Badly Burned Boy Resumes Life with Dad’s Skin

Sicily: A badly burned boy in Sicily has resumed his normal life as a four-year-old after innovative surgery to heal his injuries using skin from his father, medical sources said Tuesday. The boy, who had severe burns over 60% of his body, was treated in the major burns unit of Catania hospital. But he has returned home having achieved clinical recovery, thanks to the timely and integrated treatment provided to him and the use of advanced and innovative techniques, including that of having received “portions” of healthy skin from his father.

According to Ansa News Agency, the first step in the boy’s treatment was the application of enzymatic escarolysis, as explained by Rosario Ranno, director of the Cannizzaro major burns center. This modern method allows for the removal of burned skin without surgery and without blood loss. “We also used latest-generation dermal substitutes, which helped reduce the risk of infections and stabilize the hemodynamic conditions of the little patient,” Ranno stated. To promote healing, a skin transplant was performed using the father’s skin due to biological compatibility, which aided in regenerating large areas of damaged tissue.

In addition to the skin transplant, the Meek technique, an innovative skin expansion procedure, was utilized during the treatment. Small fragments of the boy’s healthy skin were removed, cut into micro-grafts, and then expanded three or four times to cover a much larger surface area than initially available. This procedure optimized the areas of healthy tissue, accelerating the healing process significantly.

Salvatore Giuffrida, general manager of Cannizzaro, highlighted the center’s role as a reference point for the treatment of burns in Central-Southern Italy and its excellence at a national level. In 2024, the center hospitalized and treated over 120 severe burn patients, including some from regions beyond Sicily, such as Calabria, demonstrating significant active mobility.