Home / Blog / The development of Skin Graft
The development of Skin Graft
Plastic Surgery has never stood still and it is in a constant state of evolution toward problem solving since the begining of the time. The early 19th century was especially important for the great advnaces in Plastic Surgery such as development of skin grafting, anesthesia and asepsis. In 1817, Sir Astley Cooper performed the first succesful human skin graft, covering the stump of an amputated thumb with skin from the amputated part. Initially Baronio published his experimental work on skin graft in sheep. It was the second half of the 19th century, however, that a more significant development occured in skin grafting. The partial-thickness graft was first applied by Reverdin and followed by many later on. Such grafts, in which the donor area would quickly resurface irself, offered the opportunity to cover large open areas for the first time. At the same time, specialized full thickness grafts for critical areas such the eyelid were perfected by others.