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Objective@#To explore the repair methods and effects of the complex wounds on hands after burns or trauma.@*Methods@#From January 2008 to December 2017, 45 patients (28 males and 17 females, aging 8 to 58 years) with severe hand injuries after burns or trauma combined with deep tissue exposure were admitted to our hospital. Two patients had whole-fingers degloving injuries, 27 patients had dorsal hand injuries, and 16 patients had palmar injuries. After debridement, the area of soft tissue defects was 7 cm×6 cm to 19 cm×12 cm combined with 0.5 cm×0.4 cm to 10.0 cm×4.0 cm of single deep tissue exposure. Different repairing methods were adopted according to the area and location of deep tissue exposure. Five patients with small area exposure were treated with artificial dermis+ vacuum sealing drainage (VSD)+ autogenous skin grafting. Thirty-eight patients with unilateral large area exposure on palm or dorsum were treated with segmented ligation of abdominal thin flaps (with area of 8 cm×7 cm to 15 cm×9 cm). Two patients with bilateral large area exposure in dorsal and palmar hands were treated with modified abdominal bag-shaped delayed thin flaps (with area of 12 cm×5 cm to 12 cm×9 cm and 12 cm×6 cm to 14 cm×9 cm). The donor sites were directly sutured or repaired with intermediate split-thickness skin or adjacent flap. The survival of grafts and flaps was observed, number of operations, wound healing time, and follow-up were recorded.@*Results@#(1) Among the patients receiving artificial dermis+ VSD+ autogenous skin grafting, the wounds of 3 patients were healed after 2 operations, and 2 patients had artificial dermis infection and lysis, and tendon necrosis, which were healed after 3 operations. The wound healing time of 5 patients was 14 to 33 days post injury. During the follow-up of 3 months, the affected hands were in good shape with soft texture and fewer scars, and functional evaluation of hand was good in 3 cases and modest in 2 cases. (2) The patients receiving segmented ligation of abdominal thin flaps all underwent 2 operations without flap necrosis. The wound healing time was 2 to 3 weeks post injury. Thirty-five patients underwent one to six-years′ follow-up, which showed that the flaps were in good shape and color with soft texture, and the functional evaluation of hand was excellent in 25 cases, good in 7 cases, and modest in 3 cases. Three patients were lost to follow-up. (3) In the 2 patients receiving modified abdominal bag-shaped delayed thin flaps, all flaps survived after 5 operations, the wounds were healed on post injury day 22 and 24 respectively, the shape and texture of the affected hands was good with no bloated appearance after separating fingers and revision. During the follow-up of 2 years, the functional evaluation of hand was good in 2 cases.@*Conclusions@#For the complex wounds on hands after burns or trauma, if the area of deep tissue exposure is small, artificial dermis+ VSD+ autogenous skin grafting should be adopted, which has good effects. If the area of unilateral deep tissue exposure is large, segmented ligation of abdominal thin flap should be adopted; if the area of bilateral deep tissue exposure is large, modified abdominal bag-shaped delayed thin flap should be adopted. These methods can reduce the number of operations, shorten wound healing time, and obtain good shape and function of hands.
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One female patient aged 18 years, with severe burns and inhalation injury was admitted to our unit on June 5th, 2013. After admission, the right subclavian vein catheterization was performed for rapid fluid infusion against shock. Escharectomy on both upper extremities was planned to carry out and repaired with medium-thickness skin on right thigh 52 hours after injury. However, after general anesthesia, the right subclavian vein catheter was with poor fluid infusion, and the left subclavian vein catheterization was performed. Supraventricular tachycardia and decreased blood pressure occurred followed by fluid replacement and dilatation, cardiotonics, and diuretics. Postanesthetic 1.3 hours, the patient′s vital signs were stable, and the operation began. Postoperative chest X-ray film showed that distal ends of the left and right subclavian vein catheters were respectively located in the right atrium and the right internal carotid vein, and the catheters were removed immediately. This case suggests that clinical physician should be careful to prevent catheter heterotopia in subclavian vein catheterization, and postoperative routine chest X-ray examination is necessary to identify position of the catheter.
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BACKGROUND: Cicatricial alopecia always occurs following the scalp trauma, and the optimal repairing method is scalp soft tissue expansion. OBJECTIVE: To verify the repairing effect of scalp soft tissue expansion therapy on the large-scale cicatricial alopecia. DESIGN, TIME AND SETTING: A case report was carried out in the Department of Burn and Plastic Surgery at the 180 Hospital of Chinese PLA (Quangzhou, Fujian, China) between January 1996 and April 2008. PARTICIPANTS: Thirty-six patients of cicatricial alopecia were adopted, with the size arranging 15 cm?9 cm to 24 cm?14 cm. METHODS: Scalp soft tissue expansion was performed in 36 cases of cicatricial alopecia. In later stage, the residual alopecia with small area was removed by scar excision plus suture for several times, treated with transposition repair of local flap and autologous hair transplant carrying hair follicle. The largest area to repair alopecia reached 336 cm2. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Postoperative complications, repairing effect and cicatrix restitution were observed after operation; The elimination of alopecia area, hair density and appearance were detected during follow-ups. RESULTS: Psilotic scar eliminated in all cases, but 11 cases underwent scalp scar excision, transposition of local flap and autologous hair transplant because of wide incisional scar or residual small alopecia. No obvious complications occurred. It was found by a postoperative follow-up of 1-3 years that hair growth was good. CONCLUSION: Skin soft tissue expansion is an ideal method to repair cicatricial alopecia with large area. In later stage, the combination of simple repair methods can obtain better curative effect.
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<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To investigate the blood vascular distribution of supra-genicular flap and to apply the retrograded supra-genicular flap for reconstructive surgery.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Eight fresh adult cadavers with 16 lower extremities were used for the study, by means of injecting the media of red latex into the main artery of the limb. The skin vascular architecture on the lower two thirds of each thigh was observed to decide the blood supply of this region. Fifty-two patients were also used to treat the scarring contraction of the popiteal fossa with 56 of the retrograded supra-genicular flaps, and long-term follow-ups were carried out.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>From this study, it was found that there are rich blood vascular networks of the skin above the knee anteriorally, laterally and medially. The abundant vascular anastomoses were also found around the knee. The clinical application of the retrograded supra-genicular flap was successfully carried out for the treatment of the scarring contraction of the popiteal fossa. All of the flaps were survived well. Long-term results were satisfactory.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>The above mentioned flap is a safe and effective flap for repair the defect of the popiteal fossa.</p>
Subject(s)
Adolescent , Adult , Child , Child, Preschool , Humans , Male , Burns , Cadaver , Cicatrix , General Surgery , Knee , Surgery, Plastic , Methods , Surgical Flaps , Thigh , Treatment OutcomeABSTRACT
Modern wars result in a significant increase in the incidence of burn injury,and a lot of soldiers with extensive deep burn will occur intensively in a short time.At present,allogeneic skin graft is a principal method to treat extensive burn,but allogeneic skin source is in extremely short supply.Therefore,this review concentrates on the source of allogeneic skin,the necessity to establish allogeneic skin bank for preparedness against war,the present existing problems and main solutions to related problems.