How do you care for skin grafts?
For the first week, apply a light layer of bacitracin or neosporin to the skin graft. Cover with a light gauze. After one week, you no longer need to use the bacitracin or neosporin. Continue to cover the skin graft with a light gauze if needed after each wash.
How long should you keep a skin graft covered?
The donor-site area is covered with a sterile dressing for 3 to 5 days. People with deeper tissue loss may need a full-thickness skin graft. This requires the entire thickness of skin from the donor site, not just the top two layers.
How long does a skin graft take to heal and what does the patient need to do?
After about 48 to 72 hours, the blood vessels should start to connect at the site. Full circulation to the grafted skin should return in about 4 to 7 days. As you heal, you will start to regain usual feeling in the skin. This process can take several weeks, months, or even years to fully return.
How can you tell if a skin graft is failing?
WHAT DOES A FAILED SKIN GRAFT LOOK LIKE? Compromised or failed skin grafts are characterized by continuous pain, numbness, fever, discoloration, redness, swelling, or a breakdown of tissue. The most obvious sign of an unhealthy skin graft is darkening skin that lacks the pink appearance of healthy skin.
How long does it take for a skin graft to look normal?
At first, the colour of the grafted skin may appear red or purple, but it should begin to look more like your surrounding skin over time. It can take a year or two for the appearance of the skin to settle down completely.
How long do you keep Vaseline on a skin graft?
The Vaseline is needed as the full thickness skin graft won’t produce its own moisturising secretions for 4 – 6 weeks after surgery. Split skin grafts are similar in that I need the dressings clean, dry and intact for a week.
When should you moisturize a skin graft?
Skin grafts and skin graft donor sites must be moisturized to lessen dryness, cracking, and itching. You can start putting moisturizer on your skin graft or donor site after it is fully healed. Healed grafts and donor sites are pink and dry, and do not have any drainage.
How long should I keep Vaseline on a skin graft?