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Debridement & Skin Grafting

Debridement and skin grafting are surgical processes used to treat serious flesh wounds, such as burns. Debridement is the process of removing dead tissue and skin grafting is the process of covering damaged areas with healthy skin. In many cases, debridement and grafting may decrease victim’s hospital stay and improve the function and appearance of the injured area, according to Burn-Recovery.org.

  1. Debridement Uses

    • Debridement is the intentional removal of dead tissue, debris or foreign materials from a wound bed, according to Visiting Nurse Associations of America. Debridement promotes healing, manages infection and controls odor. The process creates a cleaner wound and, in some cases, decreases scarring, according to Aurora Health Care. Debridement helps prepare the wounded area for skin grafting.

    Debridement Process

    • Before debridement, a doctor usually provides a physical exam and takes measurements of the wounded area or areas, according to Aurora Health Care. Depending on the severity of the wound, she will administer pain medication or anesthetic. The actual debridement procedure also varies depending on patient needs.

    Debridement Types

    • Debridement may be surgical, mechanical, chemical or autolytic. In surgical debridement, the doctor physically cuts the dead tissue away using a scalpel, scissors, forceps and other surgical instruments. Mechanical debridement uses a whirlpool or other device to wet and remove dead tissue. Chemical debridement uses enzymes to dissolve dead tissue, and autolytic debridement uses wound dressings to help the body naturally clean the wound, Aurora Health Care explains.

    Temporary Skin Graft

    • In some cases, skin grafts are only temporary, according to The Burn Unit. Temporary skin grafts cover wounded areas to promote healing. Covering the damaged area helps keep it sterile, protects against further damage and provides pain relief, according to the website. Xenografting or using a medical product made of pig skin is one type of temporary skin grafting.

    Permanent Skin Graft

    • Serious wounds, such as partial thickness and full thickness burns, often require permanent skin grafts, according to The Burn Unit. In permanent skin grafting, healthy skin from another part of the patient’s body is usually used to cover the wounded area. During the immobilization period after a permanent skin graft, the patient’s own blood vessels begin to grow into the donor skin and it begins to function as healthy skin tissue.

    Considerations

    • When the patient does not have enough healthy skin for a skin graft, skin from a skin bank may be used, according to Burn-Recovery.org. An allograft (preserved skin from a donor) placed over damaged skin protects against infection while reducing pain and fluid loss. However, since the body recognizes an allograft as a foreign substance, blood vessels will not grow into the tissue during the immobilization process as in a permanent skin graft. The immune system usually rejects the allograft within one to three weeks, according to the website.

    Prognosis

    • Pain, healing time and end results vary greatly depending on wound severity and the debridement and grafting procedures used. Although early debridement and skin grafting usually accelerates healing, according to Burn-Recovery.org, complications can occur. Some patients lose the ability to sweat, some experience chronic dry skin and changes in skin strength, sensitivity, texture and color are likely.

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