Do They Discard Skin Removed From Surgery? Can They Use 'Tummy Tuck' Skin for Grafting on a Burn Victim?
My wife and I were watching something on TLC regarding tummy tucks. They showed the surgery and we wondered what they did with the skin. Is it discarded? Do they use it for anything? Could they use it for people that need grafts?
Generally the patients own skin is used for skin grafts. Cadaver skin is used as a temporary covering, but ultimately it is rejected by the host.
Depending on the type of graft someone needs, either a full thickness or partial thickness. The former is an excisional flap or free flap procedure with or without the use of tissue expanders, or a partial thickness areas of skin are shaved off. The graft heals site with minimal scarring, much like a 2nd degree burn.
There really would be no call for what you are suggesting. Rejection would always be an issue, and would not be an improvement over current methods.
I suppose the person getting the tummy tuck could request to donate their skin to a burn victim. This should be done before the surgery though so that a.) they could find someone who needs the skin, b.) make sure the donor is a match, and c.) put the skin on ice right away during the surgery. (Can’t just scoop it out of the medical waste bin when you are done.)
Yes can be used, but releases have to be obtained. And most Plastic Surgeons are not working for welfare of humanity but for big money, so in general why should they care?
It would have to be an exact match and then it would still be a risk to the burn victim ( rejection). It is not used for burns victims.
Very interesting concept. Maybe someone will find a way to do just that.
I work in an operating room and we are required to submit any removed tissue to pathology for examination; it is also weighed. Now the availability of synthetic "skin" is more accepted by the medical community. It truly is amazing when you realize the advancements of medicine in the past 20-30 years!