title: The scalp is an advantageous donor site for thin-skin grafts: a report on 945 harvested samples.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Thin-skin grafts taken from the thigh or buttock take a long time to heal and leave permanent scars.
  
  
  METHODS
  The authors conducted a retrospective study based on their experience with 945 thin-skin grafts (0.2 mm) taken from the scalps of 757 adult patients between January of 1999 and December of 2003.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Of the 757 patients, 89 had grafts taken repeatedly from the scalp. The mean healing time was 6.2 days for a single harvest and 10.2 days for repeated (same hospitalization) harvests. During follow-up, eight patients had microalopecia and three developed "concrete scalp deformity." Of these 11 patients, eight had undergone repeated harvests. None of the other patients had any scarring; they were completely healed by day 15.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The results of this study confirm the rapidity of scalp healing compared with other donor sites. Providing patients with clear, detailed explanations helps minimize the psychological impact of having their heads shaved, and a rigorous technique can contain the two major potential risks: hemorrhage and alopecia. The adult scalp seems to be a donor site to be exploited whenever possible.
authors.affiliation: Plastic, Aesthetic, Reconstructive and Burn Surgery Unit, Rothschild Hospital, Paris, France.
authors.forename: Maurice
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Mimoun
authors.forename: Marc
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Chaouat
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Picovski
authors.forename: Deborah
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Serroussi
authors.forename: Stéphane
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Smarrito
mesh_terms: D002921:Cicatrix; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012086:Reoperation; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012535:Scalp / Q000637:transplantation*; D016038:Skin Transplantation / Q000379:methods*; D014182:Transplantation, Autologous; D014945:Wound Healing; D014947:Wounds and Injuries / Q000601:surgery*