First : Maulana Azad Institute of Dental Sciences (MAIDS) operationalizes Tissue Bank

New Delhi: A tissue bank has been made operational at the Maulana Azad Institute of Dental Sciences to provide bone and tissue grafts to different streams of medical sciences.

This is the country's only such facility in a dental institute and one of the few in the country to employ gamma irradiation for terminal sterilization.

A team of doctors from the institute had undergone training at the Medical school at University Sains Malaysia. After their return, the tissue bank was set up.

Dr. Mahesh Verma, the Director-Principal of Maulana Azad Institute of Dental Sciences (MAIDS) said besides orthopedic surgeries, knee replacements and trauma care, bone, and tissue grafts are also needed for treatment of bone deformities, gum diseases, cleft lip, and cleft palate.

"The tissues and bones are procured from live donors at the orthopedic department of LNJP hospital under the Maulana Azad Medical College and are then processed following international guideline regarding tissue banking. These are then used for regeneration of bones," he said.

Dr. Farrukh Faraz, an associate professor in the Department of Periodontics at MAIDS said, "In our facility, it is used for sinus lift procedures, tempro-mandibular joint problems, and gum disease as well as cleft lip and palate cases."

Amniotic membrane taken out during ceasarian section from the placenta can be used in ophthalmology, dermatology, and dentistry. It is used in the ocular surface reconstruction and as a source of stem cells. In dermatology, it is used in patients with extensive skin burns and venous ulcers.

Dr. Arundeep Kaur, Head of the Department of Periodontics, at the MAIDS hospital, said the tissues are chemically processed, freezed dried and gamma irradiated to ensure that there is no infection or antigenicity.

It is then used as graft material for dental and other surgical procedures. It is also used by oncologists, orthopaedicians for reconstructive and regenerative treatment at the facility, Dr. Kaur said.

The tissue bank in MAIDS is one of the few such facilities in the country to employ gamma irradiation for terminal sterilization, the doctor said.

MAIDs is also the first dental institute to be accredited by the National Board of Accreditation for Hospitals and Healthcare Providers.