Dressed to heal: new options for graft site dressing

To ensure the close apposition and immobilization required for survival of full thickness skin grafts, the traditional method is to use pexing sutures or tie-over pressure dressings. In certain areas, such as around the eye, other methods are required because either a concave or convex surface prevents adequate pressure, or the use of sutures as ties produces distortion of anatomical free margins. Alternative dressing methods include; telfa chips kept in place by a pressure pad; calcium alginate (which has the advantages of assisting haemostasis and absorbing serous discharge) under a pressure pad; and extra thin hydrocolloid dressings which decrease slough and are less conspicuous than other dressings.