How does the skin heal with a skin graft?
What is a skin graft? A portion of healthy skin is taken from one area of your body (called the donor site) and moved to another area (called the recipient site). In skin cancer , such grafts cover the areas that have been left bare by the surgical removal of portions of the skin. The skin is usually taken from the back or thigh or other part of the body and is stitched to the injured part. The graft is nourished by small arteries from the tissue surrounding the injured area. Are there different ways of doing skin grafts? There are several different ways: • Pinch grafts: Small pieces, usually about 1/4 inch in diameter, are taken from the uppermost layer of the skin and spaced in the area missing the skin. The small pieces grow in the new location and spread out to cover the bare area. This method is used usually in very small areas such as the eyelid. • Split thickness grafts: These are sheets of skin, sometimes measuring several inches in diameter, taken fr...