First pig-skin transplant received by two-year-old
THE first pig-skin transplant in the UK has seen a two-year-old girl given an artificial diaphragm.
Eve Phillipson, from Doncaster, had the five-hour surgery to create the muscle at Sheffield Children’s Hospital after an initial procedure using a Gortex patch had failed to hold.
The operation saw two of the three muscles in Eve’s abdominal wall delicately turned to create a natural diaphragm, while medically-sterilised pig skin, known as Strattice, was then used to reinforce the weakness in her abdominal wall.
Sean Marven, a consultant paediatric surgeon who led the operation, said: “We knew the longer we waited, the more perilous the procedure may be. The surgery was complex and required a great deal of skill and concentration, particularly as it had never been performed in the UK before. Thankfully it went well and Eve continues to grow stronger.”
While still in the womb, Eve had been diagnosed with Congenital Diaphragmatic Hernia (CDH), a condition which affects one in every 10,000 newborn babies.
It occurs when there is a hole in the muscle that separates the chest from the stomach, which as a result causes the bowel and other organs to enter the chest and squash the developing lungs.
Eve’s mother, Rebecca, said: “It was quite overwhelming. We were told she had a 50:50 chance of survival and we didn’t know the extent of the damage until she was born. It was an emotional rollercoaster and an incredibly anxious time.
“She smiles, she plays, she’s mischievous, she’s funny; what more can you ask for? It will be nice when we get her off the ventilator and off oxygen, but we’ll get there when we get there.
“If other families are going through a dark time, Eve can be a little ray of hope for them. Sometimes even the worst cases can turn out well.”