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BROOKE A. COCHRAN
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Talking Translation
& Medical Science

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Skin Grafts in Translation: Pastilles and Peau Mince

10/20/2020

 
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I'd like to share a recent example that tested my research skills, which are skills that every translator needs in their tool belt.

The two terms, in French, that I needed to translate were: greffe de peau mince and greffe en pastille. The article was about a rare skin condition in some dialysis patients and I already knew that greffe meant graft. I just needed to figure out what this thin skin and lozenge drop meant in that context.
 
When I searched those two terms on the internet, I first discovered that there were 3 types of grafts (I did not immediately find a reference to en pastille):
  • Greffe de peau mince
  • Greffe demi-épaisse
  • Greffe de peau totale​
​A quick look at those French words told me that the grafts would have to do with using different thicknesses/layers of the skin (loose translations: thin skin, half-thick, whole skin). So, I searched those English words combined with skin graft, and, sure enough, it turns out that grafts can be split-thickness or full-thickness, and that peau mince is a thin split-thickness graft.

​As for pastilles, the more challenging term, the first clues guiding me to its translation were a French description and illustration. They told me that the process involved small squares of grafts distributed across the surface of the wound, as opposed to one full graft covering the entire wound.
​So, by entering that English description into a Google search, I found multiple articles and websites informing me that this was called the Meek technique, or the modified Meek technique, of skin grafting. The pastilles were described as squares, postage stamps, patches, and micrografts. Therefore, my translation could take a few forms, depending on the context of the sentence:
  • Graft using Meek technique
  • Postage stamp skin/Patch/Square graft
  • Micrograft
 
Now, my personal glossary contains two new entries with notes to guide my work. I may not see this subject often, but I am glad I took the time to learn about it now, because it will save me time on the next project about skin grafts.
 
On a final note, I usually include links IN my blog post, but today, since there are many helpful resources, I decided to list them below. Just click on the description to open that link in a new window.
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In French:
Perhaps the most useful link, a French explanation of the types, including a couple of illustrations, and specifically what pastille skin grafting means
 
Link to what appears to be a student presentation on skin grafts, tons of useful information in French, if you want to learn more about the grafting process
In English:
Good explanation of the Meek technique and more useful information
 
Company explaining the benefits of the modified Meek technique, describes them as postage stamp grafts
 
Here’s a concise explanation of skin graft types from the Wound Source
 
Link to the pdf of a book defining the two types, plus much more information
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