Donor Area Selection

Abstract

You can take skin from any of the convex surfaces of a patient's body, but the most convenient places are the fronts of the thighs. An appropriate donor site, typically the lateral, anterior or posterior part of the thigh, buttocks, or the medial aspect of the arm is selected. The skin here is easy to prepare, and easy to dress. If hip and knee are bent, you can also take the skin from the back of the thigh. For extensive vitiliginous area, a large flat donor surface is ideal for harvesting split thickness skin graft (STSG). The selection of the donor site should account for the size of the graft to be harvested, ability to hide the donor site under clothing, and ease of access to the area for follow-up care.