What are the indications and contraindications of vitiligo surgical treatment?

What are the indications and contraindications of vitiligo surgical treatment?

Systemic drugs are often used in the treatment for vitiligo patients of evolution period, for instance the adrenal cortical hormone, etc. And other therapeutic methods are needed if above mentioned no effects.The therapeutic treatment of skin grafting and melanocytes grafting can be considered into the treatment for vitiligo patients with holding period or with segmental type. Which makes white patches regain the pigment by melanocytes grafting to white patches. But remember that the indications of therapeutic treatment are patients with holding period, otherwise, it will weaken the treatment effects or cause many adverse reaction.

Whether the vitiligo is of the holding period, it can be judged from the following standards：

①No continuing expanding of the original depigmentation white patches or no exacerbation of pigmentation loss within two years

②No new white patches within recent two years

③No Koebner Phenomenon recently

④Repigmentation around the white patches or Spontaneous repigmentation in white patches after drug therapy

Surgical treatment is not suitable for all vitiligo patients. It’s extremely important to master the indications and contraindications of surgical treatment for enhancing therapeutic effect. Surgical treatment have the best effect for segmental vitiligo with holding period, and then is localized type and segmental one, its expected cure rate can be 95%. Of generalized vitiligo with holding period, the cure rate can be 48%.

The vitiligo of evolution period is absolutely the contraindication of surgical treatment. And patient who has feature of physical scars is a contraindication for it may affect dermis.

In addition, local pigmentation sometimes will occur after surgical treatment. So vitiligo patients who will have local pigmentation for minor trauma should consider seriously.