Pros & Cons of Skin Grafts
Skin grafting is the process of covering a wound, such as a burn or ulcer, with a layer of healthy skin. Skin grafts cover wounds to prevent infection and restore new skin growth to the damaged area. Grafts can be made from the patient's own healthy skin, the skin of a healthy donor, a synthetic material which resembles human skin. While receiving a skin graft can be beneficial, discuss the pros and cons with a physician before choosing to have the procedure.
Pro: Wound Closure
Skin grafts are often used on wounds which are slow to heal, such as skin ulcers. A graft of either the patient's own skin, donor skin, or artificial skin is placed over the wound and stitched or glued into place. The graft adheres to the wound and promotes healing while offering protection from infection and outside irritants.
Pro: Function
Wounds which occur over a joint or on a part of the body that is frequently used, such as a hand, may not heal properly and can cause reduced function of the joint or affected body part. Skin grafts on wounds in high-use areas improve function, movement and comfort. Regeneration may occur, in which the skin graft grows pores, hair follicles, sweat and sebaceous glands to restore the ability of skin to sweat and produce skin oils.
Pro: Health
The skin is responsible for controlling body temperature. When a large area of skin is damaged, the ability to regulate body temperature decreases. Successful skin grafting can restore the body's ability to produce sweat and to detect hot and cold on the surface of skin. Additionally, skin grafts help restore the skin's ability to retain fluids inside the body and prevent bacteria from entering the wound.
Con: Graft Rejection
The body may reject a skin graft, necessitating the immediate removal of the graft. Graft rejection can occur if there is poor blood circulation to the graft or if blood fills up beneath the skin graft--called a hematoma--and prevents the graft from properly adhering and growing to the wound site.
Con: Infection
Bacteria can accumulate and grow around the edges of the skin graft or beneath it, causing infection and rejection of the skin graft.
Con: Graft Appearance
Skin grafts made from real skin may not grow with the same skin tone and shade as the patient's healthy skin. This can pose self-image issues for the patient if the skin graft is in a noticeable location, such as the face or forearms. Additionally, skin grafts may grow with a bumpy texture or have raised edges along the graft site, which may also pose an appearance and self-comfort issue if noticeable.
Tags: skin graft, healthy skin, Additionally skin, Additionally skin grafts, body temperature, Cons Skin, Cons Skin Grafts
