Burn Surgery – Treating Burns
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Burn surgery forms a core treatment focus at the private practice for Plastic and Aesthetic Surgery of Dr. med. Karl Schuhmann. The specialist in burn surgery is a member of the German Society for Burn Medicine (DGV).
Dr. Schuhmann
offers a range of treatment methods that have proven their value many times over in modern burn surgery.
Burns to the skin can be caused by hot liquids (scalds), steam or gases, explosions, intense sun exposure (sunburn), electric current, or friction. The skin and mucous membranes are damaged, and depending on the degree of the burn, deeper tissue layers may also be affected. Severe burns or chemical injuries to the skin can lead to scar contractures, which – particularly at the joints – are associated with significant restriction of movement.
A severe burn injury must be treated immediately by a specialist, as additional risks such as circulatory shock or sepsis, and even life-threatening organ failure, may arise. Burn surgery is a vital pillar of plastic surgery. As a plastic surgeon, I am a specialist in the treatment of acute burn injuries, chemical injuries, and scar contractures.
Treatment of Burns
For deeper burns, surgical management of the affected skin areas should begin as early as possible. This involves removing the necrotic tissue and preparing a suitable wound bed. In favourable cases, these areas can be covered directly with the patient's own skin. So-called split-thickness skin is harvested from a healthy area of skin, then expanded in a mesh pattern to increase the size of the graft before being transplanted onto the wounds.
As an alternative to this form of burn surgery, the technique of so-called temporary skin substitution can be used to close the wound. In this approach, donor skin or modern skin substitute products are employed.
If a sufficiently large area for split-thickness skin harvesting is not available, a small piece of the patient's skin can be cultured and expanded in the laboratory. In this way, large wound areas can then be covered. Corrective operations are not infrequently required in the course of treatment.
As a member of the German Society for Burn Medicine (DGV),
Dr. Karl Schuhmann
regularly participates in continuing medical education to incorporate the latest advances in burn medicine into the treatment of his patients.
Reports on the Treatment of Burns
Despite Corona,
Dr. Schuhmann
operates on war victims in Armenia
Burn Surgery
Humanity First
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