Burns care covers early treatment of thermal, scald, electrical and chemical burns and later reconstruction of the scars and contractures they leave. Dr. N. Jithendran in Bengaluru treats burns with debridement, collagen sheet dressings, skin grafts, tissue expansion and microvascular flaps to promote healing, restore movement and improve appearance.
- AnaesthesiaGeneral for grafting and flap surgery
- Hospital stayOutpatient care to several weeks, depending on burn size
About Burns Treatment and Reconstruction
Burns can be caused by heat, scalding liquids or steam, electricity, chemicals or radiation. Most minor burns heal on their own, but deep and extensive burns need specialist care to prevent infection, speed healing and reduce scarring.
Dr. N. Jithendran's case gallery includes hot oil burns with scalp hair loss treated by tissue expansion (an 800 cc rectangular expander) and scalp resurfacing, cracker and thermal hand burns treated with debridement and dressings or a single collagen sheet, high-tension electrical contact and flash burns of the face, limbs, chest and scalp, electrical scalp burns with loss of skull bone covered with anterolateral thigh (ALT) microvascular flaps, anhydrous ammonia chemical burns managed with early washing, scald burns in children, and thermal burns treated with repeated debridement and skin grafting.
Care continues after the wound heals. Pressure garments, silicone, splints, physiotherapy and, when needed, contracture release surgery help limit scarring and restore movement.
Procedures in burns
Burn Wound Management
Burn wound management is the specialist care of burns caused by heat, scalds, chemicals, electricity or radiation. It aims to prevent infection,…
Read more →Post-Burn Contractures and Scarring
Post-burn contractures are tight scars that form as deep burns heal by contraction, pulling the skin and restricting movement of joints, the neck,…
Read more →Who can benefit?
- People with deep or unhealed burns of any cause
- Patients with electrical contact or flash burns
- People with chemical burns
- Children with scald burns
- Patients with post-burn scars and contractures limiting movement or affecting the face
How Dr. Jithendran approaches treatment
- Assessment of burn depth and extent
- Debridement (removal of dead tissue) to reduce infection
- Collagen sheet dressings for superficial partial-thickness burns
- Split or full-thickness skin grafts for deeper burns
- Microvascular flaps or tissue expansion for exposed vital structures and reconstruction
What is recovery like?
- Superficial burns typically heal within about 2 to 3 weeks
- Skin graft donor sites usually heal within about two weeks
- Pressure garments and moisturisers are often used for months after healing
- Scars usually mature over about a year
What are the risks?
- Infection
- Graft or flap loss
- Hypertrophic scarring and contractures
- Colour and texture changes of the skin
- Need for multiple operations
Why choose Dr. Jithendran?
- Dual training in orthopaedics (MS) and plastic surgery (MCh, DNB), with hand and microsurgery experience from Ganga Hospital, Coimbatore
- Consults at five hospitals across Bengaluru, with 24×7 availability for emergencies
- Clear explanations in English, Tamil, Hindi and Telugu, and time to answer every question
- Strict sterilisation and patient-privacy standards
Frequently asked questions
When does a burn need a specialist?
See a specialist for burns that are deep, larger than the palm of the hand, involve the face, hands, feet, genitals or joints, are caused by electricity or chemicals, or are not healing within about two weeks. Early expert care reduces infection and scarring.
What is a collagen sheet dressing?
A collagen sheet is a biological dressing placed on a cleaned superficial burn. It acts as a barrier, reduces fluid loss and pain, and supports faster healing. In several of Dr. Jithendran's cases, a single collagen sheet after debridement meant no further dressing changes were needed.
Why are electrical burns so serious?
Electrical current can damage deep tissues such as muscle, bone and nerves well beyond what is visible on the skin. High-tension injuries often need repeated debridement and flap surgery, and can affect the heart and kidneys, so urgent hospital assessment is essential.
What should I do immediately after a chemical burn?
Remove contaminated clothing and wash the area with plenty of clean running water for a prolonged period, then seek urgent medical care. Early washing was a key step in the clinic's management of anhydrous ammonia gas burns in a factory worker.
Can burn scars be improved years later?
Yes. Mature scars and contractures can be treated with release and skin grafts, Z-plasty, flaps or tissue expansion to improve movement and appearance. Surgery is usually planned once scars have matured, typically after about a year.
