[Donor site preserved skin grafts. A clinical study of 10 cases].
BACKGROUND
In spite of a rigorous technique, a graft will not necessarily completely take on a burned area. We propose to preserve on the donor site the excess skin graft harvested during the excision-graft procedure.


METHODS
A clinical study was carried out in nine patients who had their excess skin graft preserved at the time of excision-graft for deep burn. The unused fragments of skin graft were preserved on the donor site. In the event of a small skin graft failure, the preserved skin graft was separated from its donor site and used as a new skin graft during wound dressing.


RESULTS
Nine patients required the use of 10 preserved skin grafts. The average age was 54years and the average burned third degree surface was 17% total body surface area. In seven procedures for six patients, the preserved skin graft was taken off without pain and was used with a complete take. In three cases, the preserved skin graft was not used because in two cases, the take of the initial skin graft was complete and in one case, a definitely insufficient take required reoperation.


CONCLUSIONS
The preservation and use of the skin graft as a complement was simple and useful and made it possible to easily complete a skin graft when the initial take was incomplete. It would appear to be efficient in burn surgery since it accelerates cicatrisation and avoids the need for a new graft harvesting procedure.
Smarrito
S
S
Centre des grands brûlés, hôpital Saint-Antoine, 184, rue du faubourg Saint-Antoine, 75571 Paris cedex 12, France.
Mimoun
M
M
Zakine
G
G
Pham
J
J
Chaouat
M
M
D000328:Adult; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001830:Body Surface Area; D002056:Burns / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000601:surgery*; D005260:Female; D006085:Graft Survival; D006801:Humans; D007297:Inpatients; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D019651:Plastic Surgery Procedures / Q000379:methods; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D016038:Skin Transplantation / Q000379:methods*; D013524:Surgical Flaps; D013997:Time Factors; D060053:Transplant Donor Site; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014945:Wound Healing