ABSTRACT

Acute Management of Burns................................................................................... 104 Time of Reconstruction............................................................................................. 108 Patient-Surgeon Relationship.................................................................................. 109 Burn Reconstructive Visit: Development of a Master P la n ................................. 110 Patient Care in Burn Reconstructive Surgery........................................................ I l l Surgical Approach to the Burn Reconstructive Patient......................................... 113 Overview of Burn Reconstruction........................................................................... 114 Summary .................................................................................................................... 119

The severity of injury and deformity from burns ranges from relatively minor to severe. Nevertheless, even minor disfigurements can have severe psychological and social impact on the victim. The basic concerns are for function, comfort and appearance. Normal and hypertrophic scarring, scar contracture, loss o f parts of the body and change in color and texture of injured skin are processes common and unique to all burned patients. The burn surgeon has to prevent and minimize deformity, fight the loss of function and restore normality when possible.