SSKM becomes first state-run hospital to introduce skin bank
Kolkata: The IPGMER & SSKM Hospital has harvested skin from the body of around 8 brain dead patients in different private hospitals in the city in the past one year and successfully preserved them at the skin bank of plastic surgery department of the SSKM.
The IPGMER & SSKM is the first government-run hospital in the
state to introduce skin bank which helps victims with severe burn and other injuries that can cause damage to one's skin. The patients who undergo plastic surgery also require skins.
The doctors at the plastic surgery department started extracting skins from the brain dead patients at private hospitals and nursing homes in the city and its adjoining areas to meet the requirements of skins. Earlier, there were no facilities by which the SSKM doctors could collect skins from the private hospitals.
A skin bank is a facility where the skin donated by a person can be preserved after his/her death and can be utilised by those requiring skin grafting.
The skin is harvested from various parts of a body with an instrument called 'electro dermatome'. However, written consent has to be obtained from family members of the deceased person. The procedure is very much the same as that of the other organ donations.
The hospital authorities have to follow certain parameters set by the Regional Organ and Tissue Transplant Organisation (ROTTO) before declaring a patient brain dead and thereby allowing the hospitals to extract organs from them.
Earlier when there was an absence of skin bank, skin grafting had been done by harvesting the skin from the same person who is being operated upon or a relative of the person.
Dr Arindam Sarkar, a senior doctor at the plastic surgery department of the SSKM Hospital said: "We have now started collecting skins from the brain dead patients at the private hospitals in the city after complying all the guidelines set by the ROTTO. Following a relentless campaign carried out by the Health department, the people have become aware nowadays and the family members of brain dead patients are now coming forward to donate the organs. We should continue to spread awareness so that more people agree to donate organs from their dear ones if they
are declared brain dead at any hospitals."
It may be mentioned here that the skin bank which was introduced at the SSKM Hospital a few years ago has saved the lives of many patients who had developed an infection.
Skin grafting is necessary for persons with 70 per cent burns. Serological tests like HIV 1, HIV 2 and hepatitis have to be performed on donated skins before being harvested and preserved.
