A burn injury can be one of the most painful experiences that a person can go through. Many personal injury lawsuits involve victims who have suffered burn injuries, whether it is due to a workplace accident or a vehicle catching on fire during a motor vehicle accident. There are a variety of different treatments for burn injuries and, thankfully, medical advances are made every day. But, there is one particular type of treatment that our San Diego readers may have heard of before: a skin graft.
What can a victim of a burn injury expect from a skin graft? Well, the procedure, which at times can be very difficult to carry out depending on the spot on the person’s body where the burn was suffered, is a fairly common treatment for a burn injury. In essence, the procedure involves taking healthy skin, if available, from one section of the victim’s body and then “grafting” that healthy skin to the spot where the burn was suffered.
What does a skin graft accomplish? Well, for starters, replacing skin that is damaged by a burn with healthy skin will aid in the person’s ability to regulate body temperature and avoid fluid loss. The healthy skin will also help the victim by serving one of the most important roles that all healthy skin plays: preventing the body from being infected by bacteria.
Needless to say, the medical expenses for the treatment of burn injuries can add up quickly. The skin graft procedure can take quite a bit of time to complete, and time is needed to allow the skin to heal. This can make for a prolonged stay in the hospital. For someone who has suffered burn injuries due to another party’s negligence or reckless behavior, a personal injury lawsuit to seek compensation can be an important option.
Source: Encyclopedia of Surgery, “Skin grafting,” Accessed Oct. 3, 2015
