Skin grafts and skin flaps

A skin graft is a healthy layer of skin that is taken from another part of the body. The layer of skin is then placed over the area where the skin cancer was removed. The place where the skin is taken from is called the donor site. The place where it is moved to is called the grafted area. The amount of skin that is taken depends on the size of the area to be covered. Your doctor or specialist nurse will tell you more about this.

The graft may be stapled, stitched or glued in place. Sometimes it may simply be laid onto the area. Your surgeon will discuss this with you. 

You will have a dressing over the area. This will be left in place while the graft heals. As the skin graft heals, it will connect to the surrounding blood supply. This usually takes 5 to 7 days. The area will look red and swollen to begin with. But eventually it will fully heal, and the redness will fade.

After a skin graft, you can usually go home on the same day. But some people need to have a short stay in hospital. This depends on where the graft is on the body and how big it is.

Try to rest for the first couple of weeks after surgery. You will need to allow time for the graft to heal properly. The grafted area will be quite fragile to begin with. It is important not to put pressure on it or rub or brush against it. You may need to take some time off work until it has healed. If you have young children or are a carer, you may need some extra help at home until you feel able to do the things you normally do.

You may need to have your stitches removed 5 to 14 days after your operation. But you may have stitches that dissolve and do not need to be removed.

Both the grafted and donor areas will develop scars. These should gradually fade. The grafted skin may also look different from the surrounding skin. This will improve over time. Your hospital team can tell you more about what to expect.

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