About Skin Donation

Understanding Skin Donation

Our skin, the body's largest organ, provides essential functions such as touch sensation, temperature regulation, and defence against environmental hazards. While skin naturally heals from minor injuries, severe burns or conditions resulting in chronic wounds affect its capacity for repair.

The Need for Skin Donation in Singapore

The SGH Burn Centre treats approximately 140 patients each year, with around 5% requiring skin from deceased donors for their treatment. These cases often result from domestic or industrial accidents, ranging from hot liquid scalds to chemical and flame burns.Beyond burn injuries, donated skin has also been used to treat conditions such as congenital cutis aplasia, a rare disorder in which babies are born without several layers of skin, typically on the scalp or limbs. Clinicians may also request donated skin for certain plastic reconstructive procedures to repair damaged tissue.

From severe burns to rare skin conditions, every donation has the potential to heal and improve lives. As such, it is vital to maintain a steady supply of donated skin in Singapore.

How Donated Skin Helps Patients

Severe burns leave patients with limited healthy skin and impaired healing capacity. The donated skin serves as an essential temporary biological dressing that:

• Reduces pain and discomfort
• Protects wounds from infection
• Prevents fluid loss
• Promotes wound healing

The Skin Donation Process

A plastic surgeon recovers skin from the donor’s back and lower limbs within 15 hours after death. Before skin donation is performed, transplant coordinators will check for the potential donor’s eligibility by:

• Reviewing medical records
• Conducting physical examination
• Interviewing family members about the potential donor's medical and social history
• Obtaining approval from the Medical Director

Frequently Asked Questions about Skin Donation

Q1. Will skin donation affect funeral arrangements?

Skin donation may result in a delay to funeral arrangements, as the recovery procedure must be completed before the body is returned to the family. The duration of the delay depends on individual circumstances, such as whether additional tissues are being recovered or if a coroner's inquiry is required. Our team works with care and efficiency to minimise delays.

During the procedure, skin is recovered from concealed areas of the body (the back and lower limbs). Following recovery, these donor sites may appear paler than the original skin colour, as the layer containing melanin (the pigment responsible for skin colour) has been removed. The areas are then neatly covered with appropriate dressings.

As the donor sites are not visible and can be covered by clothing, all funeral arrangements, including open-casket services, can proceed as usual once the body is returned to the family.

Q2. How will skin be donated? Will all the skin be taken during skin donation?

Skin is recovered from the donor with care and respect by qualified plastic surgeons, following strict surgical protocols and with the same precision and attention as any other medical procedure.

Not all the skin on the body is donated. Specialised instruments are used to recover the outer layers of skin from the back and lower limbs only.  The thickness of the skin recovered is between 0.25mm and 0.46mm, approximately equivalent to the thickness of 4 sheets of paper. This leaves the deeper layers of skin intact, preserving the body’s overall appearance.

Q3. What happens after skin is recovered?

The recovered skin tissues are transported to the SGH Skin Bank for processing, measurement, packaging and preservation. Thereafter, they are stored at temperatures as low as -198°C using liquid nitrogen cryopreservation, a method that halts biological activity to keep the tissues viable, for up to 5.5 years whilst awaiting transplantation to a recipient.

Q4. Will there be significant blood loss during skin donation?

No, there is minimal blood loss during skin donation. Blood circulation stops after death, meaning there is no active blood flow through the vessels.

Only a partial-thickness layer of skin is recovered, which does not affect any major blood vessels in the deeper layers, thereby preventing any significant blood loss.

Q5. How long is the procedure?

The skin recovery procedure typically takes approximately 2 hours.