The Art of Skin Graft

This book describes common errors, including donor site selection, techniques to decrease scar contracture rate, and show improved long-term follow-up results. In addition, it will describe application of STSG on facial reconstructive surgery and aesthetic thin STSG for correction of irregular surface, color mismatch and old conspicuous engrafted margin.   

Full-thickness skin graft (FTSG) has been used for burn scar contracture of joint areas, including hand, foot, upper and lower extremities. It maximizes the range of motion of those areas and possesses a soft and elastic texture. However, compared to a conventional skin graft, more efforts are needed for graft take with a higher graft failure rate and limited donor site size, which makes surgeons hesitate to use FTSG. This book introduces techniques to decrease operation time, maturation period, pigmentation rate, and improve high graft take rate, skin texture and also newly introducing full thickness skin with subcutaneous fat composite graft technique and its concept. Recently, the development of various artificial dermis and cell culture techniques has greatly improved burn patients' survival rate. In this book the author's experience with various types of artificial dermis, cultured epithelial cell therapy and its benefits for tendon and bone exposure limb salvage and variable cases of long-term follow-up results are shared with up-to-date techniques. The final chapter introduces unique aesthetic skin graft concepts to improve previous scar contracture lesion, dark pigmentation disorder, irregular surface and discoloration, conspicuous grafted margin and others.