We have been updating Oleksandr’s story quite often, so, sticking to the tradition, we are going to tell you about the current condition of this nice man. Since lately Oleksandr got his massive metal scrap removed from his leg, and the leg itself looks much better that at the beginning of his treatment at the Biotech.
Oleksandr’s leg a few months ago and right now. This implies stretching the limb up to 7 cm in length, a difficult fracture fused up and good chances to return to walking on his own two legs soon
Oleksandr joined the Bioengineering Rehabilitation for Wounded project yet in late 2015. In January, while on guard duty near Avdiivka, where Oleksandr fought with the 93rd Mechanized Brigade, the man got under heavy hostile shelling. A mine had exploded nearby, and its fragments injured his leg severely.
One can hardly distinct anything amidst these bone fragments: this was the mess Oleksandr joined the Project with
Before the moment Oleksandr joined the cell technology, he had already undergone seven surgeries in conventional state hospitals. Still the injured bone did not hasten to get fused up. The shell fragment had smashed out a major part of the tibia, and the defect in length made 7 centimeters; the tangential defect reached up to another twelve centimeters; in other words, the side surface of the bone was heavily injured and cut for that length. The only thing doctors guaranteed to Oleksandr, was the fact the leg had to be cut off shortly.
For today, the doctors have performed the complete range of possible and necessary stages of surgical treatment. First, they took out cell materials – later they grew up the necessary cell cultures out of these; thoroughly cleared the affected areas and prepared the crushed bones for further operations. Later, the doctors of the Project transplanted the proper newly grown fragment of the bone into the injured shin, which recompensed 7 centimeters of the lacking length, and restored the lateral surface of the bone using cell materials. One should keep in mind numerous reconstructive surgeries: along with renovation of the bones the doctors had also to restore the muscles, skin and connective tissues of the shin.
This is how the wound looked like following a few months after the main surgery. The cultivated fragment is successfully growing into its due place, and lateral defects are being substituted by a newly grown bone thanks to the application of cell technologies
For now, arthrodesis has become the last stage of treatment: as soon as the muscles and the ligaments gone severely cut with the shell fragments, the restoration of the muscle structure of the leg that had to enable the foot moving like before, proved impossible. That is why the doctors had to carry out the arthrodesis, that is firm connection of the foot and the shin – in view of such severe injuries this very solution is rather commonly used in treatment. For the period during which the fixed artificial connection got healed and gained strength, the leg was supported by the Ilizarov apparatus, which has been removed now. Since now, Oleksandr will have to train the leg actively and get it used to the increasing workload.
Probably the hardest part of treatment: learning to walk on his own two legs anew
Practically all the funds for Oleksandr’s treatment, which constituted over half a million hryvnias, were raised as benevolent donations and contributions. The man’s employers, the Interpipe company, have contributed a lot. His friends and comrades assisted greatly as well. Major part of the sum we, the volunteers at People’s Project, raised within the Bioengineering Rehabilitation for Wounded project thanks to the support of those who did not happen to know Oleksandr in person, still absolutely sympathetic folks. Now the result is obvious: the man who once had been appointed amputation, is nearly able to walk on his own legs. Still, our shared support seems will be always required: since Oleksandr is far from being the Project’s last patient and in view of the state’s continuous keeping away from the severely wounded fighter’s troubles, the challenge of their rehabilitation becomes our shared moral duty. Yes, one can reject the very idea of it or prefer the money-saving option of refraining from it; eventually, it is still possible to stay away from the initiative and the idea in general – still can you comprehend what the price for our probable indifference could be? The guys who sacrificed their well-being and nearly lost their lives for us, for you and me, can remain doomed to lifetime maim. Rather a bad idea, don’t you think?
