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Severe burns can cause significant skin damage and disfigurement. Burn reconstruction is a reconstructive surgery procedure that restores areas of skin affected by burns and prevents burn wounds from developing infection and other problems. About Burn ReconstructionCandidates For Burn ReconstructionWhen is burn reconstruction needed? A mild burn, known as a first degree burn in medicine, affects only the outer layers of skin and can usually heal without surgical intervention. Scarring is unlikely with first degree burns. More severe burns, referred to as second and third degree burns, affect deeper skin layers and may cause significant scarring. Third degree burns may even leave burned skin charred and numb. Burn reconstruction may be needed if you have wounds from severe burns, especially wounds that will not heal properly, or significant scarring caused by severe burns. These problems can occur in men, women and children, so burn reconstruction is appropriate for patients of all ages. Skin Burn TreatmentReconstructive surgery to treat skin burns Different reconstructive surgery techniques are used to treat skin burns, including:
Scar release is performed when burn scar contracture (tightening) has occurred, causing limited movement and an unsightly appearance. Scar release is performed under general anesthesia and releases healthy skin that has pulled together in an attempt to heal burn wounds. Z-Plasty is a surgical technique that can also relieve scar contracture tension and also reposition and camouflage burn scars. Z-Plasty is typically used to treat smaller areas and is performed under local anesthesia. Small triangular flaps of skin are created by making incisions on each side of an existing scar, and the flaps are then repositioned to cover the wound at a different angle. This results in a Z-shaped scar pattern that is less conspicuous than existing scar patterns. Skin grafting is a more extensive surgery that is performed under general anesthesia on an inpatient basis. The procedure involves transferring healthy skin from a donor site on your body to a scarred area, where new blood vessels and scar tissue form. Grafting is intended to restore function of an area affected by burn scars and may not provide significant cosmetic improvement, as some new scarring at the tissue donor site is expected. Flap surgery is similar to skin grafting in that it involves moving healthy tissue from one area on your body to another affected by skin burns, although flap surgery generally produces better cosmetic results than skin grafting. Flap surgery is performed under general anesthesia or local anesthesia with IV sedation on an inpatient basis. During the procedure, fat, blood vessels and sometimes muscle tissue are moved from a donor site to the injured site on your body. Transplanted tissues may either remain attached to the donor site blood supply or may be reattached to a new blood supply in the injured area using microsurgery. Finally, tissue expansion is an alternative to skin grafting that is usually requires several stages. An inflatable balloon called a tissue expander is surgically inserted under the skin in an area near your burn injury. The tissue expander is slowly filled with sterile saline solution, gradually stretching skin over time. Once skin is adequately stretched, the tissue expander is removed and the extra skin that has grown to accommodate the tissue expander is removed and used to replace scar tissue at the burn injury site. Burn Reconstruction RecoveryHealing after burn reconstruction surgery What you experience during burn reconstruction recovery will vary depending on the type of reconstructive procedure you have done. In general, temporary swelling, bruising and discomfort will occur, and medication will be prescribed to help you manage pain over the first few days after reconstructive surgery. Ointment will be placed on incision areas with exposed suture lines and dressings will be applied where necessary. It is important that you keep dressings dry and intact. If dissolvable sutures are not used, they will need to be removed 1-3 weeks after your burn reconstruction surgery. For scar release procedures, splints may also be placed to prevent scars from immediately contracting again, and these will be removed or replaced with nighttime splints about a week after surgery. Dr. Motlagh will give you specific post-operative care instructions before performing your burn reconstruction surgery. It is imperative that you keep all follow-up appointments at Tyler Plastic Surgery so that Dr. Motlagh may closely monitor your healing and recovery. Tyler Plastic Surgery is located in northeastern Texas, central to the Dallas, Fort Worth and Plano metro area and Shreveport, Louisiana. |