Plastic and reconstructive surgery
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Plast. Reconstr. Surg. · Aug 2009
Comparative StudyBiomechanical comparison of lasso, Pulvertaft weave, and side-by-side tendon repairs.
The authors' group has developed and used a lasso repair as a substitute to the Pulvertaft weave when joining two tendons for tendon grafts and transfers. This study compared the maximum load, weave time, tendon length required, and bulkiness of the lasso, Pulvertaft weave, and side-by-side repairs. ⋯ The strength of the lasso tendon repair compared well with the Pulvertaft weave and was more convenient to perform. Side-by-side repair was inferior because of its low maximum load. This study suggests that lasso repair may be an alternative to the Pulvertaft weave in tendon grafts and transfers.
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Plast. Reconstr. Surg. · Aug 2009
Tissue expander infections in pediatric patients: management and outcomes.
Tissue expansion has become a well-established method for soft-tissue reconstruction in the pediatric population; however, the complication rate is still high, with infection being the most common complication. This study looks at a segment of the authors' cases over a 4-year period to document the incidence of infection, impact on completing the planned expansion, and how the treatment impacted the completion of goals. ⋯ Tissue expander infection in children does not seem to preclude further expansion and successful reconstruction.
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Striving to increase patient comfort and feasibility of performing abdominoplasties as outpatient procedures, investigators have been exploring alternative methods of anesthesia to safely avoid general anesthesia. These techniques may result in decreased narcotic administration, and decreased postoperative nausea and vomiting. The authors have added the use of preoperative local anesthesia rib blocks with sedation to replace general anesthesia in abdominoplasties. ⋯ Rib blocks placed before the start of surgery result in decreased recovery room times, pain, and postoperative nausea and vomiting, achieving increased patient comfort and feasibility of performing abdominoplasties in the outpatient setting.
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Plast. Reconstr. Surg. · Aug 2009
Pediatric dog bite injuries: a 5-year review of the experience at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia.
The objective of this study was to characterize the nature of dog bite injuries treated over a 5-year period at a large tertiary pediatric hospital and to identify relevant parameters for public education and injury prevention. ⋯ Pediatric dog bites are preventable injuries, yet they persist as a prevalent public health problem. Evaluation of data from high-volume tertiary pediatric health care institutions identifies predictable patterns of injury with respect to patient age and gender, animal breed, provocation, and seasonality.