Skin grafting is a surgical procedure that involves removing the skin from the healthy area and then placing it on the damaged area. The surgery is done on the part of the body which has lost its protective skin covering due to skin infections, deep burns, large & open wounds, bed sores, or other ulcers on the skin that haven’t healed well, or due to skin cancer surgery.
There are two basic types of skin grafts: split-thickness and full-thickness grafts.
Split-thickness grafts
A Split-thickness graft involves the top layer (epidermis) and a part the deeper layer (dermis). These layers are taken from the healthy site, usually from the thigh, abdomen, buttocks, or back. The grafted skin doesn’t grow readily in comparison to the normal skin. Hence, children may need additional grafting.
Full-thickness grafts
Such graft is usually used for the small wound. In this procedure, the epidermis and the entire dermis from the healthy site (abdomen, groin, forearm, or area above the clavicle) are taken and placed on the affected area, pulled together and closed with stitches or staples.