Post-Burn and Surgical Scar Reconstruction with Tissue Expanders: Review of the Literature and Our Local Experience

Abstract

Tissue expansion (TE) is a rather widely accepted technique in plastic surgery, with variable indications; among numerous other indications, it is commonly used in scar management. In our research, we focused on the significance of TE as an important armamentarium and valid solution for the treatment of large and old post-burn scars, with good cosmetic and functional outcomes. Our study is a retrospective analysis conducted at Dr. Soliman Fakeeh Hospital, Jeddah, during the period from 2020 to 2023. This retrospective analysis included 15 tissue expanders, which were inserted in eight patients with large post-burn scars. Each patient underwent two stages of scar repair using variable-size tissue expanders. Post-operative assessment for scar quality and patient satisfaction was conducted using the POSAS score system in addition to standard documentation. Our study sheds light on the satisfactory and accepted cosmetic and functional outcomes for skin tissue expanders for post-burn scars and deformities.

Keywords

• tissue expander
• burn
• scar
• review article
• the patient and observer scar assessment scale (POSAS)
• Wound-QoL-17