What are the pros and cons of skin grafts vs natural healing? (Photo)

The benefit of a skin graft will instantly close your wound which will minimise the need for skin care and post-operative pain and will also improve the aesthetic appearance as well.

That should be left to hal naturally.  A skin graft leaves a donor site defect and will leave a cosmetic deformity on the breast.

Without knowing the specifics of your case or examing you, it is difficult to determine what would be best in your case. In general , skin grafting will expedite the wound healing process. The grafted area will remain about the same size, however, and will maintain a patched appearance. If the area is allowed to continue to heal on its own, it will take longer, but the area of scarring will probably be smaller. Which will have a better cosmetic appearance depends on the case. A graft also will leave a donor site which will have a scar and may require addtional healing time. Repeated anesthetics over a short period of time does have some increased risks.

I am sorry to hear that you are going through this.  This is an excellent question.  The benefit of a skin graft is that is closes the wound more quickly, however the wound will undergo some degree of "contracture" leading to a tightened appearance of the wound.  Additionally there will be a "donor site" meaning that the skin to close the current wound will need to come from another place and cause an incision elsewhere.  Not everyone is a good candidate for this treatment so please see a Board Certified or Board Eligible Plastic Surgeon to evaluate if you may benefit. Good luck!

This content is for educational and informational purposes only. It is not a substitute for medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment provided by a qualified healthcare professional.  You should always seek the advice of your physician or healthcare professional for any questions you have about your own medical condition. 

Hello and thank you for your question and photo. I’m sorry you are facing this concern. A skin graft can close the wound and shorten your healing time; however, it could lead to more visible scarring, and it will also leave scarring at the donor site, where the skin for the graft is obtained. Allowing the wound to heal naturally will take longer but will minimize scarring around the wound and will not require a graft to be taken. Ultimately, you must decide which is the best option with the advice of your board-certified plastic surgeon after having a full, in-person examination. While a third procedure under general anesthesia will pose some additional risks, these risks remain small. Follow up with your surgeon as soon as possible. Good luck!

Although I have never had this complication, I can see how it could happen.  As you can tell there is a deficit of tissue on the breast.  By using a skin graft, the area's healing can be expedited as opposed to secondary healing.  So the time to healing can be shortened.  However, you are right.  Another operation carries additional risks.  So this is a decision to be discussed with your surgeon.  Ideally, with the help of anesthesia, the medications used can be limited and the effect of the third procedure much less dramatic.  I would suggest using a full thickness skin graft from the groin or the lower abdomen as opposed to a split thickness skin graft.  The cosmetic result will be much better and there will be no donor defect.