When skin is severely injured or removed due to trauma, burns, infection, or surgery, it can’t always heal on its own. Skin grafting is a valuable technique that allows plastic surgeons to cover damaged areas with healthy skin to support healing.
At Elite Plastic Surgery in Grand Rapids, our board-certified plastic surgeons use skin grafting as part of reconstructive care. With their experience in trauma reconstruction, microsurgery, and complex wound management, they can customize your treatment to your specific situation.
What Is Skin Grafting?
Skin grafting involves taking a thin layer of healthy skin from one area of your body (called the donor site) and carefully placing it over a wound or damaged area. There are different types of grafts depending on how much skin is needed:
- A split-thickness graft includes just the top layers of skin.
- A full-thickness graft includes the deeper dermal layer as well.
Skin grafts are often used when a wound is too large or deep to close on its own or when healing would leave functional or cosmetic concerns. We typically recommend skin grafting when there’s significant tissue loss, whether from a burn, trauma, chronic wound, or skin cancer removal.
What to Expect from the Procedure and Recovery
Skin grafting is usually done under anesthesia and may be an outpatient procedure or require a short hospital stay, depending on the graft’s size and location. Our surgeons carefully prepare the donor and graft sites to promote smooth integration with your surrounding skin.
After surgery, both areas will need time to heal. We’ll provide instructions on dressing care, limiting movement, and reducing infection risk. Discomfort is common but manageable with medication and typically improves as healing progresses.
Over time, the grafted skin blends in with your nearby tissue. While some differences in color or texture may remain, most patients are pleased with how the graft settles. Our team will monitor your progress along the way.
Supporting Your Healing Process
Skin grafting can be a powerful part of recovery, especially when done by a team as experienced in reconstructive techniques as ours. At Elite Plastic Surgery, we walk you through every part of the process so you know what to expect.
Call 616-459-1907 to schedule a consultation and find out if skin grafting is the right next step for you.
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