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Plastic Surgery in Burn Care: A Call for Enhanced Burn Surgery Training within Plastic Surgery Residency Programs
Sumaarg Pandya, BS; Hilary Y Liu, BS; Mario Alessandri Bonetti, MD; Tiffany Jeong, BA; Francesco Egro, MD, MSc, MRCS
University of Pittsburgh Medical Center Department of Plastic Surgery
2024-01-31
Presenter: Sumaarg Pandya
Affidavit:
I agree with the above statement.
Director Name: Dr. Vu T Nguyen
Author Category: Medical Student
Presentation Category: Clinical
Abstract Category: General Reconstruction
The study investigates the evolving role of plastic surgery in burn care at a major academic institution with an affiliated ABA-verified Burn Center, following the recent removal of burn surgery requirements from general surgery training by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME).
A retrospective cohort study was performed of burn patients admitted to UPMC Mercy, the only comprehensive ABA-verified Burn Center and Level I Trauma Center in Western PA, from January 1st, 2012, to December 31st, 2022. Data were obtained from a prospectively maintained internal database including all patients admitted for burn-related health problems.
Out of the total admissions, 39.3% (n=1,509) required surgery, with plastic surgeons consulted for 17.5% (n=264) of these cases. The plastic surgeons performed 658 procedures, averaging 2.49±2.02 procedures per patient. Notably, the majority of plastic surgery procedures addressed severe and deep burns or challenging anatomical areas, particularly the hand (55.0%) and head/neck (25.1%). These interventions included both acute coverage of complex burn injuries and delayed reconstruction for post-burn deficits like scar contracture.
In conclusion, the findings underscore the critical role of plastic surgeons in the acute and reconstructive care of burn patients, particularly in complex anatomical regions. With the diminishing emphasis on burn training in general surgery residency, there is a growing imperative for plastic surgeons to receive training in complex burn reconstruction procedures, addressing the ongoing shortage of burn specialists.
