeons and patients. Skilled surgeons can use allograft tissue or bone to replace almost any bodily structure — from the ligaments and tendons of our major league sports players to the musculoskeletal structures, skin, and spinal components of average citizens.
Tomorrow, we will know more about the growth biology of the human body. About regenerating bone and tissue and using donor stem cells to re-grow physical structures. We’ll have more of the information we need to achieve long-term success with groundbreaking procedures such as full limb transplantation.
Currently, physicians of different specialties are working together to solve some of the most difficult issues in limb reconstruction. Surgical teams from the Denver Center for Extremities at Risk and Colorado State University Animal Cancer Center have devised a method for live, full joint transplants. While the work is very promising, additional research is needed in order to block rejection of these living tissues.
As more of our communities learn about these remarkable discoveries and choose to pass along their precious gifts, AlloSource will be able to find new ways to maximize those gifts and surgical teams will be able to provide patients with restored function and movement we thought was impossible.
Today, we know how to use allografts to replace damaged structures within the human body. Accredited processing facilities such as AlloSource are able to provide safe allografts to surgeons and patients. Skilled surgeons can use allograft tissue or bone to replace almost any bodily structure — from the ligaments and tendons of our major league sports players to the musculoskeletal structures, skin, and spinal components of average citizens.
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