How Many More Grafts Extracted if Second Scar Created

[Cant decide]

Often, when having a second strip surgery, the doctor will give you the option of either fully excising the existing scar and replacing it or creating a new scar instead because the latter will allow for more grafts to be taken.

 

On average, what is the differential between how many more grafts would be taken in creating a new scar vs exising the old scar (10%, 20%, etc)?

[Arrie]

Good question I would like to know considering I might be facing the same situation in the next year or so.....

[lorenzo]

Its an interesting question that is hard to answer accurately. Lets say for example you have a scar the .5 CM by 30CM and on your first transplant you had an average of 90 grafts per SQ/CM. Since your skin is stretched lets say you now have 75 grafts per SQ/CM. Assuming that the doctor would remove the same amount of area with or without a scar revision then you would lose 1125 grafts with the revision. So with a revision if you end up with 2250 grafts then you would lose 33% grafts you would get without a revision. Of course there are other factor to consider but this is just a rough idea.

In my experience the doctor can follow the same line as the old scar without revision therefore leaving you only one scar. Or he can chose to remove only part of the scar depending on what you decide. There are many reasons for scars being bigger.

1) the patients healing characteristics.

2) Tension

3) how long the staples are kept in for

4) how the strip is removed.

5) the patients skin thickness

6) whether the scar is caused by stretching or grafts transections during removal.

 

Good luck on your decision.

[Cant decide]

So for a scar that is 0.2 cm wide and 30 cm long if you had a graft per sq centimeter count of 90 that would mean there would of been about 540 graphs in that scar so by excising and replacing it, this is how many you would forego by replacing it I believe.

[lorenzo]

So for a scar that is 0.2 cm wide and 30 cm long if you had a graft per sq centimeter count of 90 that would mean there would of been about 540 graphs in that scar so by excising and replacing it, this is how many you would forego by replacing it I believe.

 

 

Yes that is correct but my theory is not 100% accurate. Looking at your scar pictures you showed it looks more than .2CM. Regardless your result looks fantastic.

[Cant decide]

Yes that is correct but my theory is not 100% accurate. Looking at your scar pictures you showed it looks more than .2CM. Regardless your result looks fantastic.

 

Lorenzo - I never posted pictures of my scar so you must have been looking at someone elses pics. I believe that my scar is well under 0.2 mm and I was just using 0.2 as an example. I cant even find my scar except for one very small bump of scar tissue in the upper right side.

 

Thanks for the feedback.

[Davis91]

Can't Decide

 

Did you have one or two layers of stitches? .2 is great.

[Spanker]

This is a tricky question. Lorenzo is right assuming that you are going for maximum heart. I still have very elastic skin even wear my scar is, so I do not believe that the Formula Lorenzo used for this situation applies to everyone. If you are not going for a maximum harvest then the number of grafts received could possibly be the same. Keep in mind that it will take a longer Incision because as Lorenzo pointed out your skin may have stretched thus reducing density in the donor area.

[lorenzo]

Your right CD I didnt read the post beside the picture you posted on stretched scars. I thought that was a picture of your scar sorry. I agree with Davis .2 is a great.