Burns caused by prolonged exposure to fire can have a severity that may range from mild to extreme and even it can be fatal. The good news is that with the help of reconstructive surgery, there can be an effective treatment for burns and acid attacks. The victims of fire burns and accident deformities can now build the functionalities of the damaged or the destructed part with the help of reconstructive surgery.
The procedure for the surgery involves grating tissues, skin, and bones from another part of the body to correct the deformed or the damaged area. Skin grafting surgery remains the most basic and common form of burn deformity repair surgery. The doctor in the emergency room will first start the treatment by clearing the wound. Cleansing the wound properly is very important as debris or external objects like the ash or dirt can cause infection and healing can become difficult.
The most commonly used method for the treatment of burn is skin grafting and in this treatment, the doctor lays sheets of fresh skin over the burnt area. As it heals, the skin will meld with the body and it will become a part of the body, after leaving a network of white and pink scarred flesh. If the burns are extremely severe, the doctor may reopen the wounds by a little amount every day so that the muscles below can heal, and though it is painful, it is essential to get recovery.
Preparation before the surgery
You need to schedule an appointment with a good plastic surgeon at the beginning to have a personal consultation. Together with your surgeon, you can reach an understanding of what you can expect from the surgery. You will need to provide a complete medical history that will include all information about any previous surgery.
The surgeon will also conduct a complete physical examination and will discuss all risks and complications of the procedure. A pre-operative brochure or information you may get from the clinic that will have all the information about what you have to do before the surgery. It will have guidelines for skin cleansing, eating and drinking and advice for avoiding smoking or consuming alcohol and the surgeon may also recommend not consuming certain medications and vitamins before the surgery.
You need to follow the post-surgery instructions religiously to heal and to get the best possible outcome in terms of physical appearance and functions. You need to have follow-up appointments so that surge can make an assessment for long term results and also you need to answer all the questions express your concerns to the surgeon. Generally, with a skin grafting procedure, you will need a ‘bolster’ dressing to keep the grafts in place for around 3-5 days.
The bolster will help the skin graft to stick to the wound and the healing process can be quicker. After the release of the scar, the surgeon may place larger dressing to support the surgery. Also, additional physical therapy may be essential in the following weeks and months following the surgery to get complete recovery of the functions.
Normally the recovery time from a split-thickness skin graft can be fairly rapid and it can be even less than three weeks. To get recovery for a full-thickness skin graft procedure, it may take a few weeks longer for the patients. There can be a change in appearance, color, and feeling and you may also notice tingling sensation or numbness in the surgical site that will improve over a few months.
Contours Plastic & Aesthetic Surgery Center (www.contourshyd.com) is a world-class clinic and we provide the best plastic and cosmetic surgery to our patients. We have a strong, dedicated, highly experienced team of dedicated doctors that seek perfection in all jobs. We have the best infrastructure and best equipment with us that coupled with high skill levels of our doctors can achieve the best results.
Skin grafting procedure can cost between INR 50, 000 to INR 1, 00, 000 and it will depend on the size of the graft required.