Treatment of ulcers on legs from venous hypertension by split-thickness skin grafts.

Chronic ulcers on legs resulting from venous hypertension can be successfully managed by split-thickness skin grafts. Special attention must be paid to preliminary preparation of ulcers and to the period after grafting. Technical details of grafting are described and the results in 12 patients are recounted.     

The treatment of ulcers on legs with split-thickness skin grafts: report of a simple technique.

The placing of split-thickness skin grafts on chronic ulcers on legs in the usual way is tedious and time consuming. An effective technique that is simply and quickly done is described and illustrated herein. At least two weeks of hospitalization is required to insure complete healing.     

Treatment of leg ulcers with split-thickness skin grafts

A comparison is made between two groups of patients (Group A and Group B) suffering from chronic leg ulcers who were treated by split-thickness skin grafting. Group B was preoperatively treated with silver sulfadiazine cream; the healing results in this group were better than in Group A.     

Foam-rubber stents for skin grafts

A variety of stents are used to immobilize skin grafts and to hold them firmly to the recipient site. Tie-down stents, the most common type, are constructed from bulky, sterile dressing and are overtied with suture material. These stents are often cumbersome to apply. As an alternative, stents made from foam-rubber pads (Reston, 3M Company, St. Paul, MN) were stapled over skin grafts. These stents could be applied quickly, and they maintain continuous, uniform pressure on the immobilized grafts.     

Reusable loop stitches for inspection of grafts

Reusable loop stitches are a good method of securing the stent in skin grafts. Two suture methods are presented: the free-loop and the loose-loop suture technique. Their main advantage is that they provide a loop of suture that can be repeatedly rethreaded with suture, thereby permitting reexaminations and re-stentings of the graft site without additional anesthesia.     

Microlipoinjection for the elevation of depressed full-thickness skin grafts on the nose.

BACKGROUND: Full-thickness skin grafts on the dorsum of the nose may heal depressed and might benefit from elevation. Microlipoinjection has been used to elevate depressed tissue; however, the long-term persistence of the augmentation is questioned. OBJECTIVE: To determine whether microlipoinjection beneath depressed full-thickness grafts on the dorsum of the nose can provide effective and persistent graft elevation. METHODS: Microlipoinjection was performed at one to three sessions under depressed full-thickness skin grafts on the nose of four patients. Their appearance was assessed clinically and photographically for the amount of correction at their last postmicrolipoinjection visit. RESULTS: All four patients had clinically significant elevation of their full-thickness skin graft. In the two patients followed for over 3 years, significant augmentation persisted. CONCLUSION: Microlipoinjection can provide cosmetically useful soft tissue augmentation under depressed full-thickness skin grafts; this augmentation can persist.