• Archives of Plastic Surgery
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• v.46 no.2
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• pp.129-134
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• 2019

Background Nipple-areolar complex (NAC) reconstruction is the final stage of breast reconstruction. Ideal reconstruction of the NAC requires symmetry in position, size, shape, texture, pigmentation, and permanent projection, and although many technical descriptions of NAC reconstruction exist in the medical literature, there is no gold standard technique. The technique devised by the authors is very versatile, with excellent results, and it enables 1-step reconstruction with optimal results in terms of shape and nipple projection. Methods Our technique consists of a combination of modified local flaps and a full-thickness skin graft. Patients were observed for 18 months to estimate the amount of retraction. This procedure was performed in 40 patients, four of them bilaterally. The duration of the follow-up was 30 months. Complications occurred in 10% of patients, and included infections (5%), ischemia (2.5%), and hematoma (2.5%). Results No cases of total nipple necrosis were reported. The NAC shape remained optimal in all cases, with a very small reduction of the vertical and horizontal diameters of the areola, which maintained its designed round shape well, and negligible retraction in the diameter and projection of the nipple. Conclusions The oval technique represents a major step forward, involving a combination of existing techniques, such as the C-V flap and the cutaneous graft, to achieve excellent results regarding areola shape and nipple projection, significantly reducing the cases of nipple ischemia. These results were substantially obtained through subcutaneous equatorial sutures, skin grafting, and flattening of the apexes of the flap.

• Journal of Korean Foot and Ankle Society
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• v.24 no.4
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• pp.148-155
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• 2020

Purpose: Minor foot amputations are performed for recurrent or infected ulcers or osteomyelitis of the diabetic feet. Patients may require a large amount of bone resection for wound closure. On the other hand, this results in more foot dysfunction and a longer time to heal. The authors describe fillet flap coverage to avoid more massive resection in selected cases. This study shows the results of fillet flap coverage for the closure of diabetic foot minor amputation. Materials and Methods: This was a retrospective case series of patients who underwent forefoot and midfoot amputation and fillet flap for osteomyelitis or nonhealing ulcers between March 2013 to November 2017. In addition, the patient comorbidities, hospital days, complications, and duration to complete healing were evaluated. Results: Fourteen fillet flap procedures were performed on 12 patients. Of those, two had toe necrosis, nine had forefoot necrosis, and three had midfoot necrosis. Eleven forefoot amputations and three midfoot amputations were performed. Among forefoot necrosis after a fillet flap, three patients had revision surgery for partial necrosis of the flap, and two patients had an additional amputation. Two patients had additional amputations among those with midfoot necrosis. By the fillet flap, the amputation size was reduced as much as possible. The mean initial healing days, complete healing days, and hospital stay was 70.6 days, 129.0 days, and 60.0 days, respectively. Conclusion: The fillet flap facilitates restoration of the normal foot contour and allows salvage of the metatarsal or toe.

• Archives of Plastic Surgery
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• v.48 no.1
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• pp.55-60
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• 2021

Background In patients with congenital melanocytic nevus (CMN), single-stage removal of large lesions can be difficult because the high tension created by excising and repairing a large lesion may result in scar widening. Herein, we introduce a method to effectively excise lesions while minimizing scarring and compare its outcomes to those of existing surgical methods. Methods We compared patients who underwent surgery using the anchoring technique (n=42) or the conventional elliptical technique (n=36). One side of the lesion was removed via en bloc resection up to the superficial fascia. The other side of the lesion was removed via de-epithelialization. The de-epithelialized dermal flap was then fixed by suturing it to the superficial fascia on the opposite side. The length of the lesion's long axis and amount of scar widening were measured immediately after surgery and at 2, 6, and 12 months postoperatively. At 12 months, patients were assessed using the Patient and Observer Scar Assessment Scale. Results The lesion locations included the face, arms, legs, back, and abdomen. The anchoring method resulted in shorter and smaller scars than the conventional method. There were no cases of postoperative hematoma or wound dehiscence. Significant differences in postoperative scar widening were found in the arm and leg areas (P<0.05). Conclusions The anchoring method introduced in this study can provide much better outcomes than the conventional method. The anchoring method is particularly useful for the removal of CMN around the joints or extremities, where the surgical site is subjected to high tension.

