Post by Admin on Jul 10, 2007 16:06:46 GMT -5
Skin Grafts Made Simple
by: Erin Ryder, News Editor
July 06 2007 Article # 9949
Pinch and punch grafts aren't the most attractive option for closing slow-healing wounds, but they are a viable option for quickly closing these types of injuries. The procedures are quick and simple, according to Linda Dahlgren, DVM, PhD, Dipl. ACVS, assistant professor of Large Animal Clinical Sciences at the Virginia-Maryland Regional College of Veterinary Medicine in Blacksburg, Va. She presented her experience with the procedure at the 52nd annual American Association of Equine Practitioners Convention, held Dec. 2-6, 2006, in San Antonio, Texas.
"The goal here is not necessarily to have the most cosmetic outcome, but to have a functional outcome," Dahlgren said. "If cosmetics is the goal, then there are other types of grafts we should consider, but that's a whole different ball game in terms of ease of procedure."
Dahlgren performs pinch/punch grafts by taking multiple small pieces of skin and hair--rather than sheets of skin as in customary skin grafts--from a donor site (preferably an inconspicuous area, such as under the mane) and transferring them into the wound bed.
The procedure is ideal for moderate to small open wounds that will otherwise take a long time to heal on their own, or wounds that have become static and need a "jump-start" back into the healing process. Dahlgren said wound beds that are not healthy enough to support split-thickness mesh grafts (grafts that use one large sheet of donor skin) can be successfully pinch/punch grafted. The procedure can be performed on a standing horse, and the majority of the grafts will be secure to the wound within nine days.
The acceptance rate for pinch/punch grafts is 75-90% according to Dahlgren.
"Everybody should be doing these," Dahlgren said. "They really can't go wrong."
by: Erin Ryder, News Editor
July 06 2007 Article # 9949
Pinch and punch grafts aren't the most attractive option for closing slow-healing wounds, but they are a viable option for quickly closing these types of injuries. The procedures are quick and simple, according to Linda Dahlgren, DVM, PhD, Dipl. ACVS, assistant professor of Large Animal Clinical Sciences at the Virginia-Maryland Regional College of Veterinary Medicine in Blacksburg, Va. She presented her experience with the procedure at the 52nd annual American Association of Equine Practitioners Convention, held Dec. 2-6, 2006, in San Antonio, Texas.
"The goal here is not necessarily to have the most cosmetic outcome, but to have a functional outcome," Dahlgren said. "If cosmetics is the goal, then there are other types of grafts we should consider, but that's a whole different ball game in terms of ease of procedure."
Dahlgren performs pinch/punch grafts by taking multiple small pieces of skin and hair--rather than sheets of skin as in customary skin grafts--from a donor site (preferably an inconspicuous area, such as under the mane) and transferring them into the wound bed.
The procedure is ideal for moderate to small open wounds that will otherwise take a long time to heal on their own, or wounds that have become static and need a "jump-start" back into the healing process. Dahlgren said wound beds that are not healthy enough to support split-thickness mesh grafts (grafts that use one large sheet of donor skin) can be successfully pinch/punch grafted. The procedure can be performed on a standing horse, and the majority of the grafts will be secure to the wound within nine days.
The acceptance rate for pinch/punch grafts is 75-90% according to Dahlgren.
"Everybody should be doing these," Dahlgren said. "They really can't go wrong."