Shanghai Tongji Hospital reports micrografting for a mature facial scar

Shanghai Tongji Hospital, affiliated with Tongji University, reported on 20 October 2026 that Li Yufei’s plastic surgery team had used columnar skin grafting to treat a mature facial scar. The case concerns a 28-year-old woman with a pale scar beside the left side of her nose more than four years after an injury.

Why the team considered another approach

After the original wound healed, a patch of white scar tissue remained beside the left nasal ala, contrasting with the surrounding skin. The patient had undergone several fractional-laser treatments at another hospital, with limited improvement. The location near the alar groove posed particular demands for color, texture and surface evenness because the skin there is thin and has little underlying tissue.

The team also noted that the scar had matured, with reduced local blood supply and cellular activity. It evaluated the scar’s position, color, texture and circulation, along with the match between the recipient area and potential donor skin, before drawing up an individualized plan.

Small grafts taken from behind the ear

The hospital describes columnar skin grafting as a precise skin-repair technique for localized scars and areas of pigment loss. Drawing on the minimally invasive idea used in follicular unit extraction, a small circular instrument takes tiny columns containing epidermis and part of the dermis from a donor area. The grafts are then placed individually into the scar.

In this case, the donor site was behind the left ear, where the skin’s color and texture were considered a suitable facial match and the site was less visible. Under local anesthesia, the team harvested dozens of small skin columns and implanted them into the white scar beside the left nasal ala. Their density and orientation were adjusted to the scar’s shape and the area needing repair.

Unlike a conventional sheet graft, this method does not require removing a full-thickness sheet of skin. The small donor wounds do not need sutures and can heal on their own. The patient remained awake and cooperative during the procedure. The hospital reported little bleeding, no particular postoperative discomfort and a return to the ward on the day of surgery.

What the early checks showed

Dressings were changed on the first and second postoperative days. The recipient area had no abnormal exudate, the grafts remained in place, and the donor area showed only small punctate wounds requiring no sutures. These findings describe the early wound condition; the article does not establish a long-term cosmetic result or complete disappearance of the scar.

The hospital says the technique passed safety, effectiveness and ethics assessment by the Shanghai Medical Association and received approval from the Shanghai Municipal Health Commission as a nonrestricted clinical new technology. It presents it as an additional option alongside laser treatment and sheet grafting for selected scars and pigment-loss scars.

For someone considering scar treatment in Shanghai, this case identifies the department, the assessment factors and the limits of the reported follow-up. The source lists Li Yufei’s specialist clinics on Tuesday and Thursday afternoons. Its treatment choice followed an individual assessment rather than a single method for every facial scar.