Reconstruction of burn-damaged female breasts

Abstract

Development of severe scar contractures following burns of the anterior wall of the female chest can lead to various breast deformities. This paper presents a report of 14 female patients operated on for postburn breast deformities over the past 5 years. Our aim in reviewing these patients is to establish the epidemiology and etiology of the breast burns and to present the techniques used for breast reconstruction. Most of these burns were domestic, 70% resulting from scalds. The majority were children, the mean age at the time of the burn being 4 years, and mean age at the time of admission to the hospital for postburn breast reconstruction was 16.5 years. In these cases, split-thickness skin graft, Z-plasty, local skin flap, and areola transposition were the most frequently used reconstruction techniques. In all cases, acceptable aesthetic results were obtained.