Question:
Not a question - skin donation is REAL!

I just wanted to let you know that skin donation from live donors is REAL. I am about to have my first round of plastic surgery, and my plastic surgeon asked me if i was interested in donating my skin from my lower body lift and thigh lift. The name of the foundation is the Musculoskeletal Transplant Foundation, and you can find out more about them at mtf.org. Understand that they are not paying anything toward my surgery, only that my skin donation will go to help many people in need of skin grafts for various reasons such as breast cancer patients, re-building of bladders and reinforcement for stomach surgeries, etc. I just wanted to pass along this information, since there is such a commonly-held perception that skin donation is an urban myth.    — sweetmana (posted on March 7, 2006)

March 7, 2006
Hmmmm. I was under the impression that our skin is so stretched that it is no good to anyone. ??????
   — Danmark

March 7, 2006
(Original Poster here): I'm replying to my own post because i wanted to answer both Daniel's question and someone else who queried privately, as well: No, that would be if the skin was strictly cosmetic. I was told the skin can be used for temporary grafts in burn patients (because they are unable to grow their own and the risk of infection is so high), for bladder and abdominal surgery reconstruction, and for use in breast cancer/mastectomy reconstruction surgeries, as well as many other applications. I asked about their website, specifically, because in the FAQ's, it talks about using deceased donors. I was told that very recent technology has enabled them to use skin from living donors, and that in fact, they end up being able to use our skin (from gastic bypass patients) because they end up stretching it out anyways to use the many layers that are cut off during the skin elimination process (in my case, the process of cutting off redundant skin for the abdominoplasty). I just spent 40 minutes on the phone with them today while they conducted a comprehensive mental and physical evaluation/questionnaire, and did a recorded consent to provide my skin donation. While the surgery is happening, they will have a staff person standing by to "harvest" the skin, then within a couple weeks after the surgery, they will collect blood to conduct tests to verify the viability of the skin they have harvested from my operation. If you have any further questions, please feel free to email me back. I am very happy and proud to be able to provide my skin for transplant and research purposes, and I hope that others will consider this option as well. I think it's a wonderful opportunity to be able to transform something in my life that had been so negative into a positive that may give others something so important and necessary, and also something i can know (while I'm alive) that i am providing the gift of healing and life to others.
   — sweetmana

March 7, 2006
Thanks for the great information, I will definately keep in mind for when I'm lucky enough to need skin removal. Anyways, have you posted this on the main message board? It would reach alot of people who may not read Q&A's all the time. Jen
   — jlflbf

March 7, 2006
Thats wonderful then! Sure wish they'd take skin for surgery. I need a upper and lower body lift, but doubt Medicaid will pay for it. Oh well.
   — Danmark

March 8, 2006
This is very interesting and I owuld love it if you would update us as you continue in the process. Good luck on your surgery!
   — catleth