BHUBANESWAR: Ahead of its plans to set up a Skin Bank, the Institute of Medical Sciences and Sum Hospital has successfully conducted skin transplant on two burn victims here.
A 43-year-old patient, Pravati Behera, who had suffered nearly 50 per cent burns after her saree caught fire on December 1, received skin graft from her husband Jagannath Sahoo. The transplant procedure was conducted by Head of Burn, Plastic and Cosmetic Surgery Dr Jayant Kumar Dash and has been declared successful.
“Skin transplant not only reduces the pain of the patient almost immediately but also prevents infection and septicaemia, the leading cause of death in burn patients. It further prevents albumin, electrolyte and blood loss from the body of the victim. This is the first ever case of skin transplant in the State,” Dr Dash said.
While cross matching or compatibility between the donor and recipient was a must in case of donation of other body organs, it is not required in skin donation which made the job easier. “It also reduces the cost of treatment as the patient requires less antibiotics, albumin and plasma. This needs to be spread among the people,” he added.
Another patient, Pratap Nayak, who had suffered nearly 70 per cent burns in an accident at Kolkata, has also successfully received skin from his wife and brother-in-law. The Sum Hospital is in the process of setting up the State’s first Skin Bank in collaboration with National Burn Centre, Mumbai where skin donated by people could be stored for future use.