Microsurgical Flaps for the Treatment of Burn Patients

The treatment of burn patients poses unique challenges, both in the acute and delayed setting. Although partial-thickness skin grafting and, to a lesser extent, local tissue rearrangement form the mainstay of burn wound management, the literature suggests that free tissue transfer can be used successfully in select cases (either in the acute or delayed setting). The most common indication for early free tissue transfer in burn surgery is to salvage an extremity when the injury exposes vital structures (neurovascular bundles, tendons, joint spaces, bones). Most free flap reconstructions are used in the delayed setting, often to release scar contracture and optimize return to function.