Burn Surgery
At Shriners Children’s, our world-class surgical team provides specialized care and life-changing treatment to children with burn injuries.
Traumatic Wounds
Our award-winning, internationally recognized physicians are able to treat children with traumatic wounds at a moment's notice.
Any injury to your child can be a traumatic experience. At Shriners Children’s, our expertise in wound care allows us to treat traumatic wounds such as animal bites, friction burns, road rash and treadmill injuries. These types of wounds occur when the skin is punctured or rubbed forcefully against a rough surface, which can damage multiple layers of tissue.
Animal bites, particularly dog bites, are often painful and can be frightening for your child. These injuries are considered puncture wounds and require careful attention to avoid complications like infection. The specialists at Shriners Children’s will assess the wound and guide you through the dog wound healing stages, providing the care and treatments specific to your child's needs.
Friction burns, such as road rash, can result in first, second or even third-degree burns, making them particularly serious and painful. Depending on the injury's size and depth, treatment may range from conservative care, such as dressings and ointments, to more advanced procedures like skin grafting. If necessary, our team will also treat any associated skin infections or chronic wounds that are difficult to heal.
The Shriners Children’s care team will thoroughly assess your child’s wound and develop a personalized treatment plan, ensuring that you are informed and supported through every step of the wound healing process. For chronic or open wounds that are hard to heal, we will recommend advanced treatment options to promote tissue healing and speed up recovery.
Your child’s surgeons and other care providers understand the concerns while navigating this journey. Be reassured that if your child has a traumatic wound, you'll have a Shriners Children's care team to guide you the whole way.
Specific treatments and services may vary by location. Please contact a specific location for more information.
Dog Bites
You may not think of a dog bite – or any animal bite – as a traumatic wound, but that’s what it is. The wound care specialists at Shriners Children’s will carefully assess your child’s wound, determine the best approach for treatment, and guide you through each step of the dog wound healing stages. Your care team will review the personalized treatment plan with you, ensuring that your child receives the most appropriate care to promote fast and effective tissue healing.
Road Rash
Road rash is a type of friction burn resulting from scraping your skin against something rough. Though most common as a result of bicycle, skateboard or motorcycle accidents, it can occur a number of other ways as well. While some cases may be minor, more severe road rash wounds may require intensive treatment, including skin grafting. Your care team will assess the depth and size of the injury to determine the best treatment plan and assist you through the wound healing stages timeline for optimal recovery.
Treadmill Burns
Treadmill burns may not initially come to mind when we think of burns, but they are actually quite common in children. That exercise equipment that sits in our home is often tempting for children to try while Mom or Dad is using it, and treadmills can move at more than 8 feet per second. When a child's hand touches a moving treadmill, the force of friction is so great that a severe burn can occur instantly that can require serious medical care. Shriners Children's care teams are experienced in treating treadmill burns, helping your child heal from these injuries while providing any necessary care for infections or other medical needs.
To know that you're getting the best possible care that's available in the world is a sense of relief.
Locations for Traumatic Wound care
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Shriners Children's provides specialty health care to children around the world. We offer a comprehensive range of treatments, services and support to improve the quality of our patients’ lives and help them reach their full potential.
Advancing Care and Healing with Skin Grafting
Because the skin serves as a natural barrier to infection, skin grafts help prevent the child from dealing with exposure to life-threatening bacteria and germs that may complicate their recovery. Of course, the earlier a child receives initial treatment after a serious burn injury, the better their outcome will be.
Innovative Treatments
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Skin Grafting
Shriners Children’s is advancing care and healing for children with burns. When a part of the body loses its protective covering, we can perform skin grafting, which is a transplantation of skin from one area of the body to another.
Plastic Surgery
Shriners Children’s experienced pediatric plastic surgeons use reconstructive plastic surgery techniques to bring hope and healing to families dealing with differences involving the face, jaw, eyelids, ears, breasts or skin.
Scar Management
As burn wounds heal, Shriners Children’s will develop a scar management plan tailored to your child’s needs. Laser technology is very effective at reducing scars and improving their overall appearance.
Outpatient Burn Care
At Shriners Children’s we offer burn care in our outpatient clinic. Your child may transition to our clinic as wounds heal, or the injury may be managed on an outpatient basis.
Next Steps
Request an Appointment
Families and caregivers seeking treatment should start by contacting us for an appointment.
Log in to the Patient Portal
Parents and guardians of existing patients can email, request records, schedule appointments and more.
Refer a Patient
Physicians and healthcare providers can request appointments, start transfers or contact us with questions.