ABSTRACT
The gold standard treatment for deep burns is an autologous skin graft; in larger burns this may be meshed to increase the area covered. However, long-term aesthetic and functional outcomes of graft scars may be poor. ReCell® is a medical device that processes skin samples in the operating theatre into a cell suspension to be sprayed or dripped onto a wound. It is claimed to improve healing and scar appearance. This device was evaluated by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) Medical Technologies Evaluation Programme. Two groups were defined: ReCell compared to conventional dressings in shallower burns, and meshed grafts plus ReCell compared to meshed grafts alone in larger deeper burns. The manufacturer's clinical evidence submission included three papers and eight conference abstracts. The External Assessment Centre (EAC) excluded two of these and added seven abstracts. In general, the evidence did not fit the defined groups, but suggested that ReCell was clinically comparable to skin grafts for partial thickness burns; however, ReCell is not used in this way in the UK. The manufacturer submitted an economic model in which ReCell treatment of partial thickness burns reduced the requirement for later skin grafts. This indicated that ReCell alone was cost saving in comparison to conventional dressings. The EAC indicated that this model was clinically inappropriate, but data were not available to populate a new model. NICE Medical Technologies Guidance 21 recommended that additional research was needed to address the uncertainties regarding the potential benefits of ReCell.
