Sentinel node biopsy site used as full thickness skin graft donor for cutaneous melanoma.
BACKGROUND
Wound defects after wide local excision (WLE) for cutaneous melanoma can occasionally require the use of skin grafts for closure. Harvesting the skin graft can result in an additional wound.


METHODS
The increasing use of sentinel lymph node (SLN) biopsy in cutaneous melanoma at our institution has facilitated the development of an alternative technique for obtaining donor skin. The proposed method utilizes the skin overlying the SLN as the skin graft donor site. Sixteen patients underwent WLE of intermediate to thick melanomas with SLN biopsy and full thickness skin graft harvested from the SLN biopsy site.


RESULTS
After a median follow-up of 12 months, there were no graft failures. There were 2 partial graft losses. There were no wound complications. There were no melanoma recurrences.


CONCLUSIONS
In cases where primary closure is not technically feasible or cosmetically favorable, the use of the SLN incision site as a skin graft donor provides the surgeon with an effective repair and spares the patient an additional skin graft donor site defect.
Dresel
Alexandra
A
Baylor University Medical Center, Department of Surgery, Dallas, TX 75246, USA.
Kuhn
Joseph A
JA
McCarty
Todd M
TM
D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008545:Melanoma / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D021701:Sentinel Lymph Node Biopsy / Q000379:methods*; D012878:Skin Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D016038:Skin Transplantation / Q000379:methods*; D014184:Transplantation, Homologous; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014945:Wound Healing / Q000502:physiology