Experiences using silicone gel tie-over dressings following skin grafting

Twenty-six patients with 27 skin grafts treated with tie-over dressings using silicone gel sheets containing 0.02 per cent Ofloxacin are described. This method ensured direct in-progress inspection of healing of the grafted skin. Although the silicone gel tie-over procedure without any additional pressure resulted in haematoma and congestion in four out of 12 grafts (33.3 per cent), in the group with additional pressure (approximately 20-30 mmHg) limited to the early period after surgery there was no haematoma and congestion of the grafts in 15 grafts (P less than 0.05, Chi-square test). It is surmised that adequate pressure applied to the graft for a few days after surgery would be beneficial in preventing haematoma formation.