• Archives of Craniofacial Surgery
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• v.21 no.6
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• pp.376-379
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• 2020

Supraclavicular lymph node (SCLN) flap is a common donor site for vascularized lymph node transfer for the treatment of lymphedema. Chyle leakage is a rare but serious complication after harvesting SCLN flap in the neck. We report a case of chyle leakage at the SCLN donor site and its successful management. A 52-year-old woman underwent SCLN transfer for treatment of lower extremity lymphedema. After starting a regular diet and wheelchair ambulation on the 3rd postoperative day, the amount of drainage at the donor site increased (8-62 mL/day) with the color becoming milky, which suggested a chyle leak. Despite starting a low-fat diet on the 4th postoperative day, the chyle leakage persisted (70 mL/day). The patient was started on fat-free diet on the 5th postoperative day. The amount of drainage started to decrease and the drain color became more clear within 24 hours. The drainage amount remained less than 10 mL/day from the 8th postoperative day, and we removed the drain on the 12th postoperative day. There was no seroma or other wound complications at follow-up 4 weeks after the operation. The current case demonstrates that a fat-free diet can be a first-line treatment for low output chyle leakage after a SCLN flap.

• Journal of the Korean Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons
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• v.47 no.4
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• pp.291-314
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• 2021

Squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) of the retromolar trigone (RMT) is a rare but potentially fatal disease that carries a poor prognosis due to its unique anatomic position. RMT SCCs tend to spread to vital nearby structures, including the tonsillar pillar, masticatory muscles, and underlying mandibular bone, even in their early stages, and aggressive treatment is often warranted. This systematic review appraises and qualitatively analyzes all available literature regarding the survival outcomes and prognosis of RMT SCC. Four databases were searched to identify all eligible articles published since January 1980. Of the 1,248 studies, a total of 15 studies representing 4,838 cases met the inclusion criteria. The evaluated patients had a high rate of advanced tumor stage (T3 or T4: 61.4%), lymph node metastasis (38.8%), and mandibular bone invasion (24%) at the time of diagnosis. Aggressive surgical treatments such as lip-splitting (92%), segmental mandibulectomy (61.1%), radical neck dissection (44.1%), and reconstruction using free flaps (49.5%) was undertaken for 92% of the pooled patient population. The mean rates for local, regional, and systemic recurrence were 23.40%, 8.40%, and 8.50%, respectively. The mean 5-year overall survival rate was 38.90%. Osteonecrosis was noted in 11.6% of the 328 patients who received radiotherapy. In conclusion, RMT SCC is generally associated with high recurrence, low survival, and high postoperative complication rates. Early diagnosis and aggressive treatment are thus warranted. However, significant methodological problems hamper current knowledge. Future studies of this topic that use randomized or cohort designs are thus needed.

• Archives of Plastic Surgery
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• v.49 no.4
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• pp.494-500
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• 2022

Background Seroma formation is the most common donor site complication following autologous breast reconstruction, along with hematoma. Seroma may lead to patient discomfort and may prolong hospital stay or delay adjuvant treatment. The aim of this study was to compare seroma rates between the deep inferior epigastric perforator (DIEP), transverse musculocutaneous gracilis (TMG), and superior gluteal artery perforator (SGAP) donor sites. Methods The authors conducted a retrospective single-center cohort study consisting of chart review of all patients who underwent microsurgical breast reconstruction from April 2018 to June 2020. The primary outcome studied was frequency of seroma formation at the different donor sites. The secondary outcome evaluated potential prognostic properties associated with seroma formation. Third, the number of donor site seroma evacuations was compared between the three donor sites. Results Overall, 242 breast reconstructions were performed in 189 patients. Demographic data were found statistically comparable between the three flap cohorts, except for body mass index (BMI). Frequency of seroma formation was highest at the SGAP donor site (75.0%), followed by the TMG (65.0%), and DIEP (28.6%) donor sites. No association was found between seroma formation and BMI, age at surgery, smoking status, diabetes mellitus, neoadjuvant chemotherapy, or DIEP laterality. The mean number of seroma evacuations was significantly higher in the SGAP and the TMG group compared with the DIEP group. Conclusion This study provides a single center's experience regarding seroma formation at the donor site after microsurgical breast reconstruction. The observed rate of donor site seroma formation was comparably high, especially in the TMG and SGAP group, necessitating an adaption of the surgical protocol.

• Archives of Plastic Surgery
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• v.49 no.2
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• pp.227-239
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• 2022

Complications experienced during lymphatic surgery have not been ubiquitously reported, and little has been described regarding how to prevent them. We present a review of complications reported during the surgical management of lymphedema and our experience with technical considerations to reduce morbidity from lymphatic surgery. A comprehensive search across different databases was conducted through November 2020. Based on the complications identified, we discussed the best approach for reducing the incidence of complications during lymphatic surgery based on our experience. The most common complications reported following lymphovenous anastomosis were re-exploration of the anastomosis, venous reflux, and surgical site infection. The most common complications using groin vascularized lymph node transfer (VLNT), submental VLNT, lateral thoracic VLNT, and supraclavicular VLNT included delayed wound healing, seroma and hematoma formation, lymphatic fluid leakage, iatrogenic lymphedema, soft-tissue infection, venous congestion, marginal nerve pseudoparalysis, and partial flap loss. Regarding intra-abdominal lymph node flaps, incisional hernia, hematoma, lymphatic fluid leakage, and postoperative ileus were commonly reported. Following suction-assisted lipectomy, significant blood loss and transient paresthesia were frequently reported. The reported complications of excisional procedures included soft-tissue infections, seroma and hematoma formation, skin-graft loss, significant blood loss, and minor skin flap necrosis. Evidently, lymphedema continues to represent a challenging condition; however, thorough patient selection, compliance with physiotherapy, and an experienced surgeon with adequate understanding of the lymphatic system can help maximize the safety of lymphatic surgery.

