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The Curious Bag
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A skin graft, also called skin transplant, refers to the surgical procedure of taking skin from one area of the body and attaching it to another part of the body. The reason doctors perform skin grafts vary greatly.
Significance
A skin transplant may be performed for cosmetic reasons or to help treat a variety of medical conditions, such as unhealed ulcers, burns, infected skin, and skin cancer.
Types
Split thickness skin graft, where doctors only use the first two layers for the skin transplant, is the most common type of skin graft. In cases with serious tissue loss doctors may use a full thickness skin graft, in which the doctor transplants all layers of the skin.
Procedure
Doctors typically give patients a general anesthesia before performing the skin transplant operation. For this reason you should not eat or drink 8 to 12 hours before the procedure.
Recovery
The recovery from skin graft is usually quick. In cases where doctors perform a skin graft to treat burns the recovery process lasts longer.
Considerations
Full thickness skin transplants have a longer recovery process than split thickness skin grafts.
Side Effects
Possible side effects of the skin graft surgery include bleeding, infection, scarring, and loss of skin sensation.
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