How Does Skin Grafting Work?
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
