Management of severe burned-hand deformities at Huê Central Hospital

Abstract

During the years 1998–2002 there was collaboration between surgeons at Hue Central Hospital and Belgian plastic surgeons coming each year to teach at the Hue Medical School and to work at the Hospital. Of 150 hands deformed after burns admitted to Hue Central Hospital from 1998 to 2003, 52 patients presented with severe hand deformities. The classification of deformities was as follows: dorsal hand contractures—21 hands, palmar hand contractures—9 hands, and wrist contractures—22 hands. The management of these deformities is a combination of surgical treatment, postoperative splinting and physical exercise in order to regain the function of the hand as much as possible. The strategy of surgical procedures is based on the lesions of the individual patient. After releasing the contractures, the raw area is covered by skin grafts and local flaps. There were also 50 osteo-articular procedures. Long-term results: ‘Good’ 33% (17 hands), ‘Mild’ 13% (7 hands), ‘Moderate’ 50% (26 hands) and ‘Poor’: 4% (2 hands).