Skin Grafting
By: Megan French
The Skin
The skin is the largest organ of the body
 3 main layers : Epidermis, Dermis, Subcutaneous
 Regulates body temperature
 It protects the body from external agents and
potentially deadly infections
What is Skin Grafting
• A skin graft is a patch of skin that is removed by surgery
from one area of the body and transplanted, or attached,
to another area.
• Often skin will be taken from unaffected areas on the
injured person and used to cover a defect, often a burn.
• Skin may be meshed to stretch it into a larger patch
• Taking the graft from the injured person makes rejection of
the tissue unlikely.
History
• In the 19th century physicians developed
methods to transplant skin from one place on
the body to another
• Covering an open non healing wound
decreases the amount of time that the wound
is exposed to bacterial micro organisms.
Harvest Site
Most often skin for
a skin graft is taken
from the persons
thigh or buttocks
Incision
• Skin taken using a dermatome
• The patient is
under either a
local anesthesia
or general anesthesia
Procedure
• Skin grafts will not take on
exposed bone, tendon or
an infected wound
Post Surgery
•Usually heal with little scarring
•Successfully protects the body from
infection and bacteria
•The donor area heals on its own
within 2-3 weeks
Complications
•
•
•
•
•
Failure, or non-take
Color difference
Contraction
Meshed appearance
Dryness, scaling etc
References
• http://www.google.com/imgres?q=skin+graft&h
• http://www.sciencephoto.com/media/265808/enlarge
•
All pictures used from Google Images for education purposed only
• http://www.burnsurvivor.com/surgical_procedure_skin
grafts.html
• Mackay DR, Miraliakbari R, eds. Skin grafts. Operative
Techniques in General Story. December 2006; 8(4);197206.
• Journal of Plastic, Reconstructive & Aesthetic Surgery
Volume 63, Issue 2, February 2010, Pages 360-364
• Ann Plast Surg. 1988 Oct;21(4):358-65.