From amputation risk to recovery, wound care innovation bringing hope to Nova Scotians

When 75-year-old Donna Timmons found a bruise on her foot in spring of 2024, she didn’t think much of it, not even recalling where she got it. Over the next month, her condition worsened, and the area shifted from red to purple. She sought care through her family doctor, but shortly after returning home, the skin on her foot broke down and opened. Her son called an ambulance, and Donna was taken to the hospital in Kentville. From there, she was referred to the QEII Health Sciences Centre in Halifax, where she first met Dr. Patrick Casey.

For patients like Donna, non-healing wounds (especially when compounded by other health conditions) can often lead to amputation. As her condition continued to deteriorate despite conventional treatments, the possibility of losing her leg became more likely.

That’s when Dr. Casey reached out to clinical nurse specialist Lindsay Burke to discuss a new treatment option: DermGEN™, created by Halifax-based company Decell Technologies Inc. Lindsay has been leading a test and try of DermGEN™, supported by the CAN Health Network and the Nova Scotia Health Innovation Hub.

DermGEN™ is an innovative wound care product made from donated human skin. Using a proprietary process called prECM™, the cells are removed while preserving the skin’s natural structure, creating a sterile scaffold that helps the body regenerate tissue and heal wounds.

Patients benefiting from DermGEN™ at the MDLUC are those like Donna who have been managing open wounds for years, with traditional methods such as routine wound care, offloading, and reducing factors that negatively impact healing. Or with more serious interventions like skin grafts taking significant time and effort to promote healing, if they heal at all. Now, they're healing at an accelerated rate with wounds previously considered chronic, now expected to close, or on an improved path to healing.

Lindsay saw Donna as an ideal candidate for the treatment and Donna, while initially hesitant, was eager to try something that might help her avoid amputation.

"Dr. Casey came in to speak with me, and said he wanted to give this a try.” Says Donna. “Lindsay was really sweet. She sat down and explained the whole process to me. I was hesitant but then thought, ‘If I don't do something, I'm going to lose my leg.’ So, I said ‘yes! Let’s do it.’”

The successful procedure was done while Donna was still an inpatient, she was then followed up in outpatient clinic and continues to receive follow-up with home care. Donna has to travel to Halifax for her clinic appointments, but one of the major benefits of DermGEN™ is that once it’s applied, healing can largely take place at home with minimal intervention.

According to Lindsay, while recovery after a DermGEN™ application is individualized, many patients only need a simple dressing change once a week and this can often be handled by the Victorian Order of Nurses (VON), who have been instrumental in staying connected to MDLUC virtually and through the patients and their families, a family member, or even the patient themselves with proper guidance.

“For folks who needed dressing changes every other day, this gives them back time and mental energy that used to be spent on care,” says Lindsay. “Now, that time can be spent enjoying conversations and living their lives, not just managing a wound.”

In Donna’s case, she has had support from VON as well as her daughter Paula, who she credits with ensuring she made it to appointments and always had everything she needed to heal. Her son also provided additional support at home.

Donna has been amazed by her progress.

“I had the whole vascular team in my room. And when they took the dressing off the first time, they were amazed,” she says. “Lindsay even made a slideshow showing my foot from the beginning right up until now, and all the students were shocked at how fast it healed.”

While Health Canada-approved DermGEN™ is still in the testing and evaluation phase at MDLUC, the results are promising, and Lindsay remains optimistic about its potential.

“What I love about DermGEN™ is that it’s not just a new technology, it’s a new source of hope for Nova Scotians living with chronic wounds,” says Lindsay. “These patients have often exhausted all other treatment options. They've been spending so much time and energy just on care with no light at the end of the tunnel. This gives them a chance at returning to a normal life.”

Currently, DermGEN™ is being used to treat lower-limb ulcers, with potential for application in other tissue types and there has already been exploration into expanding its use in various treatment areas.

"DeCell Technologies’ mission has always been to restore healing and hope where it’s been lost,” says co-founders of Decell Technologies Dr. Paul F. Gratzer and Sean Margueratt. “Seeing DermGEN™ help patients like Donna avoid amputation and reclaim their lives reinforces why we do this work. We’re excited to expand access across Nova Scotia, Canada and beyond, so more patients and healthcare teams are able to heal wounds with the power of advanced regenerative medicine.”

Ronni Bellfontaine, manager clinical innovation with the Health Innovation Hub is thrilled to hear of Donna’s positive experience.

“It’s exciting to see such promising results during the test and try phase,” says Ronni. “When more patients heal and no longer require in-clinic care, it frees up space and resources, enabling others currently waiting for treatment to receive the care they need.”

Donna is feeling much better these days and emphasizes how thankful she is to the team at the MDLUC for their ongoing help and support.

As she continues to heal, her story provides an excellent example of the power of innovation and collaboration to drive real change in healthcare for all Nova Scotians.