Okay, I heard that people who have excess skin can have the skin removed if they donate the excess skin to burn victims. Has anyone else heard of this? I am hoping that I won't have too much excess skin but I just was thinking that I would find out about it if its a possibility.

What a great thought. I do hope it is possible. I would do it in a heartbeat.

A good friend of mine had stomach stapeling done and she did just that. Her insurance covered the cost of the surgery but wouldnt pay for skin removal because its considered cosmetic, but if she donated the skin it was free.

As an aside it was a very painful ordeal for her.

Yeah, I figured it would be painful but it would help burn victims and help us as well.

I've been told the same thing, don't know if it is true or not. I'll tell you what if anyone needs some skin, I have PLENTY to donate. I still have a ways to go too! Its horrible lol!

Amanda

I read a similar story about some guy who'd went from 600 pounds down to about 160. His insurance wouldn't cover the skin reduction surgery, but he was able to get it done for free by donating the (astonishing) amount of excess skin he had to burn victims.

But I've been searching around the web for more concrete info and been unable to find anything, which makes me wonder if this isn't something surgeons will do occasionally, but not as a matter of policy. This guy allowed a picture of himself to be posted before the surgery, and the excess skin he had was simply incredible. When he held his arms out away from his sides, he looked like Batman with a cape or something. Under those circumstances, I can imagine some surgeons would do it as a humanitarian thing.

BTW, I've seen the scars left over from this surgery, and they are quite extensive. These aren't like facelift scars that can be hidden behind the ear or under hair: they are huge, and not the type to fade a whole lot with age.

my husband works for shriner's childrens burns hosp. - he's pretty sure you can not actually donate skin for use for burns as they only use either skin from the patient, cadaver skin or the artificial skins available. however i would be willing to bet that skin donations could be made for research leading to this eventually. unfortunately the kids at the burn hosp are very severely burned and the biggest risk they take is from infection and the possibility of rejection is too high a risk for them to take.

i feel so sorry for these kids most of them are burned because of abuse and not accidents. it is very hard for my husband when he sees the kids but the hosp is great with them. some of these poor kids have almost no skin they are so badly burned and have to literally be hung by hooks as they heal.

but hey if donating skin for research will help these kids down the line please find out if you can do so - eventually the researchers will find a way to use the skin and help others.

Jedswife, your husband must be a really special person to be able to do what he does. I know I wouldn't have the inner strength to see children suffering the way he and others who work with sick kids do. They are very special people, and I just wanted to take a minute to say thank you.

I found this:

http://www.med.umich.edu/trans/tran...n_donation.html


So the answer is no. Again, I think it's something that might be done in a one-off situation, as a humanitarian type thing.

thanks brpssm

but my hubby is only a programmer for research - he could not actually work with them it would kill him - it kills him just to see them at the hosp - and what makes it worse is most of their injuries were done by a parent or guardian. they have clinic days on tues. and thurs. and the shriners bring burn kids from all over for their checkups and physical therapy thats a good day - cause you can see them improve. i will tell you this the people at shriners all of them (my hubby, mom and daughter work there) all care very much - down to the lowest secretary - if anyone who works at that hosp suspects abuse they will all go out of there way to help that kid and get the offender away - and all they get in return is a lawsuit.

they do great things at that hosp - like developing fake skin for burn patients etc. and doing great research for the future.

whenever there are kids or adults for that matter with severe burns no matter where they are in the world - shriner's hosp in galveston tx will move heaven and earth to get those kids here to treat. they pay for jets to fly those kids here and back home when treatment is done - they have even sent medicines via a jet to south america overnight because a kid they treated couldnt get the meds he needed there.

so if anyone wants to donate to a really worthy charity - Shriner's Childrens Burns Hospital in Galveston, TX is a really great one to give to.

Oh, well, it would be a nice thing if possible. Maybe in the future. I guess we'll just have to tone until then or get plastic surgery, but man, that really does make me feel sad for all those kids who could benefit. I hope science catches up real soon...

From one programmer to another, I still wouldn't be able to do it. We also have a Shriner's hostpital here in Montreal which is part of our Children's Hospital and they do amazing things here as well, you are right, it is a great organization to support.

I had an opportunity a few years back to join the IS/IT team of another hospital here in Montreal, but there was no way I could go work in a hospital every day. I'm a VERY sensitive person and it would crush me emotionally. One of my best friends is a nurse, and my sister-in-law works with autistic children, I have such admiration for both of them because they are able to devote 150% while they are at their job and both are so caring, but yet turn it off when they leave for the day.

ETA: I just read my post over and realized that it sounds like I am saying they turn off the caring when they come home! I obviously don't mean that, LOL!

i couldnt do it either. especially with kids. i have an aunt or cousin cant remember which who is pediatric oncology nurse - now that has to be the hardest job in the world.

I just heard about this as well. I got to talking about weight and excess skin with one of the ladies in the class, someone else overheard us and jumped in saying that her husband is a shriner and they are looking for people with excess skin. They will pay to have it removed. She said they like skin from people who have lost a lot of weight becuase it gives them large pieces of skin to work with. I have a long way to go before I am ready for anything like that but it did give me hope that I won't have to be saggy forever. She told me when I was ready to contact the shriners and they would take it from there.

Well, I feel a little sheepish....

That will teach me to read all the way through a thread before I jump in with what I have heard.