Comprehensive management of an acutely burned lactating breast with subsequent pregnancy and definitive reconstruction: a case report

Excerpt

Reconstruction of the breast following burn injury can be a challenging task [1]. Guiding principles for burned breast reconstruction initially include preserving as much viable breast tissue as possible with subsequent contracture release followed by split or full-thickness skin grafting [1‐3]. Nipple and areola conservation is critical, and tangential excision must often be delayed to avoid unnecessary excision [1]. Various means exist which can be used alone or in combination for correction of breast asymmetry or contour defects following burn injuries including skin grafting, mastopexy, mammaplasty, musculocutaneous flaps, and prosthetic implants preceded by tissue expansion [2, 4‐6]. To date, there has been only one other published case report describing the reconstruction of a burned lactating breast [7]. We present a novel case of a burned lactating breast that underwent acute management which allowed productive lactation at a subsequent pregnancy and ultimate definitive reconstruction with tissue expansion and allogeneic collagen matrix substitute. …