Heal House Vitiligo Clinic
15 years dedicated solely to vitiligo
Thoroughness that examines even unseen areas
Warmth that lifts even the shadows of the heart
Heal House Vitiligo Surgery
Vitiligo surgery is a treatment that helps restore pigment by transplanting melanocytes obtained from your own normal skin into areas where pigment has been lost.
This treatment is not necessary for all vitiligo patients. It is mainly considered when pigment recovery is difficult with medication or phototherapy alone, and the vitiligo has been stable (no progression) for a certain period.
Heal House Vitiligo Surgery
According to the treatment guidelines of the Vitiligo Global Issues Consensus Conference, surgery may be considered when the condition has not sufficiently improved with medication and phototherapy, and the lesions are stable with no progression. Surgery is not a special option but a standard treatment pathway for vitiligo.
No improvement after more than 1 year of medication and phototherapy
Stable for at least 1 year for non-segmental type, at least 6 months for segmental type
If difficult to judge, a test graft on a small area
Heal House Vitiligo Surgery
The method is chosen based on the size and location of the area, as well as the patient's age and circumstances.
Method 01
This method uses a tiny punch (0.5–0.8 mm in diameter) to transplant normal skin into the lesion. It is relatively simple to apply even for small lesions. Once the normal skin is transplanted, the pigment cells spread to the surrounding area, gradually restoring pigment.
Method 02
This widely used method creates a blister (epidermis) on normal skin on the inner thigh using a suction device, then transplants it to the lesion. Creating the blister takes two to three hours, and the lesion is prepared by removing the epidermis in advance.
Method 03
This method separates the harvested epidermis into individual cells using an enzyme and transplants them, allowing treatment of lesions much larger than the donor site. It is still performed on a limited basis in Korea.
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Heal House Vitiligo Surgery
The melanocytes from the transplanted normal skin provide pigment to the lesion. It is known that the face and neck, relatively younger patients, and segmental vitiligo tend to respond well. The most important factor is how stable the lesions are. After surgery, phototherapy may be combined depending on progress.
The color of the transplanted skin may differ slightly from the surrounding area, and recovery takes time. It is important to first determine through a consultation whether the lesions are sufficiently stable.
Surgery is a method of transplanting your own pigment cells into lesions where melanocytes have disappeared; it does not stop the body's immune response itself. Therefore, the possibility of recurrence largely follows the natural course of vitiligo, regardless of whether surgery was performed. This is why it is important to reduce risk factors and monitor progress together even after surgery.
Heal House Vitiligo Surgery
Surgical treatment can be expected to yield better results in younger patients or those with segmental vitiligo. In particular, if vitiligo has been stable for at least 1 year, a single surgery may show a success rate of 50–80% regardless of the method. The face and neck area tends to show more effective results than the hands and feet. After surgery, it is important to combine phototherapy or laser treatment to promote the proliferation and migration of the transplanted pigment cells.
Heal House Vitiligo Clinic
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