The modified use of Surfasoft® in skin grafts: case series

Surfasoft® is a monofilament woven polyamide thread. Its use over skin grafts has always been combined with other occlusive dressings. Its rapid application and transparent property makes it an ideal primary dressing in the absence of any occlusive layers after the first two days following skin graft application. We describe this modified use in our case series. We modified the use of Surfasoft® in four different burns patients and one skin cancer case. Surfasoft® was predominantly used on difficult sites and secured with either staples or sutures. A secondary occlusive dressing was only applied in the first 48 hours, then removed, leaving Surfasoft® as a single dressing until it spontaneously separated from the graft approximately 7-10 days post op. Complete healing of grafts was defined when dressing was no longer required. The majority of burns were full thickness with an average TBSA of 6.5%. Distribution was mainly to the neck and upper torso areas. The skin cancer was located on the right shoulder region. Graft healing was completed in 3-4 weeks following surgery. No complications were reported. Advantages of the modified Surfasoft® in addition to factors associated with graft survival in our series are discussed. The modified Surfasoft® was shown to be a simple and reliable dressing for meshed STSGs in both burns and elective procedures. We believe that it can be effectively used in sites associated with poor tolerance to conventional dressing and when nursing resources are limited.