Plastic and reconstructive surgery
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Plast. Reconstr. Surg. · Nov 2014
Comparative StudyMeasuring outcomes and determining long-term disability after revision amputation for treatment of traumatic finger and thumb amputation injuries.
Disability ratings after finger amputations are based on anatomical injury according to the American Medical Association's Guides to the Evaluation of Permanent Impairment. These ratings determine disability and compensation, without considering validated outcomes measures. The authors hypothesize that patient-reported outcomes reflect function and health-related quality of life after traumatic finger amputations, and that Guides scoring does not accurately rate postamputation disability. ⋯ Risk, II.
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Plast. Reconstr. Surg. · Nov 2014
Lessons learned from the American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Program Database: has centralized data collection improved immediate breast reconstruction outcomes and safety?
The American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Program database was implemented to longitudinally track surgical 30-day surgical outcomes and complications. The authors analyze the program-reported outcomes for immediate breast reconstruction from 2007 to 2011, to assess whether longitudinal data collection has improved national outcomes and to highlight areas in need of continued improvement. ⋯ Therapeutic, III.
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Plast. Reconstr. Surg. · Nov 2014
Bibliometric indices and academic promotion within plastic surgery.
Bibliometric indices are proposed measures to quantitatively and qualitatively evaluate scholarly output within academic medicine. The authors sought to validate bibliometric indices as an indicator of academic productivity within plastic surgery and their association with promotion of faculty surgeons in academic practice. ⋯ Bibliometric indices predict promotion in academic surgery and provide a useful metric for surgeons embarking on a career in academia.
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Plast. Reconstr. Surg. · Oct 2014
Adipose tissue-derived stromal cells inhibit TGF-β1-induced differentiation of human dermal fibroblasts and keloid scar-derived fibroblasts in a paracrine fashion.
Adipose tissue-derived stromal cells augment wound healing and skin regeneration. It is unknown whether and how they can also influence dermal scarring. The authors hypothesized that adipose tissue-derived stromal cells inhibit adverse differentiation of dermal fibroblasts induced by the pivotal factor in scarring, namely, transforming growth factor (TGF)-β. ⋯ The authors show that adipose tissue-derived stromal cells inhibit TGF-β1-induced adverse differentiation and function of adult human dermal fibroblasts and TGF-β1-induced contraction in keloid scar-derived fibroblasts, in a paracrine fashion.
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The experience of pain is a subjective one and more than a simple sensation. Pain is commonly defined as an unpleasant sensory and emotional experience due to actual or potential tissue damage or described in such terms. Pain may be broadly classified into physiological and pathological pain. ⋯ Pathological pain such as neuropathic pain and central nervous system dysfunctional pain are the result of neuroplasticity of the peripheral and central nervous system. Abnormal ectopic firing of neurons in the absence of a stimulus, increased neuronal hypersensitivity, changes within ion channels, and even alteration in gene expression and changes in the cortical representation are involved in the pathogenesis of these pain states. The development of persistent postsurgical pain is an example for this complex process.