Freehand full-thickness grafting for facial defects: a review of methods.
OBJECTIVE
This article reviews the use of full-thickness skin grafts for closure of facial defects.


METHODS
In almost 3 years, 30 patients had full-thickness skin grafting after removal of premalignant or malignant facial skin lesions. The most common graft harvest sites included the preauricular and postauricular, neck, and supraclavicular areas.


RESULTS
Few complications were seen except for rare surface necrosis and depression of the grafted site, and the esthetic results were generally satisfactory.


CONCLUSIONS
Full-thickness skin grafts offer a reliable alternative to the use of flaps in selected cases.
Johnson
T
T
University of Texas Southwestern Medical School, Dallas, USA.
Zide
M F
MF
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002280:Basal Cell Carcinoma / Q000601:surgery; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000601:surgery; D004954:Esthetics; D005145:Face / Q000601:surgery*; D005153:Facial Neoplasms / Q000601:surgery; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007642:Keratosis / Q000601:surgery; D008297:Male; D008545:Melanoma / Q000601:surgery; D009336:Necrosis; D011230:Precancerous Conditions / Q000601:surgery; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012878:Skin Neoplasms / Q000601:surgery; D016038:Skin Transplantation / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000379:methods* / Q000473:pathology; D014945:Wound Healing