Burn and Wound Care Surgery

Specialists at The University of Kansas Health System provide comprehensive inpatient and outpatient care to adults and children with complex burns and wounds. In addition, we treat skin injuries and conditions such as frostbite, severe dermatitis and abrasions. Patients receive a continuum of advanced care that includes burn wellness programs and a burn survivor support group.

Our multidisciplinary burn care team comprises board-certified plastic surgeons, general surgeons, internal medicine specialists, dermatologists, nurses, physical therapists and nutritionists, among other medical professionals. We collaborate in research to develop advanced techniques to improve burn care for patients now and in the future.

Gene and Barbara Burnett Burn Center

The Gene and Barbara Burnett Burn Center, established more than 40 years ago, provides comprehensive inpatient care for complex burns and wounds. It is the only adult and pediatric burn care facility in the region accredited by the American Burn Association and American College of Surgeons. This recognition demonstrates the commitment and ability of our staff to care for the most critical burn injuries and dermatologic conditions. We provide advanced care for hundreds of burn survivors, both adults and children, every year.

At our location on the 5th floor of the hospital on our main campus, inpatients receive advanced care that includes:

• Surgeries (performed in our on-site operating room)
• Pain management
• Hydrotherapy
• Plastic surgery

Outpatient burn and wound care

We provide advanced outpatient and ostomy care for patients who don’t require hospitalization and for those who need follow-up care through recovery.

Patient referral

To refer a patient or arrange an emergency transfer, call 877-738-7286.

Cosmetic and reconstructive services

Patients with burns or complex wounds may receive plastic surgery procedures to help promote healing and reduce scarring.

Procedures include:

• Skin graft
  This procedure uses healthy tissue and skin from elsewhere on the body to help heal wounds that are large, difficult to close, or to replace scar tissue in a deep burn.
• Scar revision procedures
  Surgery and topical treatments can improve the appearance of burn scars and increase the flexibility of joints affected by scarring.
• Tissue expansion
  When there is insufficient tissue around a wound to close it, we place a small balloon-like expander under the skin and gradually fill it with saline to stretch the skin.
• Flap surgery or microsurgery
  These procedures use living tissue and possibly bone to repair severe wounds. This is provided on an outpatient basis. 

Outpatient care

Patients who don’t require hospital care and or need follow-up care to help speed recovery receive advanced care at our outpatient burn and wound care center.

Located on the hospital’s first floor, we provide specialized outpatient care that may include:

• Hyperbaric oxygen therapy for wounds
• Rehabilitation therapy
• Ostomy care
• Scar management with compression therapy