Burn Rehabilitation

UT Southwestern Medical Center’s burn rehabilitation program is widely recognized for its leadership and effectiveness in treating patients with all types of burns through our affiliation with Parkland Hospital, located in the Southwestern Medical District.

Our dedication to excellence in treating burn victims is exemplified by the Parkland Burn Center’s designation as a Level I Trauma Center, the highest possible designation for an emergency care facility. In 1988, Parkland, staffed with UT Southwestern burn rehabilitation specialists, became the first verified regional Level I Trauma Center in Texas.

Established in 1962, the Burn Center at Parkland has evolved into one of the largest burn units in the nation. In addition to admitting more than 500 adult and pediatric patients with burn injuries annually at the Burn Center, our emergency room treats almost 1,000 burn victims each year.

Specialized Care to Address All Types of Burns

Recovery from a burn can be challenging, but our team of experts is here to assist and encourage patients every step of the way.

Fires, scalds, or flammable liquids cause most burns, but serious skin damage can also result from exposure to chemicals, electricity, heat, or sunlight. Approximately 1.1 million burn injuries occur each year in the U.S., according to the American Burn Association. About 45,000 patients require hospitalization, and about half of those are admitted to special burn units.

The burn rehabilitation therapists at UT Southwestern offer attentive and compassionate care for all types of burns. Our goal is to help patients achieve the highest possible level of independence while providing personalized care. We will work to determine the best and most advanced therapies to achieve the best possible outcome.

We treat first-, second-, and third-degree burns, including:

• Chemical burns
• Electrical burns
• Radiation burns
• Scalds
• Severe sunburns with skin damage

Burn Rehabilitation Treatments

UT Southwestern’s physicians, therapists, and psychologists provide the specialized care and treatments needed to address all aspects of burn rehabilitation.

Our treatments include:

• Skin care and scar tissue management
• Pain management
• Mobility therapy
• Serial casting and splinting
• Laser treatment of scar

Support

We also provide family education and counseling for burn rehabilitation patients and their families. 

Research and Clinical Trials

UT Southwestern receives significant funding from the National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research (NIDRR), which has enabled us to establish the North Texas Burn Rehabilitation Model System (NTBRMS). Internationally recognized for effectively integrating research and clinical activities, the NTBRMS helps advance the science of burn rehabilitation as well as deliver up-to-date therapeutic techniques for the treatment of patients with burn injuries.