Skin transplantation
In the example shown below a chronic defect of the lower leg is the result of a contusion / bruise (1 and 2). Because of the large size of the defect spontaneous healing will not succeed or take far too much time and for this reason it was decided to perform a skin transplantation.
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With a special instrument (operating on pressed air), a dermatome (3), a thin slice of skin(5,6) is taken from the upper leg, the donorsite (4). Hereafter a wound remains that can heal spontaneously.
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The slice of skin is laid on a special piece hard plastic with a relief (7). This is pressed through a machine, a mesh-machine, and then the slice of skin gets a lot of holes(8,9,10). Because of this the surface of the skin becomes strongly increased so that a much larger area can be covered with the skin. Also woundfluid can flow off easily.
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After the place where the skin will be placed (the acceptorsite) has been cleaned and stripped of dead tissue (11) the donorskin is placed and tailored (12.1314).
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To prevent the skin from moving, a special protectionlayer is applied and the skin is fixed with small staples (15,16.17).
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Hereafter an iodine gauze is laid on the wound. On the upper leg, where the skin was taken from, a haemostatic gauze is placed and an oppressive bandage is applied as well as on the lower leg(18,19.20.21.22).
Frequent wound control and gauze changing is possible because of the protecting ' plastic ' layer protecting the skintransplant. After 10 days the staples and ' plastic ' layer can be removed and the skintransplant will have grown in into its new environment.