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| French burn victim saved by skin grafts from identical twin | French burn victim saved by skin grafts from identical twin |
| (2 months later) | |
| Engulged by flames while handling chemicals, Franck Dufourmantelle received life-saving transplant from brother’s head, back and thighs. | |
| Agence France-Presse | |
| Fri 24 Nov 2017 03.36 GMT | |
| Last modified on Fri 24 Nov 2017 06.46 GMT | |
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| A man who was expected to die after suffering burns across 95% of his body has been saved by skin transplants from his identical twin in a world-first operation. | A man who was expected to die after suffering burns across 95% of his body has been saved by skin transplants from his identical twin in a world-first operation. |
| Engulfed in flames while handling chemicals on the job, 33-year-old Franck Dufourmantelle received the grafts from his brother Eric’s head, back and thighs. | Engulfed in flames while handling chemicals on the job, 33-year-old Franck Dufourmantelle received the grafts from his brother Eric’s head, back and thighs. |
| “I had a fresco-like tattoo on my arm,” he said. “But the only thing left is the word ‘life’,” in English, he said. | “I had a fresco-like tattoo on my arm,” he said. “But the only thing left is the word ‘life’,” in English, he said. |
| Transplants from a genetically identical twin eliminate the risk of rejection by the recipient’s body. Dufourmantelle’s accident happened in September 2016 in northern France. | Transplants from a genetically identical twin eliminate the risk of rejection by the recipient’s body. Dufourmantelle’s accident happened in September 2016 in northern France. |
| He underwent about a dozen operations, followed by months of hospitalisation and physical rehabilitation. Doctors had not publicly discussed the case until now. | He underwent about a dozen operations, followed by months of hospitalisation and physical rehabilitation. Doctors had not publicly discussed the case until now. |
| Dufourmantelle is today living at home with his partner, and is still receiving intensive therapy. “It doesn’t hurt any more,” he said, noting that he had recently stopped taking painkillers. | Dufourmantelle is today living at home with his partner, and is still receiving intensive therapy. “It doesn’t hurt any more,” he said, noting that he had recently stopped taking painkillers. |
| He is able to walk again, and is still recovering the use of his hands. | He is able to walk again, and is still recovering the use of his hands. |
| With the left hand, “I can pinch things, like with a claw,” he said. His right hand – less damaged – has healed to the point where he can write with a pen. | With the left hand, “I can pinch things, like with a claw,” he said. His right hand – less damaged – has healed to the point where he can write with a pen. |
| Miraculously, his face was mostly spared. Nearly half of his brother Eric’s skin was removed, and then stretched in a machine so that it would cover a larger area, according to the chief surgeon. | Miraculously, his face was mostly spared. Nearly half of his brother Eric’s skin was removed, and then stretched in a machine so that it would cover a larger area, according to the chief surgeon. |
| The donor is today not “covered in scars”, Maurice Mimoun, a doctor at the Saint-Louis Hospital in Paris, said. “All one can see is a slight difference in the pigmentation.” | The donor is today not “covered in scars”, Maurice Mimoun, a doctor at the Saint-Louis Hospital in Paris, said. “All one can see is a slight difference in the pigmentation.” |
| In most burn cases the skin of a deceased and unrelated donor is grafted on to the victim, even if doctors know that it will be rejected within a couple of weeks. | In most burn cases the skin of a deceased and unrelated donor is grafted on to the victim, even if doctors know that it will be rejected within a couple of weeks. |
| That is usually enough time for new skin to start growing, or to be harvested from elsewhere on the patient’s body. | That is usually enough time for new skin to start growing, or to be harvested from elsewhere on the patient’s body. |
| Twin-on-twin skin transplants had been done before but never over such a large area, said Mimoun. | Twin-on-twin skin transplants had been done before but never over such a large area, said Mimoun. |
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