Chester Kitt is a 70- year–old fisherman and motorcycle enthusiast from Marysville Seattle. He was at risk of having his foot amputated due to a wound that wouldn’t heal. However, after numerous attempts to close the wound, a solution was finally found with Kerecis fish-skin.
Chester has always been an active person, and enjoys riding his motorcycle and fishing. He also participates in his church community and enjoys long walks with his wife. But like 1 in 11 Americans, Kitt suffers from diabetes, and as is often with so many diabetic patients, he developed a wound that just would not heal. Wounds such as this commonly result in amputation and a severe decrease in quality of life. In the worst-case scenarios, they can even lead to death.
In his attempt to keep pressure off the wound and encourage healing, Kitt lost much of his mobility. He had to crawl on his hands and knees just to get around his house. “I thought I was through,” Kitt said. “Sometimes I looked down there and I thought, I don’t even want to get out of bed.”
“Then I was introduced to the fish skin.” Kitt cheerfully recalled.
Several doctors wanted to amputate Kitt’s foot, but Dr. Mikhail Burakovskiy at Integrative Foot & Ankle Centers of Everett, Washington, decided he would try putting Kerecis fish skin graft on Chester Kitt´s wound. After only a few treatments, Chester´s foot had healed.
“Every year that I can give to my patients, to keep their limbs, to enjoy their life, to do what they want to do with their life, that is what this is all about.”
Mikhail Burakovskiy, DPM
