NEWSTravis Barker & DJ AM Face Long Recovery
Sep. 23 2008, Published 3:13 p.m. ET
Although doctors say Travis Barker and DJ AM (real name Adam Goldstein) will fully recover from the second- and third-degree burns they sustained in Friday's Learjet crash, burn specialists say it will be a long road to recovery, according to ABC News.
"It can take up to a year to heal," said Dr. Fred Mullins, medical director of the Joseph M. Still Burn Center, where the friends are currently receiving care. "We expect them to have a full recovery, that's all I can say."
While the families of the two musicians have asked the hospital not to reveal the extent of their burns, specialists say that any third-degree burn is painful to heal and can permanently affect the victim's life.
"You'll be sensitive to the sun, and on those areas, you won't be able to perspire," ABC News quotes Dr. Roger Yurt, director of the William Randolph Hearst Burn Center at the Weill Cornell Medical Center in NYC, as saying.
Other problems can included permanently hairless areas on the skin and skin tightened by scars that can restrict movement of the joints.
However Travis and DJ AM have youth and experts on their side, increasing their odds for a successful recovery, along with advancements in burn treatment technology like quick surgery and skin grafts.
