Skin Graft Side Effects and Warnings

Possible Complications

If you are planning to have a skin graft, your doctor will review a list of possible complications, which may include:

• Bleeding
• Graft failure
• Infection at either the donor or recipient site
• Poor healing
• Increased or decreased sensation at the recipient site
• Hair may not grow on recipient site
• Graft tissue of contracts, interfering with limb movement

Factors that may increase the risk of complications include:

• Age: newborns and infants, or 60 or older
• Smoking
• Diabetes
• Poor overall health
• Use of certain medicines

Call Your Doctor

After you leave the hospital, contact your doctor if any of the following occurs:

• Signs of infection, including fever and chills
• Redness, swelling, increasing pain, excessive bleeding, or discharge from the wounds
• Headache, muscle aches, dizziness, or general ill feeling
• Cough, shortness of breath, chest pain, or severe nausea or vomiting
• Any new symptoms

In case of an emergency, CALL 911.