Question PLEASE READ????1

Ok so I'm a little over 1 year out, two different people have told me to look into the "BURN UNITS" at the main hosps. to see if they can do anything to take my Extra Skin aka Tummy Tuck and all in all I would be helping others that have been burned.  My question is has anyone looked into this and if so what are your thoughts??

Thanks!

I have read and heard that our skin is not good for burn victims and they won't do a tummy tuck in return for the skin.

This may be incorrect info,and you could certainly call and see.

GL

Not true.  You still have to pay for plastics. You may (???) choose to donate it, but you still have to pay for the procedure.

Our skin is damaged and can't be used for grafting.  It's a nice thought, though.

That would be awesome if we could donate, but don't think they will take it.

This is what I found online:

I recently lost a great deal of weight and I have a lots of excess skin. Can I donate my excess skin to a skin bank to help burn patients? Will a tissue bank pay for my skin reduction surgery if I agree to donate my tissue?
These questions are asked quite often by individuals who have lost large amounts of weight and have excess skin folds. We appreciate your desire to donate, however, this kind of donation is unworkable. Allow me to explain why:

Our center does not obtain skin from these patients for several reasons. First, this method of obtaining skin is cost prohibitive. The amount of transplantable tissue obtained from tissue reduction surgery is minimal when compared to the amount of tissue obtained from a cadaveric (deceased) tissue donor. The procurement costs would be much greater as it would require the services of doctors, nurses, anesthetists, and other health care professionals as well as the use of an operating room and other hospital services. Cadaveric donation requires only trained tissue recovery technicians, and they can procure tissue after the body has been sent to the morgue (rather than in an operating room), thus keeping expenses to a minimum.

Additionally, cadaveric donated tissue can be used for transplant soon after recovery (as soon as quality assurance testing is complete), however, the FDA requires that tissues recovered from living donors must be placed into quarantine for six months. At the end of six months, all serologic testing (HIV and Hepatitis) of the donor must be repeated before that tissue can be used.

It is extremely difficult to obtain a skin graft from tissue than has been removed during tissue reduction surgery. The usual procedure for tissue reduction surgery involves the removal of skin and underlying attached tissues, often several centimeters. Skin grafts used for transplant (burn patients) are only 15/1000 (0.015) of an inch thick and do not include these underlying tissues. Skin grafts for transplant are obtained by the use of a surgical device called a dermatome, which peels off a very thin (0.015 inch) uniform layer of skin.

I do not know of any tissue bank that would pay for a donor's tissue reduction surgical expenses for the purpose of obtaining skin for transplantation.

http://www.traumaburn.org/who/skinbank/faq.shtml

 

I guess when you read that it does make sense... Well hell worth a try! Thanks!

Your post kind of hit close to home because my mother is a burn victim (85% of her body burned). She had extensive skin grafts done and underwent a tremendous amount of surgeries. Amazingly, she is doing great now after 56 operations total. It will be 20 years since her accident on Sept. 11, 2013. Anyway, I would've loved to be able to give back such as donate my excess skin, but unfortunately they don't take it. Your post was an excellent question! :) I'm still a skin & organ donor though for when I pass.

OMG... WOW! 56 that is Amazing, I'm glad she is doing well.  I'm so sorry to hear that thou yeah it would be nice to give something you don't want/need and to be able to help others with it but after reading the other post it does make sense. God Bless You BOTH!

Thank you :)