Burn Care Surgery
Our surgeons provide 24-hour, on-call response to burn injuries with all area hospitals, and stay with you through reconstruction and scar revision.
Burn Care From Trauma Through Recovery
Our plastic surgeons are burn surgeons. From the beginning of the trauma to possible scar revisions after wounds have healed, we can work with you through what is sometimes a long process, months to years.
Once wounds heal, reconstructive skin surgery can help reduce scarring and restore appearance. We use a number of techniques to decrease the size and visibility of scars, including surgical revision and laser treatment, and we can help with mobility when scars have contracted or become tight.
24-Hour Response
On-call burn coverage with all area hospitals, around the clock, from major burns to small ones.
Long-Term Partnership
Care continues from the initial trauma through scar revision, sometimes over months to years.
Scar Treatment Options
Surgical revision and laser treatment can reduce scarring and help restore mobility where scars have tightened.
When a Burn Unit Is Needed
Some burns call for admission to a dedicated burn unit. Indications include:
- Any burn over 10 percent of total body surface area (TBSA)
- Burns of the face, hands, feet, or perineum
- Electrical or chemical burns
- Smoke inhalation or respiratory symptoms
- Severe frostbite with potentially threatened tissue viability
Major Burns: Initial Care and Transfer
For major burns, care begins with the basics of standard trauma care while an immediate medical transfer is planned.
Caring for Small Burns
Most small burns can be cared for locally and heal without an operation. In general, only clear blisters should be opened and drained. Most patients do well with Silvadene and gauze dressings twice a day, while facial burns are treated with topical Bacitracin and no dressings.
Two situations deserve a closer look. Small third-degree burns that are leathery and without sensation generally do better with surgical excision and closure or grafting. And any second-degree burn that has not fully re-epithelialized within two weeks should be considered for grafting, since delayed healing signals a deep burn that can scar or contract.
What the Healing Journey Can Look Like
Many small burns heal locally with dressing care and never need an operation.
Healing is reassessed around two weeks; second-degree burns that have not closed may need grafting.
After wounds heal, scar revision and laser treatment can continue over months to years.
“I can move better than before. My legs have more flexibility and it is easier to walk. These procedures have been very effective…they have made me happier and my scars look better than ever!”
Ashley · Burn Reconstruction Patient
Ashley was just five years old when she was caught in a gasoline fire and suffered severe, life-threatening burns over 65 percent of her body. At Essentia Health-Duluth Burn Center, she required emergency escharotomies to release circumferential burns of her chest, legs, and right arm. After four major skin grafting surgeries and seven weeks of intensive care, Ashley finally went home. We have followed her ever since, through nine additional reconstructive surgeries to improve both function and appearance. Today she is pursuing a medical career devoted to burn care, an inspiration to children facing the challenges she overcame.