Homograft in burn therapy – any relevance? A case report

Abstract

Background: The problem of permanent skin coverage in severely burned patients is a question which, despite progress in the last few years has still not found a definite solution. The use of homograft is a way of avoiding graft rejection and reducing patient morbidity and a case in which it was used is hereby presented. Patient: A 14 year old boy presented with a 31% burn wound which was auto-grafted with meshed skin graft. The wound got infected and there was a total loss of graft. A skin graft from his twin was used to cover the wound. Results : Seven month post-surgery, his scar has remained stable. Conclusion: The use of homograft reduces patient morbidity and overall hospital stay. This method still has a place in extreme cases.

Keywords: Burns, skin grafting, homo-grafting

Nigerian Journal of Plastic Surgery Vol. 9, No 2, September 2013