# The use of biodegradable temporising matrix for reconstructive salvage following full-thickness chest wall skin graft failure – A case report

## TL;DR

A biodegradable material successfully helped reconstruct a chest wall after a skin graft failed, showing its usefulness in complex wound healing.

## Contribution

This case report demonstrates the effective use of biodegradable temporising matrix in reconstructive salvage after graft failure.

## Key findings

- BTM application led to successful reconstructive salvage after full-thickness skin graft failure.
- The patient achieved a favorable cosmetic outcome following BTM and split-thickness grafting.
- BTM proved effective in managing extensive tissue loss after re-debridement.

## Abstract

NovoSorb biodegradable temporising matrix (BTM) has emerged as an effective material in the resurfacing of pathologies requiring extensive debridement or tissue loss, such as burns, necrotising soft tissue infections, and tumour excision. The use of BTM in cases of reconstructive salvage following graft failure is less well documented in the literature. We report a case of a 70-year-old female who initially underwent a wide local excision of a large chest wall basal cell carcinoma and full-thickness skin grafting of the resulting defect. Following graft failure and re-debridement, BTM application and consequent split-thickness grafting resulted in a successful reconstructive salvage and cosmetic outcome. This case reinforces the wide-ranging application of BTM in the reconstructive setting, and highlights the effectiveness of BTM in cases of graft failure requiring reconstructive salvage.