Annals of plastic surgery
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Annals of plastic surgery · Feb 1998
The effect of full-thickness abdominal wall burns sustained during childhood on subsequent childbearing ability.
The effect of full-thickness burns of the abdomen during childhood on subsequent pregnancy was evaluated. Eight hundred female pediatric patients treated for acute burns during a 14-year period (1975-1989) at the Shriners Burns Institute were reviewed. Through a combination of clinical follow-up, questionnaires, or phone interviews, data were obtained regarding the histories of 31 pregnancies in 19 patients who had required excision and skin grafting of > or = 50% of their abdominal wall during management of their acute burns. ⋯ Despite a subjective sensation of increased tension on the scar in 25% of the patients, no interference with these patients carrying a full-term pregnancy directly attributable to the burn scar was identified. Follow-up and examination during the third trimester of pregnancy demonstrated how the burned and unburned portion of the abdominal wall accommodated the enlarged uterus. This review demonstrates that after extensive burns to the abdomen, which have been treated with excision and skin grafting during childhood, the scarred abdominal wall accommodates full-term pregnancy without the need for surgical release.
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Annals of plastic surgery · Feb 1998
Rubber foam and staples: do they secure skin grafts? A model analysis and proposal of pressure enhancement techniques.
The significance of even pressure application and protection against shearing forces using a tie-over dressing of skin grafts has been stressed previously. Several methods for pressure enhancement have been described with no quantification or comparison between the different techniques. Rubber foam and metal staples are commonly used for simple and quick application of the dressings. ⋯ The original silk thread tie-over dressing exerted a relatively low pressure but was uniformly distributed. A regular stapled tie-over dressing applied a ring-shaped pressure with minimal projection. Other methods are described providing different contact areas with the grafts and different pressures.