Appliance therapy for perioral electrical burns: a conservative approach.

Perioral burns are the most common electrical injury of childhood and may produce significant deformity. A study conducted between 1980 and 1983 of 15 patients with perioral electrical burns outlines the conservative, nonsurgical management of these injuries using burn appliance therapy. Final results--including lip length, scar appearance, vermilion quality, and lip roll--were assessed and compared to early and conservative excisional techniques. Burn appliance therapy results were equivalent to results of excisional techniques. Burn appliance therapy additionally preserved the potential for secondary cosmetic repair. Appliance therapy may therefore reduce the number of surgical revisions required to achieve an acceptable results with a concurrent decrease of in-patient hospital days and total patient cost. We believe that nonsurgical management of perioral burns with use of a burn appliance is the treatment of choice for these injuries.