Skin Grafting: What Is Skin Grafting?

Skin Grafting

What Is Skin Grafting?

Skin grafting is a taking skin from a healthy part of the body, and transplanting it onto another part of the body that has been severely damaged, for example, a third degree burn. The grafting serves two purposes: firstly, to reduce the course of treatment needed (including time spent at the hospital), and secondly, to improve the function and appearance of the area of the body which will receive skin grafting.

Risks/Downsides Of Skin Grafting

Even though skin grafting does have it’s benefits, there are a few risks of having skin grafting anesthesia is having a reaction to the medicine and troubles with breathing. There are also different risks that can occur most commonly after the surgery such as bleeding, infection, scarring, skin discoloration, an uneven skin surface, reduced or lost skin sensation, loss of grafted skin (the graft not being able to heal or graft healing slowly) and chronic pain (rarely). Most skin grafts are successful, but some do not heal well, depending on the damage, and will require a second graft (not free of charge).

This works by peeling the healthy skin off the body, a bit like peeling potato skin off of a potato, and applying it to the damaged area of skin. Ideally, this will adapt and blood vessels will begin growing within 36 hours underneath the skin. The second type is to take a thick layer of skin (Full Thickness Graft) , where the muscles and blood vessels are also removed, along with the skin. This type of grafting is generally used or small wounds on a highly visible part of the body, such as the face. Unlike the Split-level Thickness Graft, this skin usually blends in well with the surrounding skin, and usually grows with the