• Archives of Plastic Surgery
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• v.49 no.3
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• pp.413-417
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• 2022

The authors present a unique case of osteonecrosis of a cortical half of a fibula free flap that has not been reported in the literature yet. This complication was associated with the impairment of the vascularization of periosteum in the cortical half of fibula that was fixated with a nonlocking reconstructive 2.0-mm plate and screws but other factors could have been involved. The patient was submitted to excision of a cemento-ossifying fibroma that resulted in a left hemimaxilectomy mesoinfrastructure defect classified as the Cordeiro type 2B. The 42-year-old female patient was submitted to reconstruction with an osteomusculocutaneous fibula free flap plus a segment of fibula graft. The two bone segments of the free flap used to reconstruct the anterior and left alveolar crest were fixated with a reconstructive 2.0-mm plate of matrixMANDIBLE system. The only reported complication was an oronasal fistula that healed with conservative treatment and the referred osteonecrosis of the external cortical half of the fibula free flap with plate exposure at 2.5 years postoperatively. Surgical excision of the osteonecrosed cortical half of the fibula with the plate and screws was performed, while the other cortical underwent bone union as corroborated by computed tomography scans.

• Journal of Trauma and Injury
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• v.35 no.3
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• pp.209-214
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• 2022

We describe a case of hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOt) as an adjunct to treatment of a crush injury to the hand. A 34-year-old male paramedic was involved in a motor vehicle accident and admitted for diagnosis and surgical treatment. He sustained a crush injury to his right hand and presented with significant muscle damage, including multiple fractures and dislocations, an avulsion injury of the flexor tendons, and amputation of the distal phalanx of the little finger. He underwent reconstructive surgery and received HBOt over the following days. In the following 2 months, he lost the distal and middle phalanges of the little finger and recovered hand function. Posttraumatic compartment syndrome responds well to HBOt, which reduces edema and contributes to angiogenesis, as well as promoting the cascade of healing events. High-energy trauma causes massive cell destruction, and the blood supply is usually not sufficient to meet the oxygen demands of viable tissues. Hyperbaric oxygenation by diffusion through interstitial and cellular fluids increases tissue oxygenation to levels sufficient for the host's responses to injury to work and helps control the delayed inflammatory reaction. HBOt used as an adjunct to surgical treatment resulted in early healing and rehabilitation, accelerating functional recovery. The results suggest that adjunctive HBOt can be beneficial for the treatment of crush injuries of the hand, resulting in better functional outcomes and helping to avoid unnecessary amputations.

• Journal of Trauma and Injury
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• v.35 no.3
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• pp.215-218
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• 2022

The rectum is the least frequently injured organ in trauma, with an incidence of about 1% to 3% in trauma cases involving civilians. Most rectal injuries are caused by gunshot wounds, blunt force trauma, and stab wounds. A 46-year-old male patient was crushed between two vehicles while he was working. He was hemodynamically unstable, and the Focused Assessment with Sonography for Trauma showed hemoperitoneum and hemoretroperitoneum; therefore, damage control surgery with pelvic packing was performed. A subsequent whole-body computed tomography scan showed a displaced pelvic bone and sacrum fracture. There was evidence of an anorectal full-thickness laceration and urethral laceration. In second-look surgery performed 48 hours later, the pelvis was stabilized with external fixators, and it was decided to proceed with loop sigmoid colostomy. A tractioned rectal probe with an internal balloon was positioned in order to approach the flaps of the rectal wall laceration. On postoperative day 13, a radiological examination with endoluminal contrast injected from the stoma after removal of the balloon was performed and showed no evidence of extraluminal leak. Rectosigmoidoscopy, rectal manometry, anal sphincter electromyography, and trans-stomic transit examinations showed normal findings, indicating that it was appropriate to proceed with the closure of the colostomy. The postoperative course was uneventful. The optimal management for extraperitoneal penetrating rectal injuries continues to evolve. Primary repair with fecal diversion is the mainstay of treatment, and a conservative approach to rectal lacerations with an internal balloon in a rectal probe could provide a possibility for healing with a lower risk of complications.