Surgical treatment of burns sequelae. our experience in the Department of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Pristina, Kosovo.

Burn injuries are very frequent in Kosovo, leading to long-lasting physical, functional, aesthetic, psychological and social consequences directly proportional to the time of healing; the longer it takes for the burn wound to heal, the more serious are the sequelae. The objectives of the present study are to review the epidemiological, clinical and therapeutic aspects of burn patients presenting with post-burn sequelae and treated at the Department of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Pristina, Kosovo, from January 2005 until December 2011. This study included 188 patients with burns sequelae. The following variables were considered: age, sex, anatomical location, pathological types, and surgical procedure. There were 82 men (43.6%) and 106 women (56.4%), ranging in age from 0 to 67 years (mean age 33.5 years), most of the patients were children (139 = 73.9%). Burn contractures were observed in 135 (71.8%) patients, hypertrophic scars in 32 (17%), keloids in 10 (5.3%), alopecia in 6 (3.2%), syndactyly in 12 (6.4%), ectropion in 4 (2.1%) and ear deformity in 1 (0.53%) cases. To correct the deformities the most common choice was the Z-plasty technique, used in 31.4% of cases, followed by Z-plasty+full thickness skin grafts in 21.8%, full thickness skin grafts in 18.1%, tissue expansion in 8%, Z-plasty+local flaps in 4.8%, flaps (local, fascio-cutaneous, radial forearm) in 6.9% and direct closure in 6.4%. Timely wound closure and the development of an individual programme for surgical treatment of burns sequelae are crucial for optimal outcomes in patients with burns.