Unsure About Grafts For Mixed Thickness
Hello all, a week ago I was doing something stupid while cooking and splashed exceptionally hot oil on my arm. I felt very little pain and the burned skin looked like my skin color so I thought it wasn’t too bad. Then my skin started to peel of so I went to the ER. They almost immediately admitted me to the burn unit where I had to scrub the skin off my burn in the shower, still very little pain. The next day they bandaged my arm and sent me home with an appointment for 2 days later.
Those 2 days of waiting weren’t too bad as far as discomfort. I got lucky in that the oil did not hit my hand or elbow. At the appointment they checked out the burn sight and said it was a mixed thickness burn with 2/3 of it being deep second degree and 1/3 being third degree. The PA decided to not go the surgical route. Instead the treatment plan is Santyl, a debriding ointment, scrubbing in the shower, and daily dressing changes.
This has been very painful. I think the debriding agent plus the scrubbing has exposed tissue that can feel pain now. As the days have gone on the pain and bleeding has gotten much worse, which is bittersweet because I guess it means that the treatment is working but it also fucking hurts.
I know my situation is pretty good, but I just feel so disheartened about the whole thing. From what I’ve read the grafting would have lead to faster healing and better long term outcomes. I wanted to see if anyone else’s doctors decided to avoid grafting for mixed thickness burns. What was your healing process like?
First picture is before they had me scrub it, second picture is from the appointment, third is after 3 days of at home debriding, fourth is from today.