Skin graft

Alternative names:

grafting of skin; skin transplant

Definition:

Surgical procedure to transplant of a piece of skin from one area to another.

Description:

While the patient is awake, sleepy (sedated), or deep asleep and pain-free (local anesthesia or general anesthesia), healthy skin is taken from elsewhere on the patient's body using a dermatome (skin-cutting instrument). The graft is carefully spread on the bare area to be covered. It is held in place either by gentle pressure from a well-padded dressing or by a few small stitches. The raw donor area is covered with a sterile nonadherent dressing for a couple of days to protect it from infection.

Indications:

Skin grafts may be recommended for:

• extensive wounds
• burns
• specific surgeries that may require skin grafts for healing to occur.