Full-Thickness Skin Graft (FTSG)- Epidermis + full-thickness dermis
- Advantages: better overall cosmesis (compared to STSG), less wound contracture, retention of appendages
- Disadvantages: increased metabolic demand (due to increased thickness) thus size of FTSG limited, increased rate of graft failure since more vulnerable to necrosis
- Donor sites: preauricular, postauricular, conchal bowl, nasolabial, supraclavicular, inner arm
- Typically FTSGs placed over convex and concave sites (i.e., medial canthus, helix, nasal tip, and nasal ala); must remove fat as this may compromise viability of graft
- Graft should be 10–20% larger than defect size to prevent undersized graft and account for graft contracture (typically up to 15% contraction)
- One week postop: violaceous appearance (resist debridement even if black and potentially necrotic) → monitor site for another week as even if necrotic, can serve as biologic dressing
- Two weeks postop: often changes from a violaceous to pink color
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