Port Wine Stain

I have a large port wine stain which covers a large part of the right side of my face. originally It spanned down to my forearm, but through previous laser treatment it has split into the large piece on my face and a small chunk on my arm. Although the laser did show some progress, it seemed to reach a point of low effectiveness. I was curious about stepping up to a skin graft. Would this be a one time procedure? What kind of scaring would it include post surgery?

[Howard Rosenberg, MD]

A skin graft will eliminate that portion of the port wine stain which is excised.  However, if a large area is involved, then a split thickness graft will be needed and there may be a problem with color and texture match.  An alternative would be replacing the excised tissue with a skin flap, which would protect color and texture.  This is a major procedure and you would best consult at a university teaching center.  You need to be examined directly to determine the success of hemagioma excision and coverage.