Shriners Children’s wound care teams and experienced plastic surgeons use surgical and nonsurgical techniques to correct skin differences and support the self-esteem of each child, to help them reach their dreams and goals. Because Shriners Children’s provides all care and services regardless of a family’s ability to pay or insurance status, physicians and families are able to consider every appropriate treatment option available, including inpatient medical admission for wound care, to bring hope and healing to a child.
We are medical leaders in pediatric burn care. This expertise can be very useful in treating a variety of difficult wounds and skin disorders not caused by burn injury. But we also specialize in caring for birthmarks such as vascular malformations, and skin infections and injuries. We also have a team of specialists to treat and help prevent pressure injuries (pressure ulcers) that can occur when children use wheelchairs, prosthetic devices or casts.
Specific treatments and services may vary by location. Please contact a specific location for more information.
Following is an overview of the kinds of wounds we treat. (If you don’t see your child’s condition listed, please search all conditions or contact a Shriners Children’s location for assistance.):
A pressure injury (pressure ulcer or bedsore) is damaged skin, as well as damaged tissue under the skin. These injuries occur more often over a bony area where the skin is squeezed or rubbed between bones, sometimes on a surface such as a wheelchair seat or bed. The skin doesn’t get enough blood flow to be healthy and it breaks down. Children who don’t have feeling in parts of their body or who can’t reposition themselves are at greater risk. Wounds sometimes also occur under a medical device such as a prosthesis, brace or cast. Doctors will refer to these wounds in stages: 1 to 4, unstageable, or deep tissue injuries. The higher the stage the more severe the wound.
A wound is an opening in the body’s protective layer of skin. Wounds that require specialized treatment to heal, can occur from burns, surgeries or pressure injuries. Doctors talk about wounds by how thick or deep they are in the child's tissue.
Our teams evaluate wounds for size, depth, healthy versus unhealthy tissue, and drainage, along with the child’s overall health. Families appreciate how our specialists work together to develop a treatment plan. Your child’s wound care team may include rehabilitation medicine specialists called physiatrists, physical and occupational therapists, dieticians, nurses, care management, infectious disease specialists, plastic surgeons, orthotists, orthopedic surgeons and burn care specialists if needed.
We address all areas of the child's experience to help promote wound healing. Children with poor nutrition, which may occur after injury or illness, have wounds that heal more slowly. Clinical dieticians assess patients and help your child get the vitamins and minerals they need to help skin heal. Physical therapists assess equipment such as wheelchair fit during wheelchair seating clinics, the bed surface at home, or how a brace fits. Some locations offer computerized pressure mapping technology where sensors show how a child sits in a wheelchair.
We offer advanced wound care treatments including:
In addition, Shriners Children’s plastic surgeons close some wounds with surgical skin flap procedures (FLAP surgery).
Below are common skin disorders and conditions we treat. (If you do not see your child’s condition, please search all conditions or contact a Shriners Children’s location.):
Birthmarks (nevi) are present in 1 out of every 100 babies. Some also appear soon after birth. We don’t know what causes them. They can be brown/black (congenital melanocytic nevi) or they can be flesh colored (epidermal nevi, sebaceous nevi). Others are red or purple and are related to blood vessels (vascular malformations) like port wine stains or strawberry hemangiomas. Most are small, harmless and painless, and may disappear on their own. But some will keep growing larger, or the skin may itch, bleed or break down.
The pediatric plastic surgeons at Shriners Children’s can help with all types of birthmarks. We provide reconstructive surgery, corrective makeup or laser treatments.
Skin disorders can also affect how children feel about themselves. That’s why we include support services for a child’s emotional and psychological needs.
We have the multidisciplinary teams to optimally treat wounds.
