Skin grafts are used when a wound cannot be stitched closed. This may be because the wound is very large or in an awkward place on your body.

Staff take the top layer of skin from one part of your body (called the donor site) and move this to the affected area. The graft heals, or ‘ takes’ by developing a blood supply and attaching to its new position.

Skin grafts can be taken from different areas of the body and staff try to choose a site where the skin colour is a good match.

After your skin graft operation

For the first week after your operation, your dressing will be stitched in place to help the graft stay in position and protect it from infection.

Keep the area dry and leave the dressing in place until it is removed at a dressings clinic.

To help the graft heal, it is important to protect it by:

• Not getting it wet in a bath or shower.
• Avoiding anything that may rub, stretch, or cause friction to the area.

After staff remove the dressing, they may leave the graft exposed and give you a moisturising cream or they may apply another dressing and arrange another check of your graft.

You can get the area wet in the shower once a dressing is no longer needed. The skin will still be fragile, so gently pat it dry with a clean towel.

You will usually need a dressing on the donor site for one week.

If the graft does not ‘take’ as expected, the wound will still heal, and you may just need to keep a dressing on it for longer.

Infection or bleeding

If you develop an infection, it can affect how well the graft heals. To help prevent infection:

• keep the dressings clean and dry, and
• do not remove them until your dressings clinic appointment

Signs of infection include:

• increased redness
• swelling
• heat
• pain
• pus coming from the area

If you are concerned about infection, contact the Ambulatory Care Centre on 01324 567500 / 01786 434098 as soon as possible.

A small amount of bleeding after the operation is normal. Do not worry if your dressing is blood-stained. If there is a lot of bleeding, apply gentle pressure over the dressing using a clean tissue. This should help stop the bleeding.

If bleeding does not settle, contact the Ambulatory Care Centre on numbers listed above.

Skin graft healing

Newly healed skin grafts and donor sites are more delicate than normal skin.

For the first few weeks, apply Vaseline to the edges of the graft as this helps keep the area moist. Do this twice a day using a clean finger.

Once the graft has healed, use a plain moisturiser (such as E45) to moisturise and massage the area, using firm pressure as this helps soften and flatten the scar over time.

It can take about 12–18 months for a scar to fully settle and blend in with the surrounding skin. Regular moisturising and massage will help with this.

You may notice changes in colour and sensation during this time. This can be more noticeable with temperature changes, such as after a hot bath or shower.

You may not have any feeling at the graft site at first however this may return over the following weeks or months.

Sun protection

Newly healed skin grafts and donor sites can burn easily and are more sensitive to sun damage so avoid exposing the area to the sun and always use a high-factor sunscreen (SPF 50).