Reconstructive Management of a Severe Mentosternal Contracture in a Resource-Limited Setting: A Case Report from Ghana, West Africa.

Abstract

This case report describes the surgical management of a severe mentosternal contracture in a 49-year-old woman in Ghana, West Africa, secondary to an acid burn injury. With limited resources, the treatment involved scar excision and full-thickness skin grafting in a single operation performed solely under local anesthetic infiltration, with no use of oral, inhaled, or parenteral anesthetic or sedating agents. As we were unable to find any documented cases performed under only local anesthesia, this case highlights a simplified reconstructive and anesthetic approach to managing complex, disabling burn contractures in low-income countries, particularly where advanced reconstructive options and monitored anesthesia care are not readily available.