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Is a Skin Graft Considered a Transplant?

Skin grafting is a technique used to repair large or severe injuries to various layers of the skin. The skin is the body's largest organ, and skin grafting is recognized as a form of tissue transplant.

  1. The Facts

    • Skin grafting involves repairing damaged areas with skin acquired from another source. According to the Baylor College of Medicine, this source may consist of an area of the patient's own body (autograft), skin from a human donor (allograft), or temporary skin from another animal species (xenograft).

    Skin Transplantation

    • The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention specifically use the term tissue transplant to describe allografting procedures. In addition to the skin, an allograft may include associated blood vessels.

    Additional Uses

    • The Baylor College of Medicine also uses the term "transplant" when referring to autografts and xenografts.

    Sources and Regulation

    • Allografts typically come from deceased human donors. These materials are subject to regulation by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Xenografts are temporary skin replacements that are frequently derived from pigskin.

    Considerations

    • Like other forms of transplant, skin grafting may fail. Factors in skin graft failure include infection, improper wound preparation before transplant, swelling and poor blood flow.

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