The use of artificial dermis for corrective surgery on burn scars

Abstract

© 2015, Asian Biomedicine. All rights reserved. Background: Hypertrophic scarring from burn injuries on large skin areas is of great concern for both patients and attending physicians because of significant functional and cosmetic impairment. Surgery for scar corrections is challenging because of limitations on the availability of normal tissue. An alternative method for scar correction using artificial dermis is now possible. Artificial dermis can be used in the reconstruction of scars, burn injuries on large skin areas and in patients who do not have sufficient donor sites for skin grafts after scar excisions. Objective: To report the efficacy of artificial dermis on a 20 years old Thai man with severe scar contracture from burn injuries. Method: An open-label case study, the severe contracture case underwent scar excision and was applied with artificial dermis. Result: A 20-year-old man had severe scar contractures on his left arm, forearm, and elbow, and a shearing wound with a scar at his left elbow. Total scar excision was done on his left arm, forearm, elbow, and hand, and then followed by application of artificial dermis on to the wounds. After 2 weeks, neodermis formation was observed, after which an ultrathin split thickness skin graft was applied to the wounds. One month after sugery, the patient could extend his left elbow fully and the cosmetic result is satisfactory. Conclusion: Use of artificial dermis should be a new alternative modality in improving our strategy in correcting scar issues from burn injuries, especially on large burn scar areas with limited donor sites for skin grafts.