Exam 21: Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery

Marissa Walton is transferred to the OR from the burn unit for debridement of the partial-thickness burn areas and a dressing change under anesthesia.What important preparation for the procedure will the perioperative nurse perform before Marissa arrives in the OR?

Denise Michaelson had a scar revision of her knee performed along with her bilateral mastectomy with saline implants and ear piercing procedures.The knee scar,before revision,was an 8-cm linear,thin scar that extended obliquely across the anterior portion of her knee.The tension of the scar tissue met resistance when she would bend her knee.The surgeon opted to remove the scar with a procedure to break up the linear scar and rearrange the tissue direction to form a natural line.The proper name of this tissue transfer scar revision is the:

Dermatomes are used for removing split-thickness skin grafts (STSGs)from donor sites.The perioperative nurse preparing for a procedure where STSGs will be taken to cover several large burn areas will need to have available:

The three most common skin cancers are basal cell,squamous cell,and melanoma. Treated early,skin cancers such as squamous cell and basal cell carcinomas may be cured by simple excision and closure (with pathologic diagnosis to ensure disease-free margins). Melanoma is treated much more aggressively because of its high mortality.The A-B-C-Ds of the warning signs for skin cancer stand for:

Replantation is an attempt to reattach a completely amputated digit or other body part.Revascularization is the procedure performed on incomplete amputations,when the part remains attached to the body by skin,artery,vein,or nerve.Good candidates for replantation are those with the following amputations: