Healing and Cosmetic Outcomes in Split-Thickness Skin Graft Donor Sites Using Minced Skin Grafting Across Skin Types

To determine the effect of minced skin grafting on complete healing of the donor site and cosmetic appearance in different skin phototypes. Case series. Place and Duration of the Study: Department of Plastic Surgery, Mayo Hospital, King Edward Medical University, Lahore, Pakistan, from June 2021 to April 2022. Patients scheduled for skin grafting after burns, trauma, tumour excision, and contracture release were included. Split thickness skin grafts (STSG) of 0.25-0.30 mm thickness were harvested, and the leftover STSG was minced into a paste. The donor site was divided into two halves, one was covered with graft paste and the other with standard dressing. First dressing was opened on the 8th postoperative day, and then daily, the wound was evaluated and the healing time was recorded. Cosmetic appearance score on observer scar scale was noted after three months. Thirty-one patients were included in the study. Mean time of healing was 13.35 ± 1.05 days with standard dressing versus 10.51 ± 1.31 days with graft paste (p <0.001). Mean cosmetic outcome score was 3.08 ± 1.72 with standard dressing and 0.78 ± 0.56 with graft paste at three-month follow-up. Minced skin grafting significantly promoted wound healing and improved the cosmetic outcomes of the STSG donor site. Split-thickness skin graft, Minced skin graft, Standard dressing, Wound healing time, Cosmetic appearance.