Accidental injuries, including trauma and burns, occur with a bewildering frequency and in an infinite variety of settings. More than one million individuals suffer burn wound injuries alone each year in the United States, and trauma is the leading cause of death and disability for individuals in the first four decades of life. Injury may occur in a work related (ie. occupational) environment or may be non-occupationally related. Motor vehicle accidents account for the majority of non-occupational trauma. Whatever the setting of their occurrence, wounds resulting from trauma or burns require a vast array of medical resources in their diagnosis, emergency resuscitation and management, acute and delayed reconstruction and, in many cases, rehabilitation.
There is no single technique that is universally applied in the reconstruction of wounds resulting from trauma or burns. On the contrary, trauma and burn wounds require careful evaluation to insure correct diagnosis and optimal treatment. Drawing on their extensive and diverse training, plastic surgeons are uniquely qualified to provide accurate wound assessment and then formulate a specific, detailed treatment plan for each individual patient. This plan will typically take into consideration the patient’s general health characteristics (including age and pre-existing medical conditions) as well as specific factors relating to the wound such as location, depth and any functional tissues which have become exposed or damaged. Many of these procedures are most appropriately performed in a State Licensed, Nationally Accredited Ambulatory Surgery Center (see ‘about Keystone Surgery Center’). Following reconstructive surgery, plastic surgeons will then typically coordinate rehabilitation needs in order to promote their patient’s return to optimal overall health and productivity
When considering reconstruction for a wound sustained as a result of a burn or accidental injury, be sure to select a qualified, experienced plastic surgeon, certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery (ABPS). As a board certified plastic surgeon with over 15 years of clinical practice experience and member of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS) and American Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery (The Mark of Distinction in Cosmetic Plastic Surgery® ASAPS), Dr. Robert Kimmel welcomes the opportunity to offer his expertise in the reconstruction of wounds resulting from burns or trauma, while optimizing function and cosmetic appearance.