At the UF College of Medicine, one plastic surgeon is working with the Department of Defense to find a new way to heal wounded soldiers more effectively.
Dr. Adam Katz, associate professor in the department of surgery in the College of Medicine, said the $1.2 million grant awarded allows him to expand on work he started in 2008.
He said he hopes to separate and harness the regenerative cells from the fat tissue, as it is a tissue most people can easily give away.
His idea is to combine the cell’s healing properties with other components to create a toothpaste-like substance that can be spread on the wounds.
Currently, traumatic accidents with skin and tissue loss are typically treated with either skin grafts or a flap surgery, both of which are major surgeries.
But both processes heal one part of the body while taking from another, creating new scars.
“Many people would rather have their fat sucked out than have me make more scars on their face,” Katz said.
Retired U.S. Army Col. Donnie Horner Jr., of Jacksonville, said any treatment that enables a wounded soldier to return faster is welcome.
Soldiers do not mind taking risks, he said, but they are always worried about the unknown.
Military medical advancements often help pioneer medical advancements for civilians, Horner said.
Dr. Bruce Mast, chief of plastic and reconstructive surgery at UF Health, said this treatment could help any trauma patient, including cancer patients who have tumors removed.
“If this really works out,” he said, “this could be a big game changer.”
A version of this story ran on page 4 on 10/7/2013 under the headline "UF studies skin treatments"
