36-year-old Lviv resident Oleh Tyndyk, who sustained burns to 80% of his body in a boiler explosion, was saved by specialists at the thermal injury centre of Saint Luke’s Hospital of the First Medical Association of Lviv. To close the extensive wounds, they used pig and fish skin.
The man was injured when he and his neighbour went to help an acquaintance whose flat had been flooded. The flood was caused by a boiler that had been unsuccessfully repaired the day before. The water heater exploded just as the three men entered the bathroom, dousing all of them with boiling water. The flat owner sustained relatively minor injuries, while Oleh and his neighbour suffered burns to about 80% of their body surface.
“I don’t remember how I ran out. I remember that I’m already lying on the tiles, looking at my hand, and the skin is just coming off my hand in large pieces,” recalls Oleh.
All those injured were admitted to the thermal injury centre of Saint Luke’s Hospital. After receiving treatment, the flat owner was discharged for outpatient care, while Oleh Tyndyk and his neighbour, in an extremely serious condition, were placed in intensive care. Doctors note that their lives were in serious danger.
The only part of Oleh’s body that was not affected was his back. Burn surgeons repeatedly removed dead tissue and closed the wounds with animal-derived coverings. Xenografts from pigs were used for the upper and lower limbs, while the burns on his torso were covered with fish skin, including cod.
According to Ivan Ryk, head of the thermal injury and plastic surgery centre at Saint Luke’s Hospital, during the first week the patient was in the operating theatre every day, undergoing both surgical procedures and dressings under general anaesthesia to reduce pain. In total, in just one month, Oleh underwent more than 25 anaesthetics. The same treatment strategy was used for his neighbour.
Both men now face a long period of recovery. They have already returned home, but still find it difficult to move fully. Oleh says that he can now get up and walk on his own, although until recently he was barely able to move, and he emphasises the importance of mental resilience and active rehabilitation. He expresses deep gratitude to the Lviv doctors for saving his life.
At the First Medical Association of Lviv, which includes Saint Luke’s Hospital, a full range of modern medical care is provided — from diagnostics and surgery to rehabilitation. The facility, in particular, treats patients in extremely serious conditions and after complex injuries.