Burn repair surgery is performed to address functional or aesthetic issues caused by burn injuries.
Burn reconstructive surgery in Iran is widely performed by plastic and reconstructive surgeons for patients who complain of visible burn scars that have affected their appearance and / or body function.
It is one of the most common types of physical injuries and burn wounds. Fortunately, most burns are minor health issues and can be easily treated at home or with an emergency visit (first-degree burns). But sometimes the burns are serious and the heat damages the deep layers of the skin (second, third or fourth degree burns)
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These cases can even be life threatening and require more extensive treatment. Aside from being life-threatening, some burn incidents may change a person's lifestyle by leaving an adverse effect or scar on the skin.
Thanks to advances in medicine and medical technology, plastic surgeons today can reduce the effects of burns and scars and restore the appearance of your body to some extent. They use a wide range of techniques to regenerate burnt skin and tissue and help you get back to your natural body shape.
Escharotomy – A cut made in the burn to relieve
pressure and help blood flow return to the area. This is the type of
procedure used to treat circumferential burns and compartment syndrome.
Fasciotomy – A cut made in the fascia to relieve
pressure and increase blood flow. This type of operation is often used
to treat severe circumferential burns and compartment syndrome.
Release – A surgical procedure which releases the
scar tissue and allows for better range of motion and function.
A
release may require the addition of a skin graft.
Tracheostomy – A cut made by a surgeon into the neck that allows a tube to be placed into the lungs which will help the patient breathe.
Amputation — In some extreme cases a patient may
need amputation or the removal of a body part. Your burn care team will
work closely with you through this process if necessary. Amputees can
lead healthy, fulfilling lives.
Flaps are a full thickness section of skin that is surgically removed from one part of the body and transferred to another part of the body .
Flap reconstruction (also called tissue-based reconstruction) is a procedure that involves moving healthy, live tissue from one location on your body to another. Usually this live tissue is moved to areas that have lost skin, fat, muscle movement, and/or skeletal support. Flap surgery can be used for procedures, such as breast reconstruction or trunk and extremity reconstruction. Doctors may also use flap surgery to help them reconstruct facial features or nerves .
There are several different types of flap reconstruction surgery. These include the following :
This flap is taken from the back and is made up of fat and muscle with or without skin. These types of flaps stay attached to their blood supply. Surgeons tunnel the flap under the skin from the back to the chest. Surgeons make an incision (cut) along the bra line on the back. These types of flaps are often used along with a tissue expander or an implant. In some cases, these flaps can be used by themselves to create a small volume breast .
There are two types of abdominal flaps :
An abdominal flap is tissue that’s taken from your abdomen. Abdominal flaps use skin, fat, and sometimes muscle. Surgeons can use an abdominal flap to reconstruct a breast in women who have extra abdominal tissue. Abdominal flaps are often used as a free flap. This means the flap is transferred along with its blood supply (a small artery and vein) from the abdomen to the chest. The flap will then be reattached to a small artery and vein .
A graft is skin which is surgically placed on a deeply burned area or to cover an open wound. Types of grafts include :
Allograft – A skin graft taken from the skin bank
(cadaver skin) and placed on a patient’s burn to help it heal. This is
not a permanent graft.
Autograft – A thin layer of donor skin taken from an
unburned part of the patient’s body and placed on the burned part of
the body. This is a permanent graft.
Mesh Graft – A skin graft that is meshed by putting
it through a special machine. This meshing allows the skin graft to be
stretched in order to cover a larger area.
Split Thickness Auto Graft (STAG) – A thin layer of
donor skin from an unburned part of the body that is meshed (stretched)
to cover a larger area. The meshing creates a pattern of small slits in
the skin, which creates a better bond to the burned skin.
Sheet Grafts – A thin layer of donor skin that is
not meshed and does not have the pattern that meshed donors have. These
grafts produce a smooth appearance and are typically placed on hands and
faces. Sheet grafts take longer to heal and require the patient to have
restricted movement and activity during the healing process.
If the provider decides a patient needs surgery, they will explain the procedure to you. They will also need written consent from you to perform surgery .
Before Surgery
Patients will not be allowed to have anything to eat or drink after
midnight on the day of surgery. Before surgery, the anesthesiologist and
the operating room nurse will talk to the patient and family to answer
questions and review the procedure. The patient will then be taken to
the operating room. A child life specialist is often available to escort
pediatric patients to the operating room. The length of surgery depends
on the extent of the burn injury and the surgical plan.
Family can wait in the burn center waiting room.
After Surgery
After surgery, the care team will take the patient back to the burn
unit or recovery area. The nurse will assess when visitors are allowed
into the patient room. Patients often experience pain after surgery.
Your care team will work together to manage your pain.
Your dressings are not typically changed for three to five days after
surgery. The dressings may be bulky and often splinted to protect the
new graft. You may be required to keep the grafted body part still for
several days. This may mean you will be on bed rest, however, your
medical team will work with you to determine an appropriate level of
activity after surgery.
Staples holding the graft in place are removed within a week of the
procedure. Wound care and activity level will be adjusted based on your
individual needs.
Plastic and reconstructive surgery is one of the advanced medical disciplines in Iran. In Iran, there are highly trained, skilled and experienced burn surgeons who use sophisticated surgical techniques to reconstruct plastic burns
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The reason may be partly that the incidence of burn surgeries in Iran is significantly higher than the global average. This makes burn reconstructive surgery a very popular method of treatment in Iran and provides many opportunities for surgeons to increase their expertise and experience by performing thousands of operations on patients with various types of burn injuries.
In addition, burn repair surgery is in the category of plastic surgery and Iran is known for having a plastic surgeon. Putting all this together, in addition to the fact that the cost of medical services in Iran is relatively lower than in many other countries, Iran is one of the best destinations for burn surgery patients who want to repair their damaged appearance at a reasonable price.
