[Forehead burns]

Area of Science:

• Plastic Surgery
• Burn Management
• Reconstructive Surgery

Context:

• Severe forehead burns are uncommon but can lead to significant sequelae.
• Complex burns often involve adjacent anatomical units, complicating initial treatment.
• Initial surgical management critically influences long-term outcomes and the need for reconstructive procedures.

Purpose:

• To outline optimal surgical repair strategies for severe forehead burns.
• To detail the principles of acute management and sequelae reconstruction.
• To discuss the role and limitations of skin expansion in forehead reconstruction.

Summary:

• Excision-grafting within 10-15 days post-burn is standard for acute management, requiring specific graft donor sites and adherence to frontal unit principles.
• Reconstruction of forehead burn sequelae often necessitates skin expansion techniques, either frontal or thoracic, depending on scar extent and available tissue.
• While effective, skin expansion presents considerable challenges and constraints for patients undergoing forehead reconstruction.

Impact:

• Establishes best practices for managing severe forehead burns, aiming to minimize long-term functional and aesthetic deficits.
• Highlights the importance of precise surgical timing and technique in burn reconstruction.
• Provides insights into the benefits and drawbacks of skin expansion for complex facial burn sequelae.