Skin Grafting for Venous Skin Ulcer
Topic Overview
Skin grafting can be an effective treatment for a large, difficult-to-heal venous skin ulcer. A skin graft closes a wound and stimulates healing by triggering skin cell growth in the wound site. Various types of tissue are used for skin grafting, including:
- A dressing derived from one's own skin cells, called an autograft, placed on the wound. Other types of autograft (called split- or partial-thickness skin grafts) graft skin from one part of the body to another.
- A bioengineered human skin equivalent, or allograft.
- Preserved animal skin, often from a pig, called a xenograft.
If you have a long-standing venous skin ulcer, discuss skin grafting with your doctor. Depending on your condition, you may be a candidate for this type of treatment. But there are no guarantees that skin grafting will work for you.
Related Information
References
Other Works Consulted
- Habif TP (2010). Eczema and hand dermatitis. In Clinical Dermatology: A Color Guide to Diagnosis and Therapy, 5th ed., pp. 91-129. Edinburgh: Mosby.
Credits
ByHealthwise Staff
Primary Medical Reviewer E. Gregory Thompson, MD - Internal Medicine
Specialist Medical Reviewer Margaret Doucette, DO - Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Wound Care, Hyperbaric Medicine
Current as ofNovember 21, 2017
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Current as of: November 21, 2017