Skin Grafting

Question: skin grafting? so I found out im going to need a skin graft for a small area that got burned and is to big an area to heal on its own,what is the process? do they put you under or are you awake when they do it?

Answer: They had to do this to my grandmother, but she was only 11 at the time so things have changed a lot since then. I would hope they would put one completely under for this, that seems like a whole heck of a lot of local anesthesia otherwise. But they will choose and area to skim a layer of skin from and lay it over the burned area. I'm sure there's a much more complicated process of cleaning and preparation, I just don't know it. They may well have a method or procedure to help reduce the scarring, but my grandmother has scars both where her burns were and where they took the skin from. I'm sorry you have to go through this. Good luck and I hope you get well soon.

Question: Has anyone ever heard of skin grafting internally? My brother is in the hospital with 3rd degree burns, after a hernia operation over a year ago. The Dr. cut something inside while performing this Op. and bile has been burning his insides. The Dr. now says he has 3rd. degree burns and is talking about using skin grafts on his insides. I have never heard of this proceedure! Anyone?

Answer: You need to ask more questions because this doesn't make any sense at all. You don't have skin on your insides.........

Question: What do you know about skin grafting? My two year old has a bad burn on her foot and the doctor today said it will more than likely need to have a skin graft done. All I know about it is they remove skin from one part of your body and place it on the burnt part. How long of a procedure is it? Does it hurt afterwords? Is it necessary? How long will she have to stay there? The place is 2 hours away (another state) and I'm sooo worried. (the burn on her foot is about the size of a dollar coin)

Answer: hi there im planning to get mine done (although i was told i shoudnt) it all depends on the degree of the scar. 1 is the lowest and 6 is the highest, all depending on the type of burn scar, there are different ways of skin grafting all having different ways of healing and depending on the level and where it is. this site is SOOO useful read t you'll find the answers here.

Question: I'm getting skin grafting done on my foot and hand. How long would it take to heal? The doctor said I would be in crutches and my right hand would be in a cast. He didn't give me a clear estimate because he was busy and had to leave early. How long would I be in crutches/cast? And when would I be healed to normal?

Answer: difficult to say depend from person to person but its gonna take a while maybe 6 - 8 weeks Strongs

Question: Roughly how much will skin grafting cost? I have quite a few stretch marks on my inner thighs and I have some on my stomach. Does anyone know my much that would probably cost me?

Answer: Don't bother, there is no way to ever completely get rid of stretched marks. The bit you achieve with skin grafting is not worth the money. Better to do exercise and eat healthy.

Question: What is the best way to get rid of 2 deep scars i have on my thigh? I heard of Z-Plasty and skin grafting.? Which methods are the best and most effective and which ones have the shortest recovery time?

Answer: Mederma was recommended by a doctor for a friend with a C-section scar and it worked. I know you want to go to extremes but maybe you could take a picture of your scar, try Mederma every day for 2 months, and take another picture and compare the pictures. If it hasn't helped, THEN try something more drastic. ZPlasty has a recovery time of 14 days, and is very effective. You will still have a scar, but they just pull the sides in so instead of having an O shaped scar you will have an I shaped scar. I doubt you'll be able to do this for less than $2700, plastic surgeons are pricey!... Skin grafting can take up to a year to heal, and you are pretty much moving the scar from your thigh to another part of your body that they took the skin from. This will cost a minimum of $2000. BARE minimum. If you fly to India to get the skin graft it costs about $690. Good luck!

Question: Has anyone ever had skin grafting done on their gums, and how bad did it hurt? I have to have skin grafting done on my gums around my bottom front teeth. I've been told that they will take tissue from the roof of my mouth and put it around my bottom teeth. Just wondering if anyone has been through this before and what the procedure was like. Thanks

Answer: THE AREA WHERE THEY PUT THE TISSUE IS NOT GOING TO BE PAINFUL, IT IS USUALLY THE AREA FROM WHERE THEY TAKE THE TISSUE THAT IS PAINFUL IE THE ROOF OF YOUR MOUTH. THEY WILL MOST PROBABLY GIVE YOU A PLATE TO WEAR TO PROTECT THE TISSUE AFTER HARVESTING IT FROM THE PALATE. THIS AREA TAKES ABOUT 2-3 WEEKS TO HEAL.

Question: Do they discard skin removed from surgery? Can they use 'tummy tuck' skin for grafting on a burn victim? My wife and I were watching something on TLC regarding tummy tucks. They showed the surgery and we wondered what they did with the skin. Is it discarded? Do they use it for anything? Could they use it for people that need grafts?

Answer: Generally the patients own skin is used for skin grafts. Cadaver skin is used as a temporary covering, but ultimately it is rejected by the host. Depending on the type of graft someone needs, either a full thickness or partial thickness. The former is an excisional flap or free flap procedure with or without the use of tissue expanders, or a partial thickness areas of skin are shaved off. The graft heals site with minimal scarring, much like a 2nd degree burn. There really would be no call for what you are suggesting. Rejection would always be an issue, and would not be an improvement over current methods.

Question: Do the stiches from skin grafting melt over time or are they permenantly there? I got a skin graft for my gums today and I forgot to ask if the stiching the periodontist used was the same as the one the person who took out my wisdom teeth used which came out over time.

Answer: Usually with dental surgery the stitches are dissolvable. They will fall out in a couple of days. Otherwise they would have made an appointment for you to have them taken out.

Question: Enzyme used in skin grafting? What is the name of the enzyme used in creating skin grafts that separates the cells? I think it's trypsin, but I'm not sure?

Answer: Dispase separates the epidermis from the underlying basement membrane. Then trypsin will separate the epidermal epithelial cells (keratinocytes).