Surgical therapies, part III: Melanocyte transplants

Melanocyte transplantation is currently the most effective treatment modality for patients who have stable depigmentation unresponsive to traditional medical therapies. Patient selection is extremely important since patients with active vitiligo or large areas of depigmentation will not respond well to this treatment method. This article discusses techniques available for harvesting and preparing donor tissue, preparing the depigmented recipient site, applying the melanocytes, and caring for the transplantation site postoperatively. Common complications and responses are also discussed. Many variations in the transplantation procedure exist, allowing practitioners to tailor the treatment to the facilities available and to individual patient needs. Melanocyte transplantation is becoming a more commonly utilized treatment option that is likely to increase in the future as medical therapies capable of halting the progression of vitiligo become available.