Preserving life for the future
A leader in the organ transplantation drive, the State’s biomaterial centre at the Government Kilpauk Hospital is a one stop centre for storing and retrieving a variety of tissues
Last month, the State government set up
a biomaterial centre at the Government Kilpauk Hospital, a facility that is now
capable of storing skin grafts. Over a period of time though, the Health
Department intends for the centre to be able to store other tissues as well,
said Health Secretary J. Radhakrishnan.
Experts say a number of tissues can
potentially be retrieved and stored for use. The Transplantation of Human
Organs (Amendment) Act, 2011, includes the component of tissue donation and
registration of tissue banks as well.
Banks attached to private hospitals
store a variety of tissues. Astrid Lobo Gajiwala, who established the tissue
bank at Tata Memorial Hospital, one of the country’s oldest such banks, said
that once procured, tissues were thoroughly cleaned, processed, checked for
transmittable diseases, sterilised and stored. Storage is at minus 20 to minus
80 degrees Celsius, depending on how long the tissues need to be stored for.
Tissues can also be freeze-dried and then stored at room temperature, she
explained.
Member secretary of the Transplant
Authority of Tamil Nadu, P. Balaji, said the department was eternally grateful
to the families of donors who came forward in their time of grief to help save
other lives.
It is not enough to store them — tissues
must be used and the outcome documented, said S. Rajasabapathy, chairman,
division of plastic surgery, Ganga Hospital, Coimbatore, which has a skin and
bone bank. “The whole process also has to be transparent,” he said.
Sharing
the gift of life
A look at the biomaterials that can be
potentially retrieved and stored
Skin: It is used as a biological dressing, in cases of major
burns. It helps prevent infections and does not need to be changed every day –
it can be kept for a couple of weeks, giving the patient time to recover.
Bones: Bones from limbs can be stored and used to replace parts that
are damaged or diseased. Bone grafts from banks act as scaffolds for support.
They could be used in cases of trauma where there is bone loss, in sports
injuries and in cancer cases where parts of the bone and joint cartilage die.
The upper end of the shin bone, lower end of the thigh bone and the head of
thigh bone can be retrieved for use.
Ligaments and tendons: These can be used in cases of sports
injuries involving multiple ligaments. In some cases, it is difficult to use
the patient’s own. The Achilles tendon (ankle), the Peroneal tendon
(leg to ankle), the Patellar tendon (front of the knee) and the Meniscus (a
shock absorber between the thigh bone and leg bone) can be procured for
storage.
Bone products: Bone powder is made by crushing bones, generally those
that would otherwise be disposed of – such as those parts replaced during hip
replacement surgeries. These are used to treat various kinds of defects – in
dentistry, skeletal and joint reconstruction procedures.
Amniotic membrane: This is the wall of the amniotic sac. When a baby
is delivered, the sac ruptures. The sac can be used as a biological dressing
for burns, bed sores, diabetic ulcers and skin reactions to radiation.
Heart valves: Heart valves can be retrieved and stored to be used in
valve replacement procedures. The advantage with such valves is that the
patient does not need blood thinners. They are also cheaper than artificial
valves. However, they last about 15 years and another procedure may be
subsequently required. Even in cases where the heart can’t be used, the valve
can be retrieved for storage. Usually, the aortic valve is procured.
Corneas: Corneal transplants are used in cases when the cornea becomes
opaque – due to injuries, infections, birth defects or rarely after surgeries,
said Mohan Rajan, medical director, Dr. Rajan Eye Care
Hospital.
(Source of Information:
Dr. G. Leonard Ponraj, head
of arthroscopy and sports injury, Government Multi Super-Specialty Hospital,
Chennai
Dr. Mohan Rajan, Medical
Director, Dr. Rajan Eye Care Hosputal, Chennai
Dr. V.V. Bashi, cardiac
surgeon, Chennai
Dr. Astrid Lobo Gajiwala,
Tata Memorial Hospital)
