– I am able to get out of bed on my own. With the help of crutches, I can walk down the corridor, go up the stairs, says Zbigniew Skrzypczak, 35, an employee of KGHM, who came to Wrocław with a broken pelvis two weeks ago. Together with two other employees of Polska Miedź, he was in an elevator that fell from 30 meters. In four months he will be able to return to work thanks to a modern implant implanted in him by doctors from the Department of Trauma Surgery and Hand Surgery of the University Clinical Hospital in Wrocław.
Zbigniew Skrzypczak had an accident in the transmission tower on Żelazny Most. – I was afraid that I would not survive – he says. When rescuers reached him, it turned out that as a result of the fall he suffered a fracture of the pelvis, sacrum and several vertebrae of the spine. “I couldn’t move,” she recalls.
The 35-year-old went to the University Teaching Hospital in Wrocław. Here, doctors from the Department of Traumatic Surgery and Hand Surgery implanted him with a modern anatomical implant. It is one of the newest pelvic fracture stabilization implants.
Only a few centers in Poland deal with pelvic fractures. These are not simple operations, the reason is the complex structure of the pelvis itself, the system of muscles around it, the vascular system and the nervous system. – There are also organs of the abdominal cavity – says Dr. Jacek Martynkiewicz, who operated on the patient. A pelvic fracture destroys both the bone tissue and puts all the anatomical structures inside it at risk of damage.
During the four-hour procedure, doctors from Wrocław stabilized the patient’s pelvis with a special implant, which was introduced for treatment two years ago in the USA. In Poland, it is a novelty used by two hospitals in Poland – in Otwock and in Wrocław.
– When I heard that I would be operated on with an innovative method, I felt hope. The first time I was in such a serious condition, without being able to move, I could only look at the ceiling – says the 35-year-old. – Of course, the last night before surgery was very long. But after the surgery, when the doctor said it was time to get up and make the first movements, I couldn’t help but feel happy.
What was the difference between the procedure and the traditional method? – Until now, to perform such anastomosis, we used implants that consisted of at least three plates, we already screwed them in the pelvis. The new implant is anatomically fitted to the pelvis, consists of one piece, you only need to fix it. Thanks to this, we are more precise and the operation time has been shortened by an hour. We minimize the risk of bleeding, the risk of infection and complications. And we have a very stable structure that allows immediate walking – explains Dr. Martynkiewicz.
– Moreover, colloquially speaking, we do not have to cut the patient strongly, the cut is small, about 8-10 cm. Through this small hole, we are able to make a complicated adjustment, put all the damaged parts back together – adds the surgeon.
Zbigniew Skrzypczak says satisfied: – I am 10 days after the surgery. I got up on the fifth day after the operation, I dress myself, I can walk on crutches, yesterday I climbed the first stairs. I am extremely grateful to the doctors for this.
The 35-year-old has already left home today. For now, he needs a corset for a damaged spine, but according to doctors, he has a great chance of regaining his fitness. He will be able to return to work in about four months, estimate the surgeons from Borowska. – Then I will play football with my son – says the sick man.
The other two injured in the January accident are also recovering.