Designing a full-thickness skin graft usually requires, among other things, to draw a template with a size and shape as similar as possible to the defect we are aiming to cover, as this will optimise the amount of skin excised from the donor site. There are several ways to design a template, but the simpler a technique, the more accurate it usually is. It was along these lines we accidentally invented ours, which we have named the tattoo-glove method, a simple and effective way to obtain a template when designing a full-thickness skin graft.1

In the video, the viewer can observe a 3cm defect in the scalp, resulting from the excision of a squamous cell carcinoma. As a side note it can also be noticed how a transfixed suture has been performed. This suture allows for a reduction of the intraoperative and postoperative bleeding, thus increasing the graft survival, and should be removed 5 days after the surgery.

When designing the template for the skin graft a piece of a sterile latex glove is used. We can observe how the glove is laid on the defect and a line is drawn on it, tracing the perimeter of the defect with a permanent marker. While the ink is still fresh, the glove is turned around and then pressed against the skin in the donor site (the left clavicular area in this case), consequently marking the site, leaving a tattoo which is similar in shape and size to the defect. This method simplifies the process of designing a template, allowing us a greater speed and accuracy.

The authors declare not to have any conflict of interest.