Apr 12, 2010

Scar treatment could help new surgical procedure give Washington woman a new face

Facial scars are always difficult for an individual to deal with. These highly visible markings can make a patient extremely self conscious and uncomfortable in their own skin. When the scarring is severe, patients have the added concern of facial paralysis to deal with.

One person who knows this truth all too well is Seattle resident Erin McCormick. About a year ago, the young woman was involved in a tragic boating accident in which her face was shredded by the blades of the boat's propeller.

McCormack faced a long and difficult road to recovery, involving 19 surgeries focused on everything from restructuring the girl's bone and muscle tissue, to preventing paralysis and restoring feeling to her face. To do so, Dr. Pablo Prichard, medical director for Plastic Surgery at the hospital that treated McCormack, utilized a newly developed collagen shell that protects severed nerve fragments from scar tissue - allowing nerve cells the chance to grow back.

King5.com reports that Erin still has more surgeries ahead of her to repair damage to her arm.

While Erin has regained full feeling and motion in her face, her surgeries will leave a scar to remind her of the accident. Through the use of scar treatments like silicone gel sheeting, Erin might finally be able to put the incident behind her.ADNFCR-3015-ID-19716839-ADNFCR

 

Biodermis RSS Site Feed