Plastic Surgery and the Management of Surgical Infections.

Plastic surgeons bring wide anatomic competence and reconstructive surgical capacities to the management of surgical infections. Their anatomical expertise allows them to definitively explore and treat acute infections. Reconstructive options allow for the eradication of chronic infections with salvage of the infected body part. Hand infections illustrate the plastic surgeon's anatomic approach to acute infections. The management of distal tibial osteomyelitis illustrates how plastic surgeons can introduce techniques developed for other body regions in the treatment of a chronic infection.