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When the surgeon’s knife does not quite cut it

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Conflicts of interest

None is declared.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Brighton and Sussex Medical School, Brighton, UK

    Krzysztof Ryszard Mateusz Rakowski

  2. Queen Victoria Hospital, East Grinstead, UK

    Niroshan Sivathasan & Baljit S. Dheansa

Authors
  1. Krzysztof Ryszard Mateusz Rakowski
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  2. Niroshan Sivathasan
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  3. Baljit S. Dheansa
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Niroshan Sivathasan.

Additional information

Patients with large burns requiring surgical debridement present a significant challenge when they are not surgical candidates. This is most often due to the risks associated with surgery outweighing the benefits in patients with co-morbidities. The risk of infection adds to this dilemma. We present a complex case of a 51-year-old male with 22% predominantly full-thickness flame burns to his left torso and left upper limb. Treating large burns is especially problematic in patients with comorbidities; a situation which was compounded in our case by issues surrounding capacity. We describe the process we went through to deal with the case and review potential options that may benefit such situations. We predict we may come across far more patients in similar contexts in the future and hope that prospective therapies can be developed for a cohesive clinical approach.

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Rakowski, K.R.M., Sivathasan, N. & Dheansa, B.S. When the surgeon’s knife does not quite cut it. Eur J Plast Surg 34, 517–518 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00238-011-0597-7

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00238-011-0597-7

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