Welcome to our Skin Grafts and Transplants blog! Here we hope to detail the procedure, recent issues, research, and relevance to health care policy in the field of skin grafts and transplants.

Skin is the largest organ of the human body, represents about 16% of the total body weight, and covers the large majority of the body. As the external covering of the body, skin is the first line of defense against infection from pathogens in the environment. Skin also provides the sensation of touch and pressure, prevents water loss, insulates the body, and regulates body temperature. Therefore, it is an essential barrier and mediator to the outside world that must be maintained. Primary methods to restore irreversibly damaged skin include skin grafts and transplants.

Skin grafting is a step on the reconstructive ladder for wounds that cannot be closed primarily. The "reconstructive ladder" is a generalized term coined to describe complex stepwise procedure to treat physical external injury. Skin grafting is categorized into five distinct types: Autologous (donor and recipient are the same), Isogeneic (donor and recipient are genetically identical), Allogeneic (donor and recipient are same species), xenogeneic (donor and recipient are of different species), and prosthetic (replacement of lost tissue by synthetic materials).

Monday, November 16, 2009

Liebeck v. McDonalds


Legal Myths: The McDonald's "Hot Coffee" Case

More Info on Tort Reform (blog)
Obama on Tort Reform (CBS transcript)
NYT articles on Tort Reform (malpractice)
This case involves a 79 year old Stella Liebeck in New Mexico who in 1992, bought a cup of coffee at a McDonalds drive-through and spilled it on herself (coffee at about 180-190 degrees Fahrenheit). She incurred 3rd degree burns, and underwent skin graft operations (hospitalized for about a week). After denied attempts to settle with McDonalds for hospital costs, Liebeck took the case to court and was awarded "$2.9 million" in damages which was later reduced (however the headline stayed).

I thought that this article dealt more with the health care debate side of skin grafts (albeit in a slightly separated yet interconnected way). This case has since become one of the cornerstones concerning the debate over "excessive lawsuits". Tort Reform is a collection of proposed reforms that "all are designed to either limit the circumstances under which injured people may sue, limit how much money juries may award to injured people, or both" (whatistortreform.com). Tort reform is one method of reform that many (politically, mostly Republicans) think is the best way to reduce medical malpractice suits.

This article is found on a medical website, and was written by a doctor. The information provided is the basic information about skin grafts. It is not overwhelming with specific details and gives the impression that most of the time skin grafts are quite successful. Without prior knowledge of skin grafts, this site is very helpful in getting one started.
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