Annals of plastic surgery
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Annals of plastic surgery · May 2017
Latissimus Dorsi Flap Breast Reconstruction-A Nationwide Inpatient Sample Review.
The latissimus dorsi (LD) myocutaneous flap has been a long term standard for breast reconstruction. The variable indications for the LD flap have not been statistically examined because of the relative infrequency of its use by any single surgeon or institution. ⋯ The LD is most commonly used for delayed or salvage breast reconstruction, with particular utility in irradiated patients. Younger patients tend to undergo more involved LD variants with bilateral reconstructions and expanders or implants. After adjusting for comorbidity, age and the use of bilateral latissimus flaps with implants or expanders have no adverse impact on LOS.
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Annals of plastic surgery · May 2017
Comparative Study Observational StudyComparison of Surgeon Specialty in Open Ventral Hernia Repair.
Ventral hernia repair is a common procedure and is undertaken by surgeons with varying training backgrounds. Outcomes after hernia repair depend on numerous factors, some being patient or surgeon specific. It remains unclear what the ideal roles are for general and plastic surgeons in open ventral hernia repair. We hypothesized that open ventral hernia repair by plastic surgeons is safe and comparable with general surgeons. ⋯ Outcomes of hernia repair by plastic surgeons are comparable with general surgeons, despite plastic surgeons being involved in many complex cases. Interestingly, we identified that general surgeons are performing adjunctive procedures to ventral hernia previously handled by plastic surgeons. Although further study is warranted, we conclude that for open ventral hernia repair, plastic surgeons provide a comparable alternative to general surgeons.
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Annals of plastic surgery · May 2017
The Teaching of Ethics and Professionalism in Plastic Surgery Residency: A Cross-Sectional Survey.
The ethical practice of medicine has always been of utmost importance, and plastic surgery is no exception. The literature is devoid of information on the teaching of ethics and professionalism in plastic surgery. In light of this, a survey was sent to ascertain the status of ethics training in plastic surgery residencies. ⋯ Despite the lack of information in the literature, formal ethics and professionalism training does exist in many plastic surgery residencies, although barriers to implementation do exist. Plastic surgery leadership should be involved in the development of standardized curricula to help overcome these barriers.
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Annals of plastic surgery · Apr 2017
Reconstruction of Moderate-Sized Hand Defects Using a Superficial Lateral Sural Artery Perforator Flap.
The skin on the lower leg has abundant perforators and, thus, is an excellent donor site for transplant tissue flaps. However, due to vascular variations and body positions, tissue flaps at the posterolateral proximal portion of the lower leg are rarely used for transplantation. This study reports our experience with the use of superficial lateral sural artery perforator (SLSAP) flaps in the repair of moderate-sized hand wounds. ⋯ Our experience showed that the SLSAP flap is suitable for reconstruction of moderate-sized hand defects.
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Annals of plastic surgery · Apr 2017
Heat-Shock Protein 70 Overexpression in Adipose-Derived Stem Cells Enhances Fat Graft Survival.
Autologous fat grafting is a prevalent technique used for soft-tissue augmentation; however, the poor survival rate of the grafted tissue remains a drawback of this method. Although adipose-derived stem cells (ASCs) are an attractive candidate for enhancing graft retention, the poor posttransplantation viability of these cells limits their application. Here we investigated whether overexpression of the antiapoptotic protein heat-shock protein 70 (Hsp70) could enhance ASCs' therapeutic potential for fat transplant survival. ⋯ Our data indicate that Hsp70 overexpression enhances the efficacy of ASC therapy by improving the survival and quality of the transplanted fat tissues.