Plastic and reconstructive surgery
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Beyond the controlled trauma of surgery, the operating room can be a hazardous place for patients and health care workers alike. Modern plastic surgery requires a thorough knowledge of various perioperative risks and methods to minimize these risks. As the importance of teamwork becomes more evident, clear communication skills preoperatively, intraoperatively, and postoperatively become equally critical. To facilitate an improvement in perioperative patient safety, this article will review aspects of communication, including crew resource management, root cause analysis, and surgical-site verification. In addition, the authors will discuss patient positioning, antiseptic hand and patient preparations, and barriers, such as surgical scrubs, gowns, gloves, and drapes. ⋯ There are ample opportunities for the reduction of preventable adverse events in plastic surgery. This article aims to provide its reader with the tools to research adverse events and a basic education in avoiding specific preoperative events. A second article addressing intraoperative and postoperative patient safety follows.
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Plast. Reconstr. Surg. · Nov 2012
Multicenter StudyHow "successful" is calvarial reconstruction using frozen autologous bone?
The authors investigated the long-term outcome of frozen autologous bone cranioplasty in patients who had undergone decompressive craniectomy for severe traumatic brain injury. ⋯ Therapeutic, IV.
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Plast. Reconstr. Surg. · Nov 2012
Quality of life long-term after body contouring surgery following bariatric surgery: sustained improvement after 7 years.
Bariatric surgery for morbid obesity results in massive weight loss and improvement of health and quality of life. A downside of the major weight loss is the excess of overstretched skin, which may influence the patient's quality of life by causing functional and aesthetic problems. The purpose of the current study was to evaluate the patient's quality of life long-term after body contouring following bariatric surgery. ⋯ Therapeutic, IV.
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Plast. Reconstr. Surg. · Nov 2012
Advanced cranial reconstruction using intracranial free flaps and cranial bone grafts: an algorithmic approach developed from the modern battlefield.
The objective of this study was to report outcomes after initiation of an algorithmic approach (Bethesda protocol) using intracranial free flaps, cranial bone autografts, and dermal/fat grafts to treat warfare-related cranial frontofacial defects after war-related decompressive craniectomy. ⋯ Therapeutic, IV.
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Plast. Reconstr. Surg. · Oct 2012
Randomized Controlled Trial Multicenter Study Comparative StudyA comparison of a new skin closure device and intradermal sutures in the closure of full-thickness surgical incisions.
A novel topical skin adhesive system was developed to close the outermost layer of skin in an expeditious manner. To determine its clinical utility, a clinical investigation was undertaken to demonstrate equivalence of a new adhesive skin closure system (Prineo Skin Closure System) to intradermal sutures in wound closure. ⋯ The Prineo Skin Closure System can be considered equivalent to intradermal sutures for full-thickness surgical incisions with regard to safety and effectiveness. The ease and speed of application contribute to shortened operative times (4.5 times faster than intradermal sutures).