Tissue expansion for burn sequelae: Jeitawe Burn Center, Lebanon

Burn sequelae used to be treated with skin grafts and local or distant flaps with a high morbidity on the donor site. The purpose of treatment today by skin expansion is to achieve aesthetic amelioration, as the advantage of this technique is that it becomes possible to obtain local flaps with the same characteristics of colour, texture, hair, and sensitivity as normal skin. This is a review of 14 cases of burn patients treated between 2006 and 2010 at our burn centre at Jeitawe Hospital, Lebanon. The patients' ages ranged from 6 to 50 yr. The regions expanded were the scalp, forehead, neck, trunk, and the upper and lower limbs. The implants were positioned on the fascial layer; antibiotics and drainage were routinely used. The inflation of the expander began two weeks after surgery and continued for an average time of three months. Complications were rare. Results were good with an improvement of scars and minimal morbidity. Fifty per cent of our patients underwent another expansion.