Facial resurfacing at Shriners Burns Institute: a 16-year experience in young burned patients.

The records of 1,220 pediatric and adolescent patients admitted with a diagnosis of facial burns or facial burn scars were reviewed. Four hundred fifty patients underwent resurfacing of the face with skin grafts or flaps. One hundred ten patients underwent resurfacing performed in aesthetic units and were followed for an average of 5.75 years. Our experience in managing the patients in the latter group suggests that donor sites from above the clavicle give an optimum color and texture match regardless of whether grafting is full or split thickness.