How Full-Thickness Skin Grafts Restore Damaged Tissue After Injury

A full-thickness skin graft is a procedure that's used to treat injuries and heal surgical wounds. Grafts are typically taken from healthy skin elsewhere on the body and placed over the damaged or missing skin.

What is a Full-Thickness Skin Graft?

A full-thickness skin graft is a procedure that uses healthy skin to cover an area of damaged or lost skin. It's used to heal injuries, cover surgical wounds, and address other skin concerns. Sometimes, grafts are also taken from animal skin or from lab-created synthetic skin.

When is a Full-Thickness Skin Graft Used?

There are a few different times you might have a full-thickness skin graft. This can include helping to heal skin that has been damaged or lost due to:

• skin cancer surgery
• infection
• burns
• surgical incisions
• ulcers, including diabetic and venous ulcers
• large wounds
• open fractures

Full-thickness skin grafts can also be used during cosmetic or reconstructive surgeries any time there has been significant damage or loss of skin.

What Locations are Used for Donor Skin for Full-Thickness Skin Grafts?

Healthy tissue can be removed from multiple areas of your body. The exact area can depend on where the graft will be used and on your surgeon's technique. But, it's generally preferred to use donor skin from:

• behind the ear
• neck
• collarbone
• pelvic region
• hip
• upper arm

Typically, doctors select a donor site that will create the best results and that best matches the texture and tone of the area that surrounds the new site.

How is the Area Prepared for a Full-Thickness Skin Graft?

After healthy skin is removed from a donor site, a doctor will often make holes or cuts across it. This is called meshing, and it allows surgeons to stretch the healthy skin over a larger area. It can also aid healing.

Before the healthy skin is placed, the surgical site will be prepared. The area of damaged or destroyed skin will be washed out and disinfected. The area will be marked off so that the surgeon has an accurate measurement of how much donor skin to place.

How is a Full-Thickness Skin Graft Done?

Healthy skin is placed over the site of missing or damaged skin. The new skin is secured with stitches or staples. A dressing will then be placed over the area.

A full-thickness skin graft might be done under local or general anesthesia, depending on the donor and graft site.

What's the Outlook Following a Full-Thickness Skin Graft?

Most full-thickness skin grafts are successful. But, not all grafts heal correctly, and sometimes, a second graft is needed.

You'll typically need to leave any dressing in place for at least 5 to 7 days following your graft. This gives the skin time to pick up blood flow in its new location. All dressings will need to be removed by your surgical team.

What is Full-Thickness Skin Graft Failure?

Not all full-thickness skin grafts are successful. Some grafts fail. This means that the new skin doesn't join correctly with the rest of your skin in the area. There are a few reasons this can happen.

For instance:

• Infection can prevent healing.
• Pressure on the site can prevent the new skin from joining with the surrounding skin.
• A pool of blood called a hematoma can form, preventing the new skin from joining with the surrounding skin.
• The blood supply to the area can be too weak to support healing.

What Biological Skin Substitutes May be Used for Full-Thickness Skin Grafts?

In most instances, healthy skin from another area of a person's body is used for a full-thickness skin graft. This is called an autograft.

An autograft isn't the only option. Sometimes, a person who needs a full-thickness skin graft doesn't have enough healthy skin for the procedure. When this happens, skin from another person (a donor) can be used.

It's also possible to use skin from an animal. Often, grafts made from donor or animal skin are temporary and will be replaced with a graft of a person's own healthy skin if they're able to grow it.

Takeaway

A full-thickness skin graft is a procedure that uses healthy skin from a person's own body to cover lost or damaged skin.

Grafts are done to repair damage from burns, surgery, infections, and severe wounds. Most grafts are successful, but some full-thickness grafts fail. When this happens, a second graft is sometimes an option.