Postburn contractures in the face and neck region are multifactorial in origin and difficult to prevent in extensive burns. Facial burns lead to distortion of anatomical landmarks, causing aesthetic, functional, and psychological problems. Each subunit of the face is unique in structure; thus, the surgeon needs to adjust the timing of surgery and the technique according to region and the severity of contracture. Contracture of one unit, especially that of the neck and forehead, can exaggerate the contracture in neighboring subunits. The role of these extrinsic influences must be considered while sequencing surgical procedures. The burn surgeon must be adept in all reconstructive surgery techniques from skin grafting to tissue expanders to microsurgery to obtain the best outcomes. Surgery must be followed up with long-term physical therapy and psychological rehabilitation to help burn survivors with head and neck contractures to integrate back into society.

Intended Audience
This educational activity is intended for all CME-related persons including plastic surgery practitioners, residents, and other healthcare professionals.

Learning Objectives
After viewing this course, the participant should be able to:

1. Understand the cardinal principles in the management of postburn deformities in the face and neck.
2. Understand reconstruction of specific subsites in the face and neck affected by burn contracture
3. Acquire knowledge about the various techniques of burn reconstruction of the face and neck.
4. Grasp technical nuances and select appropriate surgical options for individual cases.

S. Raja Sabapathy, M.Ch.; R. Raja Shanmugakrishnan, D.N.B.; Sanjai Ramkumar, D.N.B.; Vamseedharan Muthukumar, M.Ch.; M. Senthilkumaran, M.Ch.; R. Ravindra Bharathi, M.Ch. D.

Plastic and Reconstruction Surgery®Editors:
Editor-in-Chief:Kevin Chung, MD
Co-Editor:Amy Colwell, MD
Section Editors:John Y.S. Kim, MD

The following ABMS core competencies will be addressed:

• Medical Knowledge
• Patient Care

The American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS) is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education to provide continuing medical education for physicians.

Designation
The ASPS designates this enduring material for a maximum of1.0 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit. Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.

Disclosure Policy
The American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS) requires all faculty, authors, planners, reviewers, managers, staff and other individuals in a position to control or influence the content of an activity to disclose all relevant financial relationships or affiliations. All identified conflicts of interest must be resolved and the educational content thoroughly vetted by ASPS for fair balance, scientific objectivity and appropriateness of patient care recommendations. The ASPS also requires faculty/authors to disclose when off-label/unapproved uses of a product are discussed in a CME activity or included in related materials.

Disclaimer: All relevant financial relationships for planners, faculty, and others in control of content (either individually or as a group) are reviewed by the ASPS Continuing Education Committee and have been mitigated, if applicable.

The following planners/faculty members/reviewers have no relevant financial relationships or affiliations to disclose:
S. Raja Sabapathy, M.Ch.; R. Raja Shanmugakrishnan, D.N.B.; Sanjai Ramkumar, D.N.B.; Vamseedharan Muthukumar, M.Ch.; M. Senthilkumaran, M.Ch.; R. Ravindra Bharathi, M.Ch. D.

AMA PRA Category 1 CreditTM: 1.0
Patient Safety Credit: 0.5
Media:Journal Article, video
Release Date: 12/01/2022
Expiration Date: 12/01/2025
Estimated time to complete this course: 1 hour
*Course access ends on course expiration date

Directly provided by the American Society of Plastic Surgeons® (ASPS®)