title: Serial tissue expansion for reconstruction of burns of the head and neck.
abstract: There is little reported on serial tissue expansion for reconstruction of burns of the head and neck. Fourteen children (mean age 7.8 years, range 3-11 years) treated over almost an 11 year period, had a total of 67 expanders used. Fourteen children had expansion performed on the first occasion, 14 again on a second occasion, 10 on a third occasion and one on a fourth occasion. The major complication rate (expander extruded prior to completion of the expansion process) was 21,25 and 14%, respectively. In all cases, the burn scar was completely excised or reduced in size. Serial tissue expansion should be considered as a useful method of reconstruction burns of the head and neck.
authors.affiliation: Department of Plastic and Reconstructive surgery, Red Cros Childrens' Hospital and University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa. hudsond@ucrgsh1.uct.ac.za
authors.forename: D A
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: Hudson
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Arasteh
mesh_terms: D000349:Africa; D002056:Burns / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000601:surgery*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D006259:Craniocerebral Trauma / Q000209:etiology / Q000601:surgery*; D004954:Esthetics; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D015601:Injury Severity Score; D008297:Male; D019838:Neck Injuries / Q000209:etiology / Q000601:surgery*; D019651:Plastic Surgery Procedures / Q000379:methods*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D018570:Risk Assessment; D015626:Tissue Expansion / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000379:methods*; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014945:Wound Healing / Q000502:physiology