Skin Grafting in Reconstructive Surgeries

Skin grafting is a process where healthy skin is grafted on damaged, surgically removed, or lost skin. The healthy skin can be both of a donor as well as that of the patient himself or herself.

Individuals in requirement of skin grafting

Skin grafting is essential in order to provide protective barriers and promote the healing of wounds resulting from infections, trauma, ulcers, burns, diabetic ulcers, and pressure ulcers. Skin grafting may also prove crucial in case of any reconstructive surgery or surgeries that are performed to remove the cancerous cells.

Skin for grafting

Successful skin grafting makes use of the skin from the patient itself. Skin grafts can be successful if the skin is taken from identical twins. In case the donor is not an identical twin, there are chances that the patient may reject this foreign body and even attack it through its immune system.

Alternate graft source is also meant for temporary usage so that the skin of the patient gets some time to grow back. This alternative skin grafting includes a number of things:

* Skin may be taken from a dead body. This is known as allograft.
* Skin may be taken from an animal. This process is referred to as Xenograft.
* Usage of synthetic tissues.

Regardless of whether you have an autograft or the skin is taken from an identical twin, it is the duty of your surgeon to take adequate care of the affected body part in order to prevent damage.

It is also the duty of your surgeon to match the new skin with your skin color as well as skin texture. Usually, skin used for grafting is taken from covered body parts like buttocks, inner thigh, as well as forearm, upper arm, or abdomen.


Techniques of skin graft

Usually there are three types of skin grafting:

* Split – thickness graft: This type of skin grafting is very commonly used. This process involves the removal of the epidermis, that is, top skin layer and dermis that is the middle layer of the skin. The popularity of this type of skin grafting is attributed to its fast healing.

However, this technique of skin grafting is also comparatively, fragile and may even leave the site with an abnormal pigmentation.

* Full thickness graft: This technique involves complete removal of the dermis, epidermis and hypodermis. If considered cosmetically, this technique is comparatively better and this technique of skin grafting is usually recommended for face.

The usage of this technique is not extremely popular as this technique can be used only on body parts that consist of a number of blood vessels, thereby ensuring the survival of the graft.

* Composite graft: this type of grafting requires removal of skin, muscle, fat, and cartilage. This grafting is suitable for places which are in requirement of a three dimensional reconstruction like nose.

Risks involved in skin grafting

A variety of complications and risk factors are involved in skin grafting. The following are some of them:

* Bleeding
* Infection
* Hematoma
* Death, loss, or rejection of the graft.
* Reduced sensation in the skin.
* Chronic pains and risks involved in anesthesia.
Skin grafting involves greater risks for infants and people above 60 years.
Processes involved in skin grafting
A number of procedures are involved in skin grafting.
* The wound is measured and cleaned.
* Anesthesia is administered based on the size, location, and severity of wounds.
* Donor’s skin is harvested and prepared.
* Graft placed on the receiver’s site followed by application of the pressure bandage.
* This is followed by the beginning of the healing process.

Conclusion

After a patient has skin grafting, it is crucial for both the donor as well as the recipient, to keep their sites moist as well as well protected in order to ensure a better recovery.

 More articles:

The process of chin augmentation surgery

Different types of Cellulite treatments

Considering the options before the removal of the breast