NEW DELHI: The All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) opened its first skin bank in the burns and plastic surgery block on Thursday.
AIIMS gets at least 1,000 patients a year with major burns — over 40% of the total body surface area — who require cadaveric skin grafting.
This is the second such facility in the city after the Centre-run Safdarjung Hospital started the facility about a week ago.
AIIMS head of burn and plastic surgery department, professor Maneesh Singhal, said that patients with more than 50% burn injuries have 50% chance of survival, despite all efforts by doctors. With cadaveric skin grafting, their chances of survival rate increases to 70%, provided the patient reports to the hospital immediately after the incident.
The assistant professor in plastic surgery department, Dr Shivangi Saha, said that apart from burn injury patients, anyone who has a massive raw area on the body — above 40% of total body surface area — due to trauma, injury and exfoliative diseases that has caused the loss of skin, can benefit. However, it is more important for burn injury patients because it can prove to be life-saving for them.
Dr Saha said that just like cornea donation after death, skin from a donor is harvested within six hours of death. “It is stored in 85% glycerol containers and then taken to a skin bank. It can be preserved for up to five years for grafting,” she said. The skin is preserved in 2-8 degrees Celsius.
She further said that after removing the burnt skin of the patient, the skin from the skin bank is applied over the wound. “Since the skin stays for at least 2-3 weeks, which is the most critical period for burn patients, it helps in saving the life. This can prevent infection, reduce pain, fluid loss and is extremely advantageous for the survival of patients,” she added.
“After consent from the family of a deceased person, skin can be taken for donation. However, the deceased must be 18 years old or older,” she said.
The donated skin is first processed and sent for testing for various diseases, including HIV, Hepatitis B, C or any skin diseases. The skin is harvested only if there is no infection.
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