Doctors in Andalucía have carried out the first skin transplant in Spain, using skin generated from the patients own samples.

A team from the University of Granada Hospital together with one from the Serious Burns Unit at the Hospital Virgen del Rocío, Málaga have been working on this technique which has accelerated skin regeneration and contributed to the survival rate of burn victims.

What’s new about this technique is two fold: the use of a new formula incorporating agarose, which is a polysaccharide polymer material, generally extracted from seaweed. Agarose has helped enormously in the clinical handling of new skin; its adhesion capacity and response to stitching.

The second factor is nanostructure under pressure; i.e. microstructure at nanoscale. This helps the new skin mold and adapt itself with the maximum precision to the affected area.

The patient, in this case, has suffered 70% burns to his body.

According to medical reports this is the first time in the world that nanostructured artificial skin has been transplanted using a fibre-agarose matrix.

Starting with two layers with a 4-sq/cm surface, scientists have been able to produce 5,900 sq/cm of skin, sufficient to cover completely all four of the patient’s limbs, chest, stomach, lower back and the left side of his back.

A month after two separate operations, the patients is progressing well, able to walk without assistance, having full functional capacity of his arms and legs. In fact, if there are no complications, he will be able to go home within three to four weeks.

(News: Andalucia)