What Is Burn Reconstructive Surgery?
Burn reconstructive surgery can improve a patient’s quality of life by increasing their range of motion and making their scars less noticeable. It requires a series of procedures done in different stages. Its type would depend on the extent, nature, and size of the burn injury. Patients with more complex burns become candidates for burn reconstructive surgery as minor burn cases usually heal on their own with time. Treatments for complex burns include tissue expansion, skin graft surgery, and flap surgery.
Types of Burn Reconstructive Surgery
Tissue Expansion - a procedure done before reconstructive burn surgery wherein a balloon-like tissue expander is placed underneath the skin near the damaged region. Overtime, the expander is filled with saline which causes the skin to stretch and grow. Once the ideal size is achieved, the expander is removed and the new skin is placed where it is needed.
Skin Graft Surgery - a procedure that involves the removal of skin in one area and its placement on another part of the body. Types of grafts used for this procedure include the following: allograft, mesh graft, sheet graft, and autograft.
Flap Surgery - a procedure involving the transport of healthy, live tissue from one part of the body to another. This is done to patients who have lost skin, fat, muscle movement, or skeletal support due to an injury. This treatment has many types including the local, regional, and soft tissue flap methods.
Expectations Pre-Surgery
Expect that you may be advised to quit smoking, take vitamins, and to adjust your medications before your treatment begins. Your healing time will vary depending on the type of procedure done to you. Compression garments may also be prescribed so that scarring can be minimized and your skin be encouraged to return to its normal color. In cases where the patient is unable to eat or drink normally, intravenous feeding may be prescribed.
More specific burn care instructions will be given to you by your PAPRAS surgeon upon consultation. It is important that you adhere to their instructions strictly so that your risks and complications are minimized. Schedule your appointment by contacting us at +63 234561238 or dropping us a message on info@papras.org.