The prepuce and circumcision: dual application as a graft

Circumcision is probably one of the first plastic surgery operations that has been used for centuries. The aim of this study was to apply the bilamellar tissue (skin and mucosa) obtained from circumcision to various defects and to evaluate the clinical results. During the last 2 years, 19 patients have been operated, and the skin and mucosal grafts were applied individually or simultaneously. The etiology was trauma for the whole series of patients (12 burns and 7 strap injuries). In 15 patients the defect was localized to the hand whereas in 4 patients it was located on the dorsum of the foot. In 10 patients, mucosa and skin graft were applied to the same defect as a single, compact layer. In 9 patients, skin and mucosa were applied separately to multiple defects. Using these methods, comparative evaluation of the consequences of prepuce mucosal and skin graft applications could be made. Four obvious differences were observed: (1) in mucosal grafts, early graft edema that resolves spontaneously after 48 hours; (2) better adaptation of the mucosal grafts to the recipient bed; (3) hyperpigmentation in both graft types, but the skin part was slightly darker than the mucosa; and (4) less secondary contraction was seen in mucosal grafts. The results were evaluated in light of the authors' knowledge of the prepuce as an alternative full-thickness donor site. The relative differences in the dual anatomic structure of mucosa and skin, and the role of circumcision as a medical, cultural, and religious application in some societies are discussed.