Burn Surgery in Understanding Surgical Disease

• This chapter on burn surgery was Dr. de la Cruz-Muñoz's first published work, written in 1998 during his final year of surgical training at Jackson Memorial Hospital in Miami.
• His training in burn surgery, trauma, and critical care gave him broad surgical skills and clinical judgment that enable managing complex surgical situations with confidence.

About This Chapter

This chapter in The Miami Manual of Surgery was Dr. de la Cruz-Muñoz’s first published work, written in 1998 with Dr. C. Ward during his final year of surgical residency at Jackson Memorial Hospital in Miami, home to one of the busiest trauma and burn centers in the United States. The manual was written for surgical residents and students as a practical guide to common surgical diseases.

What the Chapter Covers

• Assessment of burn injuries and classification of burn depth and size.
• Initial resuscitation, including fluid management in the critical first hours.
• Surgical debridement of burned tissue.
• Skin grafting techniques for wound closure.
• Recognition and management of burn complications.

Why It Matters for Patients Today

Burn surgery and trauma care demand sound judgment under pressure, careful fluid and critical care management, and meticulous tissue handling. That training formed the foundation of a surgical career that has since included over 25 years of bariatric surgery, more than 9,000 bariatric operations and over 15,000 minimally invasive surgery procedures.

Expert Commentary

This was my first chapter, written as a chief resident at Jackson. Burn and trauma surgery taught me to make decisions quickly and to respect how fragile the body can be. I still draw on those lessons, especially when caring for complex patients and complications.

— Dr. Nestor de la Cruz-Muñoz