Professional
Technical
In the Industry Vocabulary Test
cultured epithelial autograft
Also written as: CEA — Cultured Epithelial Autograft
Laboratory-grown skin cells from patient's own tissue used to cover large burn wounds.
Full Definition
A sophisticated tissue engineering technique where a small skin biopsy from the burn patient is used to grow sheets of epithelial cells in laboratory culture over several weeks. These cultured cells are then transplanted back to the patient to provide wound coverage in cases of massive burns where insufficient donor sites exist for conventional autografting. The procedure requires specialized facilities and expertise but can provide life-saving coverage for otherwise unsurvivable injuries.
Usage
Usage note: Often abbreviated as CEA in clinical documentation.
In Context
- "Cultured epithelial autograft provided the only viable option for wound coverage in this 90% TBSA burn." — Case presentation
- "The burn center's tissue engineering lab specializes in cultured epithelial autograft production." — Facility description
Also known as
CEA
cultured skin
tissue-engineered skin
Don't confuse with
skin substitute
artificial skin