Skincredible: Success of ReCell® Spray-On Skin® for 2-year old, Zed Merrick, told in national newspapers
The story of two year old burns patient Zed Merrick receiving treatment with ReCell ® Spray-On Skin® has appeared today in UK national newspapers (The Sun, Daily Express, Daily Mirror and Daily Star) as well as online in the Daily Mail and across other news sites.
After being scalded 
by a cup of tea, Zed was left with second degree burns on his chest and shoulder and it was feared he would be scared for life. But after treatment with ReCell®, which made a solution of his own skin cells to be sprayed back onto the burned area on his body, four months later his skin is almost completely healed with little sign of the injury.
The remarkable results demonstrate the scope for this revolutionary procedure and potential for savings to the NHS.
Consultant plastic surgeon Jeremy Rawlins who carried out the procedure at Pinderfields Hospital, Wakefield, Yorkshire said: ‘I believe that it is a revolution in care’.
ReCell® is a unique single use, stand-alone autologous cell harvesting kit which processes a thin, split-thickness skin sample into a cell suspension that can immediately be sprayed or dripped onto wounds.
Since it was launched by Cambridge-based Avita Medical in 2005, it has been predominantly used by burns units to gain faster wound closure. This helps to minimise scarring, reduce the risk of infection and enables the patient to return to their normal daily life more quickly.
With its ability to form new skin (including texture and colour) by using the patient’s own cells, it is now being considered by surgeons for wider cosmetic and regenerative applications including: the repair of hard-to-heal wounds and improving the appearance of scars due to acne, surgery, burns and trauma.
The use of ReCell® Spray-On Skin® is not only revolutionising the way clinicians can treat damaged skin but also helping patients deal with the potentially devastating psychological and quality of life issues they can face following an accident or surgery.