What Is a Skin Graft, and Why Is It Used?
A skin graft is a type of medical procedure in which skin is transplanted. It can be used to treat very large wounds or extensive burns. It can also be used to treat areas that have been infected and in which some skin has been lost. In addition, some surgeries require the removal of large areas of skin; skin grafts can be used to replace the skin that was removed. A partial-thickness graft involves the removal of just a layer of healthy skin to be placed on the grafting site. Full-thickness grafts involve cutting away an area of skin from a healthy section, to be placed at the graft site. There is a higher risk that this kind of graft will be rejected, but it is less painful and heals more quickly.
Sources for Skin Grafts
An autologous graft is one in which the skin graft is taken from a healthy area on the patient's body. Isogeneic graphs are those taken from an identical twin. Allogeneic grafts are those from the same species (i.e., a human donor for a human patient). Finally, some skin grafts can be made from artificial skin. Some grafts can also be taken from other animals, though these grafts are temporary and are designed to be rejected by the person receiving the donor skin. The main purpose of this type of graft is to minimize infection. In general, the best grafts are ones in which the donor is either the patient or someone closely related to him.
Surgical Procedure
Surgeons use a special instrument called a dermatome to remove the strips of skin from the donor. The skin graft is then carefully placed on the area that needs it. At this point, the graft is held in place by either small stitches or staples. The graft is nourished using plasmatic imbibation, in which the graft is given plasma to "drink." Within 36 hours, new blood vessels begin to grow from the graft to the underlying tissue. Grafts are often made up of a meshwork of small cuts that help prevent fluid buildup, as well as allow the graft to stretch and cover the area more accurately. Often, a small, airtight dressing is put over the graft; the air is then sucked out by a vacuum. This reduces the chance of infection and speeds up the healing process.
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