Skin Graft

[frankserrano]

hey, guys! random, i know, but i was wondering if any of you have had skin grafting done in the past and could post pictures of the scars?

i'm kinda concerned as to how the majority of my right arm and the palm of my right hand is going to look after i heal up from the surgery i had the other day.

thanks in advance

 

[satan]

I don't have any photos -- all depends on the source for your skin too...

Had a shifter-through my thigh in a roll-over - used skin from my back ... Can't hardly tell now (+25 yrs) until I tan (different melanin concentrations)

Discuss this with your plastic surgeon - Products like Mederma are available to work on boundary scarring -- and there are abrasion processes that will help to work-down any scarring that you get.

Generally speaking, if you're not too torn-up under whatever they're covering, and if the Dr's didn't try and stretch things too much -- about all you need worry about is scarring at the joins between new and the transplanted stuff -- WHATEVER you do -- take care of every damned bit of that seam there, or you'll be working with scars for some time (if not forever)...

... and an added thought here -- if you're a smoker, the revascularization may go really slowly -- while it'd'a been better to stop before, now may be a good time to see if you can drop that habit.

I'll see if I can find any leg-shot-pics from a vacation or something -- Onion skins, compression bandages, and Mederma (or script-level scar creams) religiously with Niacin loading helped mine to fade out good enough... After about 5-years I began derm-abrasion to smooth all the edges... and ya can't see the lines now at all (without a tan )

 

[frankserrano]

thanks for the reply

the surgeon had to basically scrape away dead tissue until he found tissue that would bleed, so that the fresh graft would mesh in with the surrounding tissue. he took three strips off of my upper thigh (painful as hell) and i'm not worried about those sites, being that it's basically man made road rash.

i do have a picture of my grafted arm so you could get a better idea of the area that i'm talking about, but in respect for others who may have weaker stomachs than i do, i won't post it up. it's not a pretty sight.

 

[02RangerXLT]

Take it to the tailgate forum, posts in there are mostly NSFW so a bloody//nasty arm won't be anything new.

 

[Ranger Dave (B25)]

How did you come to need skin grafts, Frank?

 

[frankserrano]

How did you come to need skin grafts, Frank?

had a bonfire accident at a friend's house a few days after christmas. a buddy and i were screwing around and punching each other and i took a step back onto a log that rolled out from under my foot and took my balance with it, so into the bonfire i went. i went to the ER and they said that i had to go to the regional burn center in tampa, but it was closed the week between christmas and new year's lol so i got in touch with a plastic surgeon at the hospital.

 

[Grey_04]

well if this post gets moved to the tailgate forum because of me I'm sorry I'm just telling it the way it is. i was born with a double cleft palate and had so much skin grafting i could write a book on it. for the ones that don't know what a cleft palate is here's an example.

after numerous surgeries ,taking a chunk of bone the size of a skoal can from my right hip and a lot of skin from my legs. I think they have done a remarkable job with the work that they have done. here's a current pic of me thanksgiving 2010.

if you look closely you can see the scars on my upper lip but I'm well pleased with the results . i do have a slight speech impediment but if i speak slowly i can be well understood.
if you have any questions or just want to chat off the record pm me and I'll shoot you my yahoo im info..

 

[frankserrano]

wow, man, that's remarkable work, i think you look just fine. modern medical technology is outstanding, some of the reconstructive procedures that they're capable of doing is just crazy.

here's my arm and hand.

 

[Grey_04]

wow, man, that's remarkable work, i think you look just fine. modern medical technology is outstanding, some of the reconstructive procedures that they're capable of doing is just crazy.

didn't re post your pics but i wish you luck with your arm. and your 100% right on the modern medical technology is outstanding. in my case i was born in 1968 and the medical advances since then makes me wonder what could have been done different. in hoping they get you patched up as good as new....

 

[1993Ranger4x4]

That'll buff out! Maybe a touch of bondo!

But seriously, good luck with your recovery.