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Healthcare Breakthrough: New Collagen Gel Saves Leg From Amputation 

LONDON, February 12 /PRNewswire/ -- Dr Ananthram Shetty, orthopaedic surgeon based in England, has recently performed a world's first to save a climbers leg using a ground-breaking technique combining collagen gel and stem cells to fuse bone together.

Mr Shetty recently used the new technique on Andrew Kent from Gillingham, Kent, after he badly broke his leg and traditional surgery failed. For the first time ever doctors used stem cells to heal bones in a technique that could revolutionise orthopaedic operations.

Initially Mr Kent had been warned he faced amputation when a large boulder fell on his right leg, breaking it in five places in April 2009. His tibia had broken through the skin above his ankle. He was taken to the Cumberland Infirmary inCarlisle, where he underwent three operations to pin his bones back together.But his wound became seriously infected and he was transferred to the Spire Alexandra Hospital, Kent. Surgeons warned that he was likely to lose his leg unless they tried the new procedure.

"Receiving that news is devastating," Mr Kent said. "But I'm now delighted. I can wiggle my toes and the prognosis is encouraging."

Mr Shetty removed stem cells from Mr Kent's hip bone-marrow. These were mixed with the collagen gel called Surgifill to make a paste, which was smeared into the fractures. They finally fixed his leg in a metal cage to gently squeeze the bones together. The cage was removed in December, six months after the Surgifill procedure.

Mr Shetty explains "This is an amazing technique with remarkable results. I was able to put my whole body weight on his leg and the bones remained solid."

Surgifill and Cartifill, a gel procedure used to repair knee cartilage, were developed by orthopaedic surgeon Professor Seok-jung Kim, Director of RMS (Regenerative Medical System) a South Korean bio-medical company, in partnership with the UK's Spire Healthcare, where Mr Shetty predominately operates.

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Dr Kim, a recognised pioneer in the biotech field, says "This is a very exciting advancement in surgery as early results indicate Cartifill may be extremely beneficial, particularly for knee surgery as Cartifill is extremely beneficial to patients with cartilage damage to the knee, especially patella (knee cap)."

Mr Shetty, Senior Lecturer at King's College, London is the only surgeon worldwide trained to carry out the Surgifill and Cartifill procedures. "I see huge potential for these techniques and I hope to be able to perform this operation inIndia on a regular basis. The gel holds the stem cells against the bone to form new cartilage. Ten patients have been treated so far in Britain with an 80% success rate. The technique costs far less than alternative techniques making it far more accessible for people in India," Mr Shetty said.

The minimally-invasive cartilage technique is a one stage day case procedure, with a recovery time of up to six weeks, compared to alternative treatments which generally need two stage surgery three days in hospital and minimum twelve to fourteen week recovery.

The Shetty-Kim technique has been hailed as one of the surgical advances of the decade and already Mr Shetty has received enquiries from around the world.This technique will be available in Mangalore and Bangalore soon.

Photos available

http://www.spirehealthcare.com/alexandra/The-Kent-Knee-Unit/Meet-the-team--contact-us/

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http://www.rmsbio.net