World-renowned plastic surgeon and South Australian of the Year, Dr John Greenwood will today fly to Greece, on a mission to help the victims of the deadly wildfires.
Dr Greenwood will assist surgeons at the Attica General Hospital in Athens, treating the 10 most severe patients who have suffered full-thickness burns.
He will be using Australian-developed skin repair technology, which he pioneered with the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) after the Bali bombings in 2002, and is considered a game-changer for burns treatment.
The skin graft product, 'NovoSorb' is manufactured in Melbourne by an Australian company called PolyNovo. It not only is used to treat burn victims, but has also been used in melanoma surgeries and for other large wounds where skin has been lost.
The foam-like material acts as a dermal tissue scaffold allowing new dermal cells, blood vessels and skin structures to develop, leaving soft, supple skin with minimal scarring.
Paul Brennan, PolyNovo Chief Executive stated “The hospitals where he [Dr John Greenwood] is going have good modern facilities and they do have very good plastic surgeons...What they don’t have is experience first-hand with our product at this point, so what John will be offering them is hands-on support using our product to ensure we get the best outcome for his patients.”
What a wonderful gesture by this doctor to help those who are seriously in need of his skills. Well done doc, your country is behind you in helping others.