Mr. William Murray - Platelet-Rich Plasma for Chronic Pain

For over 25 years, William E. Murray III could not walk or stand without suffering from debilitating pain. Since leaving the Alabama National Guard in the 1960s, Bill of Tuscaloosa has had to live with open ulcers on both his ankles. Like millions of Americans, he is afflicted with Type 2 diabetes. Nearly 15 % of diabetics also develop chronic non-healing wounds which often lead to a lengthy rehabilitation and costly amputation procedure.

All his life, Bill worked jobs that required him to be on his feet for hours on end. After his time with the National Guard, he began a job at a paper mill. The damp conditions at the mill prevented his wounds from being dressed properly. Since then, Bill has been working at a Mercedes Benz plant for the past seven years. However the pain increased with every passing year. "After working 9-10 hours a day, I would almost cry before I can get out to my car" said Bill. His wife recalled, "Whenever he would come home from work at 1 or 2 am in the morning, he would almost be crying after walking five feet from his car to the house, it was heart-breaking." Normal activities such as vacations and shopping became impossible for the couple. The wounds caused Bill so much pain, that even playing a game of catch with his grandson became an ordeal.

Throughout the years Bill sought a cure for his chronic pain. Following several doctors and a plethora of treatment options for his foot ulcers, he was only afforded temporary relief. Remembering the frustration, Bill said, "Every time you would take the bandage off, you would see more growth." Finally, the cost of the weekly treatments and the constant changing of the dressing on top of the excruciating pain drove Bill and his wife to seek a permanent solution. After years of endurance, he discovered the MAGELLAN® Autologous Platelet Separator that eventually changed his life.

After contacting Dr. Carraway of the Carraway Pain Center, Bill was started on a autologous platelet gel treatment. When Bill came in, his ulcers were over 5 cm wide. As Dr. Carraway explained, "Normal wounds take about 4-6 weeks to heal by itself." This process requires growth factors proteins that diabetics typically lack. However by utilizing platelets which are rich in growth factors, this problem can be circumvented.

A great advantage of the MAGELLAN® System is its ability to be used in outpatient procedures. "It's been a miracle, this MAGELLAN® Platelet Separator Machine, its nice to see them draw my blood, then see it separate out the platelets right there in the room," said Bill. "It gives you confidence." The gels were rapidly made on the spot and applied in treatment cycles two weeks in length. After two treatments his left ankle was already completely healed.

Ever since he developed the ulcers, Bill admits, "Most of the time I was in a lot of pain." However the application of a platelet gel treatment changed all of this in an instant. "Ever since I've been getting platelet gel treatments, I haven't had any pain in my ankles," says Bill. The MAGELLAN® Autologous Platelet Separator is heralding a revolution in wound treatment characterized by simple and rapid outpatient procedures and a short treatment period. But for Bill Murray the advent of the MAGELLAN® System means that he can finally do the simple things in life he wasn't able to before. "It would be nice to just walk down the beach," smiles Bill.