Fires and burns during plastic surgery.

Abstract

Many plastic surgery procedures are performed under local anethesia. When the procedure involves the head and neck, oxygen is perilously close to the surgical field. A thorough understanding of the fire triangle will allow the plastic surgeon to develop a routine that will avoid any risk of fire. The fire triangle consists of a heat source, a fuel, and an oxidizer. By removing one component of the fire triangle, the risk of fire is averted. An in-depth look at each component is needed because fire hazards involve some surprising sources.