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Exploring the Place of Fish Skin Grafts with Omega-3 in Pediatric Wound Management
Ibrahim Cherry1, Lana Tarhini2, Marie Doan3
1Department of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Université Libre de Bruxelles, 1070 Bruxelles, Belgium.
Insights
Kerecis® Omega-3 fish skin patches accelerate pediatric wound healing, showing promising results in a case series. This innovative treatment aids epithelialization and reduces scarring without donor site morbidity.
Area of Science:
- Regenerative Medicine
- Biomaterials Science
- Pediatric Surgery
Background:
- Pediatric wound healing presents unique challenges and remains under-researched.
- Traditional reconstructive methods like skin grafts and flaps have limitations in pediatric cases.
- Novel acellular dermal matrices are emerging as promising therapeutic options.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review the application and efficacy of Kerecis® Omega-3 fish skin grafts in pediatric wound care.
- To present a surgical protocol for using this innovative biomaterial in young patients.
- To evaluate healing outcomes and patient benefits in a pediatric case series.
Main Methods:
- A comprehensive literature review on Kerecis® fish skin in wound healing.
- Development of a surgical protocol for pediatric application.
- A case series of five pediatric patients with diverse wound types treated with Kerecis® Omega-3 wound patches.
- Meticulous application and careful monitoring of wound healing progress.
Main Results:
- Complete epithelialization averaged 48.6 days across the case series.
- Favorable outcomes included no hypertrophic scarring and only mild retraction.
- The Kerecis® patch facilitated dermal cell adhesion and capillary growth.
- Omega-3 fatty acids contributed to accelerated granulation and antimicrobial effects.
Conclusions:
- Kerecis® fish skin grafting is an effective tool for pediatric wound management.
- It accelerates healing, minimizes donor site morbidity, and improves postoperative pain control.
- This biomaterial offers a promising alternative for complex pediatric wounds, addressing limitations of traditional methods.
Abstract:
Wound healing in the pediatric population is known to be a challenge and poorly studied. Split-thickness skin grafts, full-thickness skin grafts, and flaps overlap their applications with the growing field of cellular and tissue-based therapies. However, their role in pediatric reconstruction has yet to be defined. The Kerecis® Omega-3 wound patch, derived from decellularized codfish skin, has garnered attention due to its preserved microscopic architecture resembling the human extracellular matrix. This acellular dermal matrix acts as a scaffold, fostering dermal cell and capillary adhesion while harnessing omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids for granulation acceleration and antimicrobial effects. This study presents a comprehensive review and surgical protocol for utilizing Kerecis® fish skin in pediatric wound care. The research embraces a case series involving five patients with diverse wound locations. The Kerecis® Omega-3 wound patch underwent meticulous application and careful monitoring. The results highlight an average time of 48.6 days for complete epithelialization, yielding favorable outcomes with no hypertrophic scarring and mild retraction. Kerecis® fish skin grafting stands as a tool that not only accelerates healing but also addresses the multifaceted challenges associated with wound management in the pediatric population: the avoidance of donor site morbidity and improved postoperative pain control.
