graft [Gk, graphion, stylus] , a tissue or an organ taken from a site or a person and inserted into a new site or person, performed to repair a defect in structure. The graft may be temporary, such as an emergency skin transplant for extensive burns, or permanent with the grafted tissue growing to become a part of the body. Skin, bone, cartilage, blood vessel, nerve, muscle, cornea, and whole organs, such as the kidney or the heart, may be grafted. Preoperative care focuses on a high-protein diet and vitamins to ensure optimal physical condition and on freedom from infection. With the patient under general or local anesthesia, the tissue is transferred and sutured into place. Rejection of a non-autograft is the major complication: fever, pain in the graft area, and evidence of loss of function 4 to 15 days after the procedure are indicative of rejection. Immunosuppressive drugs are given in large doses to suppress antibody production and rejection. Even if an early reaction is prevented, late rejection may occur 1 year or more after the graft is done. Also called transplant. See also allograft, autograft, isograft, skin graft, xenograft.
