Total full-thickness skin grafting for treating patients with extensive facial burn injury: A 10-year experience

• Published in: Burns 2021-09, Vol.47 (6), p.1389-1398
• Main Authors: Bogdanov, Sergey B., Gilevich, Irina V., Melkonyan, Karina I., Sotnichenko, Alexander S., Alekseenko, Sergey N., Porhanov, Vladimir A.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Autografts; Burns - surgery; Cicatrix - surgery; Deep facial burns; Facial Injuries - surgery; Full-thickness skin graft; Humans; Plastic and reconstructive surgery; Reconstructive Surgical Procedures; Skin Transplantation
• ISSN: 0305-4179; 1879-1409
• DOI: 10.1016/j.burns.2020.12.003

•Facial burns result to structural defects and disrupt the social life of the patients.•The approach of treating extensive facial burn with total full-thickness skin graft.•The main principles of the transplantation total full-thickness skin autograft.•The use of total full-thickness skin graft reduces the risk of complications.•The approach allows achieving maximum cosmetic results of treatment. Facial burns are not only a severe burn injury, but result in psychological disturbance. The improvement of the methods of treating facial burns remains topical. The aim of the study was to evaluate the effectiveness of approach based on full-thickness skin autografting for facial burn injuries. During 2000–2019, ninety seven patients with the facial burn were treated in Burn Center. All patient were divided into two groups. The comparative analysis between groups was done. Group A was treated with full-thickness skin grafts (42 patients – 43.3%). Since 2010, total full-thickness skin graft was used in 11 patients from Group A. In group B, 55 patients (56.7%) were treated with split-thickness skin grafts, including 9 patients (16.4%) with total split-thickness skin graft transplantation. Total full-thickness skin graft was performed in case of a deep and extensive facial burn and cicatricial deformities. During the long-term period, a positive cosmetic result and the absence of indications for reconstructive operations were noted. The approach of facial burn treatment based on total full-thickness skin graft allows conditions for engraftment and adaptation of autograft, reduces the risk of scar developing and achieves maximum cosmetic results of treatment.