title: Scalp as a donor site for split thickness skin grafts.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Use of scalp as a donor site was reported for the first time in 1964. Since then, authors have described scalp as a donor site, which heals rapidly and re-growth of hair conceals the donor site. This study was aimed at evaluation of scalp as donor site by calculating the healing time, and frequency of post-operative complications.
  
  
  METHODS
  This was a descriptive study and was conducted at Plastic Surgery Department Jinnah Hospital, Lahore, from October, 2006 to December 2007. Thirty patients requiring split skin grafting for small to moderate sized defects (requiring up to 4 sheets) were included in this study. After taking informed consent skin graft were taken from the scalp using Zimmer Electric Dermatome. Donor site was covered with occlusive dressing. Donor site healing time and complications were recorded. Patients having scalp lesions were excluded from the study.
  
  
  RESULTS
  All the patients in this study achieved healing of the donor site. None of them required grafting. 26 (86.67%) patients achieved healing by 6th post-op day 3 (10.0%) patients achieved healing by 10th post-op day and the remaining 1 (3.33%) patients achieved healing by 20 days. Complications noted were folliculitis in 2 patients and scab formation in 1 patient. Alopecia, hair transplant to recipient site and hypertrophic scarring was not encountered in our study. Patients were discharged by 6th post operative day and complications were managed on outpatient basis. Overall patients' compliance and satisfaction was excellent.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  scalp is an excellent donor site for taking split skin graft. It has shown to be very useful in terms of quick healing, convenient post-op care and negligible complications. It should be given preference when donor site for taking skin graft is to be selected.
authors.affiliation: Department of Plastic Surgery, Jinnah Hospital, Lahore. drkamrankhalid@hotmail.com
authors.forename: Kamran
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Khalid
authors.forename: Moazzam Nazeer
authors.initials: MN
authors.lastname: Tarar
authors.forename: Farrukh
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Mahmood
authors.forename: Falak Sher
authors.initials: FS
authors.lastname: Malik
authors.forename: Muhammad Younas
authors.initials: MY
authors.lastname: Mehrose
authors.lastname: Ata-ul-Haq
mesh_terms: D000505:Alopecia; D017439:Cicatrix, Hypertrophic; D006801:Humans; D010865:Pilot Projects; D011183:Postoperative Complications; D012535:Scalp / Q000601:surgery* / Q000637:transplantation; D016038:Skin Transplantation / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000379:methods*; D014019:Tissue Donors