Save your skin thanks to the transplant
"With the accident that happened to me, that we managed to save me thanks to skin transplants and the incredible energy of the medical team, I am really impressed.»»»»
Simon Bessette, 35 years old, was burned on 52% of his body.The team he talks about is that of the Chum-hotel-Dieu where he was hospitalized for three months, including one in a coma state.In total, its recovery will have taken four years.
In March 2012, this young environment technician devoted himself to urban climbing.It was on the pylon of a power line when an arc of 3,300,000volts traveled its body.Simon Bessette has no memory of this accident, her fire clothes, his transport to the hospital.
Save your skin with transplants
The skin is the largest of our organs.When it undergoes thermal, electric, chemical or radioactive burns in the third or fourth degree, autogreffe or homogreffe is essential, literally to save the life of the patient.In the first case, it is the skin of the patient himself that is used.In the second, it is that of donors.
The donation of human tissues improves the quality of life of 20 people, sick or accident, needing a transplant.
In order to increase tissue donations, CHUM and Héma-Québec have been acting in concert for almost a year.They have reviewed their identification and recommendation processes for potential human tissue donors and concentrate their steps at the BUSE management office of the CHUM.
Thanks to this centralization of the process, potential candidates for tissue donations increased by 182%.
Simon Bessette and Dr Ali Izadpanah in a CHUM corridor.
Photo: Radio-Canada / Anne Marie Lecomte
Dressings made of human skin
Severe burns like those suffered by M.Bessette cannot be treated by Autogreffe at first.Hence the importance for the healthcare team to have the skin...of another.
"In general, electric and thermal burns are very deep," explains Ali Izadpanah, director of surgery to the burn unit of CHUM.It is very difficult to determine the depth during surgery.[…] If we use the patient's skin, alive, we can lose it if it is not unbridled enough.»»»»To unbridle is to remove the burnt skin.It is then necessary to clean the area which will receive this biological dressing.The skin is then pierced like a net and stretched to cover the wounds.
Homogreffe is neither more nor less a biological dressing applied to the wound for two to three weeks in order to control temperature loss, loss of humidity and infection. «Un autre type de pansement n’est pas aussi efficace que cette peau humaine qui va couvrir le patient en attendant que sa propre peau se régénère et qu’on fasse une autogreffe»»»», dit le Dr Izadpanah.Skin regeneration requires up to two weeks.
Par ces étapes cruciales, on stabilise le patient; «il y a moins de mortalité et moins de morbidité»»»», dit le Dr Izadpanah.
When a big burnt arrives, it is necessary...
- régler les problèmes vitaux et procéder aux évaluations cardiaque et neurologique;
- sécuriser les voies aériennes et les poumons, possiblement l’intuber;
- évaluer s'il doit être plongé dans un coma artificiel;
- assurer la circulation sanguine et empêcher les brûlures circulaires (torses, bras, jambes) d’agir tel un garrot et fassent mourir les membres;
- enlever les tissus nécrosés, nettoyer et panser les plaies afin d’éviter une infection grave;
- procéder à la réanimation liquidienne, puisque les plaies coulent et déshydratent.
Source: Gauge burnt unit of the boyfriend
5000 transplants in 2018
The criteria surrounding the donation of skin, cartilage and bone are less restrictive than those who govern the donation of other organs.It is up to Héma-Québec to take and analyze the skin from deceased who agreed to organ donation.
But Héma-Québec would like to provide more fabrics taken from the CHUM, which deals 75 % of the Bau Brûlées in Quebec, the remaining 25 % of the Laval University Hospital Center (Chul) in Quebec.Tissue samples are automatically taken from those who have signed their organ donation card.Last year, we were able to achieve 5000greffes thanks to 945 fees.
If we consent to organ donation, it is important to communicate to your loved ones its decision to consent to the gift of fabrics, since it is the latter who will speak on behalf of the donor to his death.
Essential psychological help
Simon Bessette says he always had the hope of getting out of it.That said, his recovery goes beyond his expectations.
"Already, just to learn that we have come close to death and that we burned on half the body, it's a big shock," he says.Afterwards, we think of the future and we understand what is coming.At that time, I would not have thought that, seven years later, I would have been in good shape, also in health.»»»»
Certainly, medicine saved it.But his survival, he also owes it to the psychological support from which he benefited.
Dr Ali Izadpanah, Director of surgery to the Gallow Burnt of the CHUM, Nathalie Rouchet, assistant nursing chief, UGB Chum, Simon Bessette, Vanessa Pelletier-Jourdain, spokesperson for Héma-Québec.
Photo: Courtesy - Chum
"The medical team is fantastic.People by my side gave me the energy every day to continue, which allowed me to never discourage me because they are so positive.People answered my questions frankly and I felt surrounded by a family, in a way. Ça a fait toute la différence»»»», conclut Simon Bessette.
With the information of Michel Marsolais
