Summary
Plastic surgery isn’t only cosmetic. In this video, plastic surgeon Dr. Bruce Hermann explains that he also sees patients with functional problems, and the wound center is a good example: many of its patients have wounds that have troubled them for months or even years.
Dr. Hermann describes one of his favorite cases. When his patient was a very little girl, she was struck by a car while playing outside her home, and the injuries around her knee included burn-type injuries. They left a large scar. When Dr. Hermann evaluated her, he found that the area could be improved dramatically.
He used a method called tissue expansion. In surgery, inflatable balloons were placed above and below the scar. They were then gradually inflated to stretch the skin and create more tissue that could be moved into the scarred area.
The patient says Dr. Hermann made her feel comfortable by walking her through the plan and what he was going to do. Afterward, she says she felt better, became more active, ran in athletics and felt confident showing her skin.
Key takeaways
- Plastic surgery also treats functional problems, including long-standing wounds and scars.
- Tissue expansion uses inflatable balloons placed under the skin near a scar.
- The balloons are inflated gradually to stretch the skin, creating extra tissue to move into the scarred area.
- For the patient in the video, the result was more activity and confidence.
Questions Dr. Hermann answers
What does a wound center treat?
Dr. Hermann says many wound center patients have wounds that have caused problems for months or even years.
What is tissue expansion?
A method in which inflatable balloons are placed, in surgery, above and below a scar and then gradually inflated to stretch the skin, so there is more tissue to move into the scarred area.
Can old injuries be improved?
For the patient in the video, injured as a small child, Dr. Hermann found the area could be improved dramatically.
