Restoration of the Shape, Location, and Skin of Severely Burn-Damaged Breast

Abstract

Thermal injuries to the anterior chest in prepubescent girls result in breast contracture. During puberty, the breast parenchyma develops and grows underneath the scars, resulting in it being flattened and disfigured. The breast mound, as well as the nipple-areolar complex, is partially or completely leveled out and displaced. The contours are undefined, and the inframammary fold is affected. This feature of the most severe breast contracture still poses a challenge for most surgeons. The postburn breast contracture can be successfully eliminated with the method presented in this chapter. The method consists of scar removal, breast formation with sutures, and a free-skin grafting technique that restores form, location, and skin of the severely damaged breast.