Ganga Hospital Skin Bank

"Call Ganga Hospital skin bank number 0422 2485000 within 6 hours after death for skin donation"

How we started?

Ganga Hospital Skin Bank was started to address the needs of major burns victims. An MOU was entered with the Skin Bank of National Burns Centre, Airoli Mumbai. Dr S Raja Sabapathy and a team of surgeons and anaesthetists visited the National Burns Centre in March, 2014. Dr Sanjai Ramkumar and Mrs Nalini Balaji, Microbiologist spent a week for training at the centre.

The skin bank was inaugurated by Dr (Mrs) Mathangi Ramakrishnan. Dr Amalorpavanathan, State Transplant Coordinator of the Government of Tamilnadu and Dr Sunil Keshwani, Chief Burns Surgeon of National Burns Centre was the Guest of Honor. The license for the bank was obtained on April 10th, 2015. This is the 2nd skin bank in Southern India.

Ganga Hospital Skin Bank report from 22-5-15 to 07-11-2022

Total Number of donors - 284
Number of Braindead donors - 90
Number of Cadaver donors - 194
Total number of recipient patients - 218

Processing of the donated skin

Skin is harvested within 6 hours of death

  • Within 6 hours of death of a possible donor the next of his / her authorized kin needs to inform the 24 hour Ganga Hospital Skin Bank at: 0422 2485333 / 000 Toll free – 180042516000– 24 hours
  • Upon receiving such a call, after checking for cause of death and contraindications, the skin retrieval team will reach the place of death in a short time.
  • Before harvesting scrubbing shaving and cleaning of the body will be done.
  • Then, the retrieval team doctor harvests the skin only from legs, thighs and back with a special instrument called dermatome, only 0.3mm thickness of the skin will be harvested so there will be no bleeding, no disfigurement of body. It will not even be visible to persons who come to pay their homage as after harvesting, the area is bandaged and donor’s body is handed over with care to the next of the kin.
  • This procedure takes only about 45 minutes.
    • Before Skin Harvest
    • After Skin Harvest
    • After Dressing
  • Harvested skin is preserved in 50% glycerol solution along with antibiotics in a sterile container

Harvested skin is transferred into 85 % glycerol along with antibiotics within 24 hours in a biosafety cabinet using laminar flow

This is then placed in a shaking incubator for 3 hours.

This is stored at 5 degrees centigrade for 3 weeks in a cold storage room.

  • Skin is cut
  • Meshed
  • Measured

Skin is cut, meshed, measured, placed in bottles with 85% glycerol and stored 5 degree Centigrade.

Skin bits are sent for bacterial and fungal cultures.

Positive culture

Quarantine for 3 months

Repeat culture

If positive

If positive after 3 times the graft is discarded

If negative

Ready to use

Negative culture

Ready for use (total duration from harvest is 6 weeks)

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