After all major Serbian media outlets quoted the news of the humanitarian project implemented by prof. dr Dušan Marić, which aims to help patients suffering from cerebral palsy or bone damage, and that the aid can not be obtained due to lack of finances, there’s been a lot of interest in the general public as a result of the operations.
Special attention was attracted by the fact that the operation carried out was a transfer of stem cells, the first operation of its kind in Serbia. On Saturday 26 December a paraplegic child was operated on, in addition made two more stem cell transplant with cartilage damage in athletes.
Certainly the most public attention was attracted by the surgery to a paraplegic child has now given a real chance to improve the situation of spinal cord damage. We are glad to announce is that the operation went the best possible way.
This is the first such operation in Serbia, which was performed without the assistance of foreign experts in the field of regenerative medicine, and was carried out in the hospital Alfa Medika in Belgrade, assisted by Dr. Džihana Abazovića and Gordana Gavrilovića.
– The operational procedure of transferring stem cells in the treatment of traumatic spinal cord injury went well, and the patient took the intervention well. However, this is only the beginning of his recovery, because the basic procedures of the treatment lasts a minimum of three months, including procedures for physical therapy and rehabilitation. The first serious visible effects in the patient will be visible in about four to six months – said Dr. Marić.
Otherwise, this operation is only the precursor in the context of humanitarian pilot project who Professor Marić and his team will conduct in the near future, which aims to help patients suffering from cerebral paralysis or bone damage.
– The objective of this project is to help those who need help, cannot come due to the financial barriers. That’s why we wanted to do this surgery for free, with no interest and conditions – said prof.dr Dušan Marić, adding that one such procedure abroad costs between 36,000 and 40,000 euros.
