Lester and Nancy Fraser Outpatient Burn Center

About the Program

The Lester and Nancy Fraser Outpatient Burn Center at Massachusetts General Hospital provides comprehensive outpatient care to patients suffering from burn injuries. We offer treatments for:

• Calciphylaxis
• Coagulation disorders resulting in skin necrosis
• Electrical or chemical injuries
• Necrotizing fasciitis
• Purpura fulminans
• Radiation reactions and other serious wound conditions
• Smoke inhalation injuries
• Stevens-Johnson’s Syndrome
• Toxic epidermal necrolysis

We also offer:

• Follow-up on acute burn injuries
• Psychiatry services
• Reconstruction options, including laser therapy and a makeup service

We offer a multidisciplinary approach to treatment, supported with technology, outcomes research and incorporation of rehabilitation techniques. The Program for Burn Recovery, operated in conjunction with Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital, addresses barriers to returning to work, including pain and mobility issues.

Collaborative Care for the Full Spectrum of Thermal Injuries

Our multidisciplinary team consists of professionals who have extensive expertise treating and managing burn injuries, including surgeons who treat acute burn injuries and provide reconstructive procedures, nurses and nurse practitioners, psychiatrists and specialized burn therapists. Because inpatient and outpatient care is available on the same floor, our team can treat adult burn patients along the entire continuum of injury. To achieve the best possible outcome, we individualize treatment plans for each patient.

We offer:

• Access to a chaplain and burn peer support groups
• Advanced wound care technology
• Comprehensive reconstructive evaluations
• Full psychiatric evaluation and support for pain, sleep disturbances, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), adjustment disorder and depression
• Home-care coordination
• Laser therapy for scars
• Long-term legal assessments
• Makeup evaluation and application by cosmetologists
• Referral to and care coordination with local physical therapists, occupational therapists, speech therapists, and other health care providers
• Scar management, including burn garment measurement, steroid injections, etc.
• The full spectrum of surgical services available at the Sumner Redstone Burn Center, performed by surgeons specializing in burn and reconstructive surgeries

We make every effort to see acute burns as soon as possible. If you have been treated at another hospital or emergency department for your burn, please bring copies of your medical records, if possible.

If you have been prescribed pain medication, please take the recommended dosage 30 minutes prior to your appointment. During your visit, an experienced burn nurse will assess you and remove your dressings. You will then meet with a nurse practitioner or surgeon, who will present and discuss your treatment options. Our staff will monitor your progress to optimize your functional and scar outcomes.

Laser Therapy

We offer laser treatments for hypertrophic (thickened), discolored, keloid and other scars caused by burns, wounds or other injuries. We offer multiple modalities including:

• Intense Pulsed Light (IPL) or Broad Band Light (BBL): used for treatment of photoaging, acne, hair removal, sun and age spots, freckles and scars
• Lumenis M22™ Modular Aesthetic Laser Multi Application Platform: used for the treatment of over 30 skin conditions and hair removal
• Multi-Spot Nd:YAG: used to treat vascular malformations, including spider veins, leg veins and broken facial capillaries
• ResurFX: fiber fractional laser used for resurfacing, improving fine lines and wrinkles, scars and pigment abnormalities

What To Expect

The Outpatient Burn Center team includes board-certified burn surgeons who are dedicated to the care of burn patients, allowing for early intervention to prevent and treat the scarring or deformities associated with a burn injury. Our physicians are highly trained in laser use and safety.

Before your first treatment, you will meet with one of our surgeons, who will conduct an initial evaluation and exam. The surgeon will then tailor a personalized treatment program to address your needs and goals. The surgeon may use the laser in combination with other procedures to produce the best results.

During the treatment, your doctor will apply a laser to the scar site. Afterward, your doctor will apply petroleum jelly or Bacitracin as needed. This non-invasive treatment requires no anesthesia, takes approximately 30 to 60 minutes and is virtually painless. You can return to normal activities immediately after treatment.

Many patients undergo laser treatments every 4-6 weeks, for an average of 4-8 total treatments. Laser treatments are often covered by insurance.

Education and Research

The Burns Center is dedicated to continuing education and research, and offers postgraduate burn fellows the opportunity to learn laser treatment. The Burns Center physicians are funded by the Department of Defense to evaluate the use of lasers to treat scars and study novel therapeutic techniques.

Additionally, as part of our dedication to innovative research, we were the first to describe post-burn scar pain. Our current research projects include:

• Transcranial direct current stimulation for treatment of chronic pain, in collaboration with Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital
• Virtual reality solutions for treating post-traumatic stress disorder, in collaboration with Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital

We are committed to educating the next generation of burn care providers. Our service provides education to general surgery residents as well as fellows specializing in surgical critical care, burn care and psychiatry. Lastly, we offer burn education classes for health care professionals.

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Our Support

The Lester and Nancy Fraser Outpatient Burn Center is supported through donations from Lester and Nancy Fraser and many grateful patients. Our mission is to provide the highest quality of care to patients with burn injuries.