| Skin grafts are often employed after serious injuries | | | | body is transplanted to another area of the body. |
| when some of the body's skin is damaged. Surgical | | | | Skin from another person or animal may be used as |
| removal (excision or debridement) of the damaged | | | | temporary cover for large burn areas to decease |
| skin is followed by skin grafting. The grafting serves | | | | fluid loss. The skin is taken from a donor site, which |
| two purposes it can reduce the course of treatment | | | | has healthy skin and implanted at the damaged |
| needed (and time in the hospital), and it can improve | | | | recipient site. Skin graft and flaps are more serious |
| the function and appearance of the area of the body | | | | than other scar revision surgeries such as |
| which receives the skin graft. There are two types | | | | dermabrasion. They are usually performed in a |
| of skin grafts, the more common type is where a | | | | hospital under general anesthesia. The treated area |
| thin layer is removed from a healthy part of the | | | | depending on the size of the area and severity of |
| body (the donor section) like peeling a potato, (see | | | | the injury will determine the amount of time needed |
| donor section) or a full thickness skin graft, which | | | | for healing. This time may be 6 weeks or a few |
| involves pitching and cutting skin away from the | | | | months. Within 36 hours of the surgery new blood |
| donor section. A full thickness skin graft is more | | | | vessels will begin to grow from the recipient area into |
| risky, in terms of the body accepting the skin, yet it | | | | the transplanted skin. Most grafts are successful, but |
| leaves only a scar line on the donor section, similar to | | | | some may require additional surgery if the do not |
| a Cesarean section scar. For full thickness skin grafts, | | | | heal properly. |
| the donor section will often heal much more quickly | | | | The initial dressing placed on a recipient site |
| than the injury and is less painful than a partial | | | | immediately after a skin graft may remain in place |
| thickness skin graft. | | | | from 3 days to 1 week. New dressings may then be |
| Patient who may have a skin wound as a result of | | | | placed over the graft site until the skin graft is fully |
| surgery to remove a lesion as in skin cancer, a | | | | healed. After a skin graft is placed, a process known |
| severe skin infection, or from an injury or burn. If the | | | | as regeneration takes place, which includes the |
| area is small and the skin nearby is loose, the wound | | | | re-growth of hair and sweat and sebaceous glands. |
| can be closed by bringing the edges together (direct | | | | People with partial-thickness grafts may not fully |
| closure). If this is not possible, then the wound can | | | | recover sweat glands, and this may cause problems |
| be repaired with a skin graft. Skin grafting is a surgical | | | | with temperature regulation. Lack of sebaceous |
| procedure in which a patch of skin is completely | | | | glands may cause skin to become dry, itchy and |
| removed from another part of the body (called | | | | scaly. Frequent application of lotion to graft sites |
| donor site) and used to cover the wound (called | | | | usually alleviates these problems. The final stage of |
| recipient site). A skin graft is surgical procedure in | | | | skin graft healing involves the recovery of feeling at |
| which a piece of skin from one area of the patient's | | | | the graft site. |
