Victims of severe injuries, such as burns, diabetic ulcers, and other skin-related trauma, have more options to cure their ailments. As soon as it becomes clear that an individual will not survive without a skin graft, doctors can perform what are called bio-engineered skin grafts. Visit a specialist in San Antonio, TX, for the skin graft procedure. They’ll plan for the treatment depending on your needs. However, target the best center for bio-engineered skin grafts in San Antonio, Texas, for the proper treatment.
What Are Bioengineered Skin Grafts?
Bio-engineered skin grafts are the latest medical advancement in tissue engineering. As a last resort to heal skin-related injuries, doctors can harvest cells from the patient’s body and grow them into bio-engineered skin on a scaffold that is then surgically implanted to cover the wound.
Who is the Best Candidate for the Procedure?
They have been successfully used on individuals with diverse wounds, including severe burns, chronic ulcers, and traumatic injuries that would otherwise result in scarring or permanent disfigurement.
How Does the Procedure Work?
Once it is determined that a patient will require this procedure, cells are harvested from their body and grown in a lab for several weeks on a scaffold, which is then surgically attached and padded with gauze and bandages.
The resulting graft is particularly useful in treating third-degree burns because it does not contain hair follicles, which will often grow back after regular skin grafts and ultimately become ingrown hairs that can cause scarring.
What to Expect in a Bioengineered Skin Grafts Procedure
The procedure for a bio-engineered skin graft is relatively straightforward. First, the patient’s skin is disinfected, and a sterile field is established. Your doctor cuts the graft to the appropriate size for the wound, and a small amount of donor skin at the edge of the injury is lifted to remove it from the area being treated.
What Are the Benefits of Bio-Engineered Skin Grafts?
They offer several advantages over traditional skin grafts, including:
- Reduced Healing Time: Bio-engineered skin grafts attach more quickly to the underlying tissue than traditional skin grafts, which can reduce healing time by up to 50%.
- Improved Appearance: Bio-engineered skin grafts are often more flexible and less likely to itch than traditional skin grafts.
- Increased Functionality: Traditional skin grafts can dry out, crack or scar due to lack of blood flow in the surrounding tissue. Bio-engineered skin grafts are more resistant to infection because they are grown from the patient’s cells and can better integrate with the surrounding tissue.
- Reduced Scarring: Bio-engineered skin grafts do not contain hair follicles, which can often grow back after traditional skin grafts and lead to scarring.
Bio-engineered skin grafts offer many advantages over traditional skin grafts, including reduced healing time; improved appearance; increased functionality, and reduced scarring. Although the procedure is relatively straightforward, it requires extensive preparation for both doctor and patient.
