Journal of plastic, reconstructive & aesthetic surgery : JPRAS
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J Plast Reconstr Aesthet Surg · Jan 2008
Editorial Comment Historical ArticleOnce upon a time and the timing of surgery in burns.
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J Plast Reconstr Aesthet Surg · Jan 2008
ReviewComposite tissue allotransplantation: a review of relevant immunological issues for plastic surgeons.
Composite tissue allotransplantation of hand, facial and other tissues is now a clinical reality. The terminology, treatment principles, drug combinations, dosage schedules and mechanisms of the immunosuppression medications on which contemporary transplant surgery is based are unfamiliar to plastic surgeons and most healthcare providers outside the field of transplantation medicine. With this in mind, the purpose of this manuscript is to provide plastic surgeons with a comprehensive and understandable review of key immunological principles relevant to composite tissue allotransplantation. ⋯ Today, as transplant and reconstructive surgeons join forces to move hand and facial tissue allotransplantation into the clinical arena, it is important that plastic surgeons have an understanding of the major immunological principles upon which this new treatment is based.
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This is a review of 249 patients who have suffered ear trauma and who have presented for reconstruction over the last eighteen years. All were born with normal ears and had lost one or both ears or a major segment of the ear. Congenital ear problems including microtia are not included.
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J Plast Reconstr Aesthet Surg · Jan 2008
Clinical TrialAn improved alternative to vacuum-assisted closure (VAC) as a negative pressure dressing in lower limb split skin grafting: a clinical trial.
The use of negative pressure in the dressing of split skin grafts has been shown to promote healing by a variety of mechanisms, including a decrease in interstitial oedema, an increase in perfusion and a decrease in bacterial colonisation. Vacuum-assisted closure (VAC) dressings have, until now, been used as the archetype for negative pressure dressings and have been reflected as such in the literature. However, patient mobility and cost are still an issue with these dressings, and alternatives have been keenly sought. We describe an alternative method of negative pressure dressing, which we have found to be a safe and successful alternative in the setting of lower limb split skin grafts. ⋯ The use of a simple suction drain is a cheap and safe alternative to commercial VAC dressings for the treatment of lower limb split skin grafts. Length of hospital stay and cost are superior to VAC, with no diminished clinical outcome.