Simple Method for Aesthetic Symmetrical Post Burn Reconstruction of the Temporal and Sideburn Subunits

Abstract

Post burn scaring and reconstruction of the scalp iscommon condition, which is challenging to plastic surgeons.Which might lead to social deprivation and severe psychologicaltrauma, and patients always try to hide these areas withscarf, hats, wigs, etc…. Although these attempts are commonand useful for the vertex and occipital region, temporo-parietal,temporal, and sideburn are difficult to be camouflaged.Different ways of reconstruction were used including:Serial scar excision, follicular hair transplant, tissue expansion,regional or remote tissue transfer with local or free flaps havebeen described.Although tissue expansion is the best and most popularmethod for scalp reconstruction, the results might be unexpectedand displeasing. Searching on English speaking literature,in all previous studies, success was attributed to theexpansion process in relation to the size, location of thealopecia and donor area ignoring the importance of achievingthe exact or near normal pattern of hair line and symmetry ofthe temporal, temporo-partial and side burn regions. This isdue to the absence of a simple method to guide surgeons whileplanning and reconstructing this critical zone. In this study,I am presenting a simple method utilizing the tissue expansionfor reconstruction of sideburn, temporal, and temporo-partialalopecia to achieve satisfactory, symmetry and near normalreconstruction.This is a retrospective analysis of prospectively maintainedrecords of 29 patients, was conducted from February 2016 toMay 2018 in the Department of Plastic Surgery, Ain ShamsUniversity, Cairo, Egypt. Twenty nine patients with scalp burn alopecia of age 6 to 35 years were included in this study.All patients were examined and assessment was done byobjective and subjective analysis.The results shows that by using this simple method toreconstruct temporal and lateral side burn area, it is provenfrom the objective and subjective evaluation the aestheticoutcome was satisfactory, symmetrical and standardized.