About Skin Transplant

Our skin is the largest human organ. it gives us our sense of touch, our apearance and shape, and most importantly it acts as a shielf to protect us from heat and cold, as well as environmental impacs such as chemicals, the sun's UV radiation and bacteria.

 

Under normal conditions, our skin is able to mend itself from minor injuries such as cuts and sunburn. However, when the skin gets too badly burnt or damaged, it is unable to repair itself without help. For patients with severe burn injuries, skin transplant is the gold standard in treating these patients who do not have enough healthy skin on their body to graft onto their wounds. As such, recovered skin from deceased donors is used as a temporary dressing for severe burns wounds. The donated skin helps relieve the patient of pain and discomfort, prevents risk of infection and minimises fluid loss. Without skin transplant, burns patients can suffer from severe infection, leading to death.

 

Patients with severe burns will undergo skin transplant, especially those who sustain total area burns in excess of 30% body surface area, or full thickness burns in excess of 20% body surface area. These victims often include toddlers scalded by hot water, to adults badly burnt by chemicals or flames. 

 

The team is made up of a multi-disciplinary team comprising doctors, nurses and allied health professionals. Together, they care for burn patients from the point of injury to their post-discharge rehabilitation period. Aside from healthcare professionals, the Burns Support Group (BSG) provides support and encouragement for burns survivors, victims and their caregivers through activities and regular sharing sessions. These activities and sharing sessions provide a secure and safe avenue for them to connect with others who share similar experiences and motivate the burns patients to see through their long rehabilitation journey.