Here’s everything you need to know about skin donation

You can provide a better quality of life for several burn victims even after your death. Here's how.

By: Editorial Team | | Updated: August 13, 2015 10:47 am

Skin donation is not a popular concept, which is very wrong. Donating skin can provide a better quality of life for people suffering from burns and skin injuries. Our expert Sunayana Singh, Chief Executive Officer, ORGAN (Organ Receiving & Giving Awareness Network) sheds light on some important aspects of skin donation. Also Read - Researchers take a huge stride in growing made-to-order human kidneys

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It is estimated that more than 7 million people in India suffer from burns or injuries every year, the second largest group of injuries after road accidents. According to statistics, around 80% of these are women and children, of which 10% develop life threatening conditions due to damaged organs; and around 50% succumb to their injuries. In India, nearly 1 to 1.5 lakh people get crippled and require multiple surgeries along with prolonged rehabilitation every year. So your decision to donate your skin might save many lives and help the burn victim to lead a better life.

Why skin donation is important?

The largest organ of the human body, skin acts as a shield to protect you from harmful chemicals, environmental changes and bacteria. Normally, our skin would mend itself from the daily wear and tear. But when the skin gets badly burned or damaged, it is unable to repair itself without external help.

For patients with severe burn injuries, one way to promote healing is by covering the wound with skin from an organ donor (allografts). This is needed to prevent infections, decrease pain and help in faster healing of the wounds or burns. If not treated immediately, there is a high risk of infection, fluid loss and in severe cases, might also cause death.

In case of smaller percentage of burns, skin from the unburnt area of the patient is cut and put on the burn/wound to cover it. But when a person has more than 40% to 50% burns, then the patient s skin cannot be used. In such a scenario, skin substitutes (donor) is required.

Skin from a dead person acts as a temporary dressing option, but it plays a key role in aiding in the regeneration of the patient’s skin. In 80% of such cases, patients can be saved if sufficient skin is present in skin banks.

This is the reason skin donation is very important. And making a choice of donating your skin after death, instead of burning or burying your body would be a great service to millions suffering from burns and related injuries.

How can skin be donated?

Many people do not realise that skin can be donated in the same manner as corneas, organs or tissues upon a person’s death. The major cities in India such as Mumbai, which have skin banks, can store the donor skin and make it available to burn victims who need it. Prior to knowing how this is done, here are 3 points you need to keep in mind.

Donor skin can be effectively frozen and stored for up to five years.
The skin is only taken from the back, thighs and legs and does not in any way disfigure the body.
Skin can be donated within in 6 hours from the time of death.

Skin donation — the process

Step 1: On receiving intimation after death, the crew from skin bank (if there is one in your city) can reach the location of the body and through a simple procedure, that takes around 45 minutes, they remove the skin from the back, abdomen and legs.

Step 2: There is a total of eight layers of skin, but only 1/8th, i.e. the uppermost layer of the skin is harvested. Skin harvesting is performed by skin donation team consisting of one doctor, two nurses and an attendant. The thickness of skin removed is very small and there is no disfigurement of the body. Also read about cadaver and organ donation things you need to know

Here is the procedure followed by the National Burns Center, Mumbai, in case of a skin donation.

Upon the death of a possible donor, the next of his/her authorized kin needs to inform on the BURNS HELPLINE of National Burns Centre (NBC): 022-27793333 (active 24/7).
On receiving such a call and after checking for the cause of death, the skin retrieval team will reach the place of death in a specialized burns ambulance. Death certificate and consent of relative is taken.
Then the retrieval team harvests the skin of the donor only from legs, thighs and back with a special instrument called ‘dermatome’. Only one eighth thickness of the skin is harvested so there is no disfiguring of body at all.
The area is bandaged and the donor’s body is handed over to the next of the kin.
This procedure takes only about 45 minutes.

Who can be a donor?

Anyone can be a donor irrespective of their sex and blood group. The minimum age of the donor should be 18 years, but there is no upper age limit. Only those suffering from HIV & Hepatitis B & Hepatitis C, STD S, generalized infection & Septicemia (Pneumonia, T.B, Etc), any kind of skin infection, malignancy and having evidence of skin cancer, cannot donate.

At the time of skin harvesting, a blood sample from the body of the deceased is also taken, and necessary test for HIV, viral markers and hepatitis is carried out at the skin bank. Here are the rules and regulation you need to know about organ donation.

Facts on skin donation

You don t have to pay anything to the skin donation team. Also, selling and buying organs is considered illegal.
Blood, skin color or age do not have to be matched. Hence, any person’s skin can be transplanted to another person.
You need to produce the death certificate and its photocopy which will be evaluated by the team doctor before starting the procedure.
There is no bleeding from the site where skin is harvested from and there is no disfigurement to the body.
After the procedure, the doctors bandage the parts from where the skin was harvested in a proper way.
Currently, there are skin banks in Mumbai, Chennai, Karnataka and Delhi.

What Can You Do?

You can register for a Donor Card at www.organindia.org and mention on it that you want to be a skin donor too, tick the box that says Skin Donation. It is NOT compulsory to register with anyone. The skin donation can be carried out irrespective once the call is made to the skin bank after death. The most important thing you can do is to talk to your family. Convey to them that you want to be a skin donor so that they respect your wishes. Please remember that it is the next of kin who will make that call to the skin bank, so they must know what you want. Spread the word to your friends and relatives too.

You can also watch this video on skin donation.