What should you know about split skin graft?

The surgeon removes a thin sheet of skin, commonly from an area such as the thigh, and places it over a prepared wound. The covered wound is the recipient site; the area that supplied skin is the donor site. Both areas need care. The graft is secured with dressings, stitches, staples, or another support, and it must develop a blood supply from the wound underneath.

Follow the written instructions for each site separately. Keep the recipient dressing protected from friction and moisture, and do not lift its edges to look underneath. The donor site may sting or feel raw, so use only the dressings and products recommended by the team. Limit stretching across the graft, avoid smoking if advised, and keep review appointments. The broader [Skin Graft](/treatments/surgical-dermatology/skin-graft/) page can provide background; [Fractional Laser Treatment](/treatments/laser-and-energy/fractional-laser-treatment/) is a different procedure and should not be substituted for graft care.

Call your surgical team if pain, redness, warmth, swelling, or drainage is increasing rather than settling, or if a dressing repeatedly becomes wet or displaced. Get urgent help for uncontrolled bleeding, severe pain, sudden loss of feeling, a cold or blue limb, or fever with marked weakness. Report any fall or impact that may have pulled on the graft.

Ask how the donor site and graft site should each be cleaned, when dressings will be changed, which activities are restricted, and what signs suggest the graft needs an early assessment. Ask whether scarring or color change is expected and how it will be reviewed.