Reconstructive burn surgery
A burn is a tissue injury, most often affecting the skin, that can evolve over time. It may be caused by heat (thermal burns), chemicals (chemical burns) or electricity (electrical burns).
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The role of surgery in burn treatment
Burns range in severity from mild sunburn to charring of the skin. The outlook depends mainly on the depth and extent of the burn.
- First-degree burns: the skin is red (erythema), as in mild sunburn.
- Second-degree burns:
Superficial: blisters form and the burn is very painful.
Deep: blisters and pale areas develop, with reduced sensation. - Third-degree burns: the injury extends through the skin and may involve the underlying fat. The skin may look brown or black, and the affected areas have lost sensation.
Alongside massage, physiotherapy and thermal spa treatment, surgical care has a role in the acute treatment of burns (dressings, skin grafts and flaps) and in treating their lasting effects, including skin contractures, hypertrophic scars, keloid scars, tendon contractures and pigmentation changes.
