title: Ten years later-scalp still a primary donor site in children.
abstract: Choice of the donor site for a split thickness skin graft depends on skin availability, possible complications and anticipated esthetic results. We selected the scalp to be the primary donor site at our institution. During a period of ten years (1998-2008), a group of 123 pediatric patients aged 4 months to 15 years (65% were below the age of 2; mean age 2.98 years) underwent skin grafting from this particular site. In 2 cases the same area was re-harvested. All donor sites healed by the 10th post-operative day. Donor site complications included: 2 microalopecia regions, 5 pressure sores in a close proximity, 1 hypertrophic scar and 1 visible mark on the forehead due to technical mistake in graft harvesting. All children started scar management of the recipient site with contact therapy using adhesive tape Hypafix (BSN Medical); subsequently moving on to silicone sheets or gel in selected refractory cases. We present results for 68 scars in 41 patients with the longest follow-up period. Scar quality was evaluated after minimum of 10 years and scored according to the Vancouver Scar Assessment Scale. Very good and good results were obtained in 55 scars (80.9%), satisfactory in 11 scars (16.2%) and unsatisfactory in 2 scars (2.9%).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our results confirm, that the scalp is a reliable donor site in children and contact therapy is an adequate form of scar prevention/treatment of the recipient site.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery and Urology for Children and Adolescents, Medical University of Gdansk, Poland.
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Wyrzykowski
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery and Urology for Children and Adolescents, Medical University of Gdansk, Poland. Electronic address: bchrzanowska@gumed.edu.pl.
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Chrzanowska
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery and Urology for Children and Adolescents, Medical University of Gdansk, Poland.
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Czauderna
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D002056:Burns / Q000150:complications / Q000601:surgery*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D017439:Cicatrix, Hypertrophic / Q000209:etiology / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000628:therapy; D004643:Emollients / Q000627:therapeutic use; D005260:Female; D005782:Gels / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D012535:Scalp / Q000637:transplantation*; D012828:Silicones / Q000627:therapeutic use; D016038:Skin Transplantation / Q000379:methods*; D013997:Time Factors; D060053:Transplant Donor Site
chemical_list: D004643:Emollients; D005782:Gels; D012828:Silicones
keywords: Burn; Children; Donor site; Graft; Scalp