By Leigh Farmer

Severe burn injuries for patients can cause massive trauma and pain. They can also take months, if not years, to heal. A new innovation in skin regeneration technology is allowing for faster healing times using a patient’s own skin while reducing the chance for infection. Because of VCU Health Evans-Haynes Burn Center’s long-established ranking as a Level I comprehensive burn center for both pediatric and adult patients, it is the first in Virginia to gain use of this technology.  

The new machine, called RECELL GO™, will process a person’s own skin instead of relying on hand preparation by the care team. It will provide team members with more time to care directly for the patient instead of spending time processing the skin.

“Our patients need us at their bedside while they are healing from severe burns. This technology will allow us to give our full attention to their needs while customizing their wound care with the latest in regenerative technology,” said Michael Feldman, M.D., medical director of the Evans-Haynes Burn Center. “We are proud to be the first burn center to adopt this cutting-edge technology in the commonwealth.” 

For several years, the burn center has been using a technology called RECELL, distributed by AVITA Medical, to regenerate a burn patient’s own skin cells. A new enhancement called RECELL GO was recently approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and the Evans-Haynes Burn Center will use it to make the process better. 

According to the American Burn Association, nearly 30,000 people are admitted to the hospital with burn injuries annually. The healing process can be long and painful for patients, however, this new advancement in skin regeneration technology at the Evans-Haynes Burn Center promises to cut healing time. 

This technology is a supplement to wound healing and harnesses the properties of a patient’s skin to promote the formation of new skin cells. Skin cells are processed and sprayed onto the burn wound. The advancement of RECELL GO will create a more consistent and reliable process, making the healing process faster for patients with serious burns. 

“Severe burn wounds often require months of in-patient treatment, many surgeries, and donor skin. This new technology will help us treat burn patients more effectively,” Feldman said.  

For providers, RECELL GO is a way to treat burn wounds while minimizing operational costs for the hospital. Most importantly, it gives the burn care team more time to focus on the next steps of the recovery process with patients and their caregivers.  

As the only nationally verified Level I comprehensive adult and pediatric burn trauma center in Virginia, the Evans-Haynes Burn Center was provided with the distinct opportunity to offer this new technology before other centers. 

“Our comprehensive approach and experience position us as the go-to center for burn treatment,” Feldman said. “This reputation has allowed Evans-Haynes to create solid relationships with leading scientists and companies in the field, thereby gaining us access to the newest and best ways to treat burns. We are thrilled to be able to provide this to patients at VCU Health and Children’s Hospital of Richmond at VCU, the only children’s hospital in the state offering this treatment option for kids.”