Marshall Medley, DO, FACOS, CWS-P

Submitted photo

Organ donations are crucial to saving lives and improving the quality of life for patients seeking transplants and treatment. One organ that doesn’t typically come to mind when considering donations is the placenta.

Our company, BioLab Holdings, Inc. specializes in wound care products and manufactures amniotic membranes derived from donated placentas. Unfortunately, there’s a major lack of placental donations in the U.S., but with more awareness, perhaps that can change.

The placenta nourishes a fetus during pregnancy and has astounding healing abilities. It is a valuable resource for treating wounds, yet most placentas are thrown into a biohazard disposable bag and are rarely utilized after birth.

Placentas have a multitude of cells, collagens and cytokines, but its the lining, the amniotic membrane, that can aid in wound healing.  Unfortunately, the more than 4 million placentas delivered every year are often disposed of and unused. Most women aren’t even aware their placentas can be used for other treatments and aren’t offered the option to donate.

Below are a few reasons why placentas can be instrumental in improving the lives of patients with chronic wounds and more about the lack of awareness.

Placenta’s properties can speed recovery

Placental tissue is made up of proteins and sugars that can prompt cells to multiply, regenerating tissue, and by doing so, it may encourage the wound to reform more quickly than the standard of care. Chronic wounds, like diabetic ulcers, can take years to heal. That’s why placental grafts can be a positive treatment, in promoting healing.

Once a placenta has been donated, we separate the amniotic membrane. After the membrane is dehydrated and sterilized properly, the tissue can be applied directly to the wound by a trained provider. Incredibly, an average of 250 square centimeters of tissue — roughly the size of a standard dinner plate — can be derived from a single placenta.

Low risk of immune rejection

The placenta’s tissue serves as a barrier to protect the fetus, including from the maternal immune system. The placenta itself is populated with immune cells and special proteins that help prevent a mother’s immune system from attacking the fetus. This means that the placenta-derived tissue has a low risk of provoking the recipient’s immune response.

This is beneficial for any transplant therapies, including placental grafts, especially for those who have compromised immune system conditions where wound healing is slower and more challenging. A placenta donation can be a safer option that doesn’t come with the complications of a typical organ transplant. Usually, organ transplants can require immunosuppressive drugs to prevent rejection, but this is not the case for treatments like placental grafts.

The need for greater awareness

There is a major lack of awareness surrounding placenta donations. This is usually caused by a lack of recognition about the possibility of placental donation after giving birth.

For example, many think that a placenta can only be donated if it’s from a C-section when placentas from natural birth can also qualify. They also may believe that donation can harm the mother or baby; however, placenta is collected after the baby is born, posing no risk to the birthing process or to the mother or baby’s health.

The process of placenta donation is entirely voluntary and based on consent. Medical institutions follow strict protocols to ensure that the organ and its properties are collected and processed in a safe and clean environment. Each placenta is screened after collection for potential infections or communicable diseases before it’s considered safe to use for receiving patients.

Patients interested in donating their placenta after birth can find more resources through hospitals, birth centers and tissue banks. Placentas also can be donated to research institutions or universities to find other medical advancements for their amazing capabilities.

Placenta donation is changing the medical industry by offering a low-risk, ethical and sustainable solution for wound care. An effort is needed by all health care professionals to inform the public of its beneficial properties and how it can change the lives of those in need of treatment.

Editor’s note: Marshall Medley, DO, FACOS, CWS-P is chief medical officer for Mesa-based BioLab Holdings, Inc. Board-certified in vascular surgery, he has dealt with acute and chronic wounds for 20 years. Reader reactions, pro or con, are welcomed at AzOpinions@iniusa.org.