When can Skin be Donated?
Skin can be Donated after Death within 6 hours from the time of Death.
Who can Donate Skin?
any one can Donate Skin irrespective of sex & blood group, the minimum age of the donor should be 18 years but there is no upper age limit, even a 100-year-old person can donate his skin and it will be used for treatment.
How much time the whole SKIN DONATION procedure takes?
The whole procedure takes only about 30 – 45 minutes.
Is it necessary to transport the donor to the Hospital after Death?
No, SKIN BANK Team will come to the donor’s home, Hospital or Morgue wherever the donor is kept. We don’t need to shift the donor to the operating room, Hospital or Ambulance.
Who performs the Skin Harvesting Procedure?
Skin Harvesting is performed by SKIN DONATION Team consisting of one Doctor/Trained SKIN BANK Technician, two Nurses and one attendant.
How the Skin is Harvested?
A special battery-operated instrument called DERMATOME is used to harvest skin.
Is the consent for SKIN DONATION taken before the skin-harvesting procedure?
Yes, our doctor will take consent of the next of kin of the donor and also a witness is required to sign the consent form before we start the procedure. The whole procedure will be explained to you by our Doctor before we start the procedure.
From which part of the Body Skin is Harvested?
Skin is harvested from both the legs, both the thighs and the back.
Is the entire thickness of the skin is harvested?
NO, we harvest only very thin layer of skin, which consist of full of epidermis and part of dermis(0.4 to 0.6 mm thickness).
Is there any bleeding or disfigurement to the body?
No, there is no bleeding from the site where skin if harvested from and there is no disfigurement to the body also. After the procedure we bandage the parts from where skin is harvested in a proper way.
What conditions render skin unfit for donation?
Skin of persons suffering from AIDS, Hepatitis B & C, Sexually Transmitted Diseases, Skin Cancer, Active Skin Disease and Septicemia are considered unfit for donation. At the time of skin harvesting, blood sample from the body of the deceased is also taken and necessary test for HIV, Viral markers & Hepatitis is carried out at the SKIN BANK.
What about Diabetes & Hypertension?
Even donors with these conditions can donate their skin.
How will my donation be used?
After the skin is harvested, skin will be evaluated, processed, screened at our SKIN BANK, and then supplied to the Burns Surgeon for transplanting on burn patients.
How do you preserve the skin & how long it can be preserved?
We preserve skin in 85% glycerol solution, it is stored between 4 to 8 degree Celsius and it can be stored for a period of 5 years.
Do we have to pay the SKIN DONATION Team?
No, you don’t have to pay anything to the SKIN DONATION Team, selling & buying organs is illegal.
Do we need to produce any documents to the SKIN BANK Team when they arrive?
Yes, you need to produce the DEATH CERTIFICATE and its photocopy that will be evaluated by the Team Doctor before starting the procedure.
Is there any kind of Donor-Recipient matching required for skin transplant?
No, any one’s skin can be transplanted on any one, there is no blood matching, no color matching, no age matching required. Once all the blood reports are negative the donor skin can be transplanted freely.
Is it compulsory to pledge or register ourselves with the SKIN BANK if we wish to donate skin?
No, it’s not compulsory to pledge or register with us, even if you have not registered we will carry out the SKIN DONATION call once we receive your call in time. If you register with us we will provide you with a Skin Donor I.D Cards, SKIN DONATION Magnetic Sticker, “I AM A SKIN DONOR” Pocket card for future references. You can register online on www.skindonation.in.
If we want to call your SKIN BANK Team for a SKIN DONATION call what should we do?
You can call us on our 24 hours SKIN DONATION HELPLINE NUMBER 022 27793333. We have 4 teams on stand-by all 24 hours; a SKIN DONATION team will carry out the call irrespective of the time of the day.
SKIN DONATION Facts :
- Skin harvesting is done within 6 hours from the time of death.
- A very thin layer is harvested from both the legs, thighs and the back.
- There is no bleeding or disfigurement to the body.
- No MATCHING required for grafting. The long shelf life of 5 years
- The skin processing charges for cadaveric skin is very low as compared to commercially available synthetic skin substitutes.
Contraindications for SKIN DONATION :
- HIV & Hepatitis B & Hepatitis C.
- STD’S
- Generalized infection & septicemia (Pneumonia, T.B, Etc)
- Any kind of skin infection.
- Malignancy
- Evidence of skin cancer.