2023 Volume 43 Issue 4 Pages 177-182
Background: A large number of patients suffer from deliberate self-harm scars. In recent years, there have been reports of resurfacing with skin grafts, but there are no large-scale reports.
Method: Eighty patients underwent resurfacing with a rotated skin graft. Tumescent local anesthesia (TLA) was administered. The skin at the scar site was cut with an electric dermatome to a thickness of 8/1,000 inches and then rotated 90° and transplanted. Patient and observer scar assessment scale (POSAS) and a questionnaire (1 point = satisfied, 10 points = dissatisfied) were used to evaluate scarring and the patient's worries about improvement at one year after the operation.
Results: The average overall evaluation in the POSAS was 2.7 points; thus, the postoperative scarring was evaluated to be satisfactory. Furthermore, the patients' preoperative worries about improvement after the operation was also evaluated to have improved postoperatively with an average of 3.5 points.
Conclusion: Resurfacing deliberate self-harm scars with a rotated skin graft is a highly useful surgery that can be performed under local anesthesia as day surgery without any complications.
