Skin Cancer Service - Plymouth Hospitals

Plymouth Hospital NHS Trust
Skin Cancer Service
or put any pressure on the area. If it is anywhere other than on
your leg(s), you can start walking as soon as you feel up to it.
If it is on one or both of your legs, then we encourage limited
mobility for usually for 2 days, or until the skin graft is secure
enough for walking. This means you can transfer from bed to
chair only and avoiding putting any weight through the grafted
leg. The nursing staff will advise you when you can start to walk.
If the grafted area is on your hand you may have a sling to keep
your arm raised as much as possible.
What dressing will be used?
Both the graft and donor site will be covered by a dressing. The
dressing applied to the graft is important as it helps to immobilise
the grafted area, which will encourage the graft to take.
Will I need to keep it dressed when I go home?
Yes, in the early days a protective dressing will be necessary.
This will be changed by either the plastic surgery dressing clinic
at the hospital, the district nurse or by your GP practice nurse if
you can attend there.
How can I help my skin graft to take?
By eating a healthy balanced diet with plenty of protein such as
milk, meat, cheese, yoghurt, eggs and fish. Avoiding smoking
also helps as smoking slows down the healing process by
reducing the oxygen and blood supply to the grafted area.
What will my skin graft look like?
With any skin graft, scar formation is inevitable. The appearance
of your skin graft will change considerably over the weeks and
months to follow, so its initial appearance should not cause
alarm. It can take up to 18 months for a scar to “mature”, usually
leaving a pale, soft, flat and supple surface.
Skin Grafts for Skin Cancer
Skin Cancer Service