Heading for the doctor, one would normally expect pills, ointments or drops. A needle or a knife, perhaps, in cases more extreme. Apparently, the above may soon be replaced by cells from patient’s own body, transplanted to the sick place and undertaking to make things well.
As a rule surgeries do not start by doctors prying open a huge plywood box. For starters, doctor Andrus Loog yells not «scalpel», rather asking for ordinary scissors – to cut the package open.
Assisted by doctor Romek Märtsin, the warm-up is over: the brand new Cytori apparatus gets nicely unpacked, rides out the box and heads for the operation theatre, followed by Pille Kirjanen, many a nurse and looks of admiration.
For a mere onlooker, the thing differs not from a washing machine. Even so, the white casing hides a portative lab getting stem cells from people’s fatty tissue – cells of the regenerative kind. Simply put, these are the cells primitive enough to get adjusted at new locations, starting a new life in other parts of the human body.
While, earlier, it took tremendous effort to produce stem cells of bone marrow, five-six months ago contemporary medicine made the discovery: a person’s own fat will help. For that, the Cytori machine will have to shake the fat – gotten by liposuction – for an hour and a half, in a transparent container. And do some other things as well.
«For the doctors of the future, fat tissue is pure gold,» prophesies Mr Loog, head of Hospital of Reconstructive Surgery.
Childhood tragedy
All is in readiness. As soon as the machine is tuned up, physicians get busy making history. The day was April 16th, 2013.
Tomorrow, September 27 of the same year, the results are to be boasted at a Pärnu conference, for colleagues to see: Estonia’s first patient whose burnt and damaged arm has been made whole by her own stem cells, as assisted by the abovementioned miracle machine. The blessed one – and guest of honour at the conference – being Anett Torri (soon 19). The first person in Estonia cured by her own cells and not medicines.
At Postimees’ initial meeting with Anett, the latter had already been «put to sleep» for the operation. So, we got our pictures ere it was disclosed that the girl, currently working at a Prisma store, is dreaming to be a veterinarian.
For most of her young years, Anett has been thinking that a disfigured left arm will always be her lot. Being left-handed, and practicing dancing.
At 6 years of age, a terrible thing took place. Lively and liking to dance, she got entangled in an electrical heater which set her dress aflame. Grandfather, tasked with keeping an eye on her, had removed his hearing-aid and nodded off for a moment.
«I guess he woke up, smelling something burning,» recalls Anett, looking back to the event leading to a childhood of travelling the hospitals.
«When they gave be pain killers or anaesthesia, I saw all doctors as skeletons,» she remembers. Wasn’t that terrible? «Oh no. I was excited to see the skeletons again.» The memory makes her laugh. The doctors laugh along, having ample reason to rejoice: Anett appears to have a new arm, smoother than before – and straight. «It is slowly sinking in what all I can use that hand for, now,» says the girl.
Endless patchwork
Over the years, the burns on her left side and arm have required multiple operations, cicatrized skin not keeping up with a child’s growing body. Thus: transplants of skin, one after another – leading to stitches upon stitches and scars upon scars. As a result, Anett’s left wrist was tense and crooked, the arm featuring a tight «vine» area that would hurt while dancing, fingers the rheumatic kind.
For Cytori machine, Anett was the very first patient that day. A warm spring day, with birds singing and young people out in T-shirts. In addition to Anett, two other people were in line that day – needing treatment more time-consuming and complicated.
Doctor Märtsin surveys Anett’s hand and the now straight fingers. «At the end of January, we did the first surgery, removing scar tissue from the fingers so these could straighten up,» says Mr Märtsin. «In April, we injected stem cells into fingers and arm, plus some fat tissue to soften up the scars. People may also be injected fat, only their own, with stem cells in it; with fingers, this is complicated as these are slender and will not contain much.»
According to the doctor, growing the new tissue and filling and softening up the scars was «lot’s of trouble», working with the stubborn epidermis. But it was worth the effort.
This time, Anett leaves the doctors’ office without the thought of yet another surgery in the pipeline. Even so, she is overtaken by a cough, crossing the threshold. «Oh my, I must be sick,» she apologises. «Tough luck!»
Stem cell treatment
• Stem cells are primary cells able to be grown into tissue, organs and organisms.
• Stems cells may be used against various sicknesses, healing tissues, and growing organs.
• Hospital of Reconstructive Surgery has used stem cells gotten by liposuction; the treatment being autologous i.e. the cells are used within the same person.
• Cytori* cell separator is a portative lab for extracting stem cells from fat tissue; Hospital of Reconstructive Surgery Cytori Celutioni cell separator.
* Used in reconstructive surgery, in EU, since 2008.
• Presentation of Estonia’s first autologous stem cell surgery by Hospital of Reconstructive Surgery on Friday, September 27th in Ammende Villa, Pärnu, at symposium «Stem cell treatment – breakthrough in reconstructive medicine».
Source: Hospital of Reconstructive Surgery