Innovator Winner – Kevin Foster, MD, MBA, FACS
In 2019, the Phoenix Business Journal awarded Dr. Kevin Foster it’s 2019 Healthcare Heroes Innovator Award for his work with Recell, sometimes called “spray-on skin”.
Recell is an autologous cell harvesting device, used to achieve epidermal regeneration and definitive wound closure with sparing use of donor skin.
Dr. Foster was heavily involved in the FDA clinical trial for its use on superficial burns. During that trial, Dr. Foster noticed that areas where Recell overspray landed onto conventional split-thickness grafts actually did much better.
Dr. Foster appealed for emergency, compassionate use permission from the FDA to use Recell on a patient with a large burn who presented to the Arizona Burn Center, and the results were remarkable. Dr. Foster noted the spray, combined with conventional skin grafts, improved his patient’s appearance and also shortened her recovery time.
Dr. Foster’s work set the standard of care which has since been followed in Recell use in burn injuries across the country.
Dr. Foster then received FDA approval to use Recell on a local teacher who was diagnosed with necrotizing fasciitis, making her the first patient to be treated with Recell for this condition. 95% of the patient’s wounds were healed, one week after being treated with Recell. Because of Dr. Foster’s work, Recell is now used nationwide to treat this diagnosis.
Congratulations to Dr. Foster for this recognition of his tireless work!
Read More: Fluid Resuscitation in Burn Patients: Current Care and New Frontiers
