The business acumen of Canadian plastic surgeons.

We as plastic surgeons are engrossed and consumed by our quest to optimize patient care. In so doing, we are often distracted by that aspect of our practice which has direct bearing on patient care yet for which we are the least prepared--the business aspect. The entire population of Canadian plastic surgeons was surveyed in an effort to establish real and perceived needs of this group with respect to the business management of their practices. The survey elicited demographic information, information on business educational background, interest, and current commitment in acquiring business knowledge, and a final category of questions dealing with how well these surgeons function as business managers. Of the 315 plastic surgeons surveyed, 122 (39 percent) responded, which, in and of itself, indicates an interest in this aspect of their practices. Twelve respondents were excluded from the study for various reasons. Eighty of the 110 remaining respondents (72 percent) used a hospital-integrated facility for both emergency and elective outpatient procedures. Eighty-four of the 110 respondents (76 percent) indicated that 10 percent of their hours per week of inpatient booked operating time was canceled. Ninety-three percent of respondents felt that a business course to familiarize surgeons with common business situations and areas of personal finance would be beneficial. Few were previously educated in business, and similarly, few had great ongoing interest in business, although the majority of respondents used publications specifically dealing with financial matters (provided by the Canadian Medical Association). Twenty-three percent of respondents saw themselves in a growing role as businesspeople; 24 percent felt this dual role was enjoyable, while 29 percent felt this role was forced on them. A total of 21 percent of respondents did not see themselves as businesspeople at all. The six basic functions of a manager (planning, acquiring, organizing, actuating, controlling, and evaluating) were all made use of by these practicing surgeons, although the evaluating and controlling functions seemed to predominate managerial time. These surgeons do recognize, for the most part, that a surgical practice is a form of business enterprise as well as a professional endeavor. Patient care, which is of paramount importance, is affected by the business aspect of our practices. The Canadian plastic surgeons surveyed have expressed the lack of business education and training as a problem. In the present medical environment, we need to be more responsible and efficient in our business practices through education and training in this aspect of our practices.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)

The "Diamond Head" graft for paralytic ectropion of the lower eyelid.

Traditional methods of paralytic ectropion repair fail to elevate the medial lower lid and inferior punctum into the proper position. That deficiency does not exist with relatively simple, time-proven technique we have described. A lazy trapezoidal-shaped cartilage graft attached to a fascial sling restored the lost tone and medial lid posture, thrusting the punctum back into its normal and properly functioning position. The operation takes its name from Diamond Head crater in Waikiki, Hawaii, whose silhouette resembles the required cartilage graft responsible for the correction.

Occult chin abscess associated with an autologous chin implant.

The case of an occult abscess associated with an autologous nasal hump cartilage chin graft is presented. The graft was placed 30 years prior to secondary aesthetic surgery performed on December 22, 1992. In the course of the removal of the autologous tissue, an abscess pocket was discovered which subsequently cultured positive for Staphylococcus epidermidis. The area was thoroughly debrided and irrigated, and a preoperatively custom-fabricated silicone elastomer implant was placed. A 2-week course of appropriate antibiotic therapy was administered following receipt of the culture and sensitivity data. The patient suffered no postoperative complications. The bacteriology of implant colonization and infection in the light of host defenses would predict such a course, although, if known preoperatively, the more prudent course of abstinence from alloplastic implantation would likely be dictated in the aesthetic surgery patient.

The "pluck and sew" technique of individual hair follicle placement.

A novel and simple approach to single hair follicle transplantation for alopecia is a hair threaded on a curved needle with the follicle attached. It is the best aesthetically acceptable procedure in certain areas, namely the eyebrow, the sideburn, the hair margin, areas requiring precise grafting following face lift procedures, and the eyelash. The presented technique simplifies the precise, oriented placement of single hair grafts and has been time-tested by the senior author for the last 20 years.

Copious lactation following augmentation mammaplasty: an uncommon but not rare condition.

The senior author encountered many patients who experienced copious galactorrhea following augmentation mammaplasty and yet there are only four cases reported in the medical literature. A retrospective chart review of 1,000 breast augmentation patients operated on by the same surgeon under general anesthesia revealed eight documented cases of copious postaugmentation lactation. The lactation started an average of 6.6 days following surgery and was self-limited with an average duration of 5.2 days. The charts of the patients who lactated were studied in detail for possible contributing factors. Eight controls, matched for age, race, parity, implant type, implant size, hormonal therapy (birth control pill), surgical incision, and prosthesis placement site, were similarly studied and statistical analysis performed on the differences between these two groups of patients. The only statistically significant factor found between the groups was gravidity (P value < 0.03). One patient who lactated postoperatively was nulliparous. The postoperative occurrence of lactation does not increase postoperative morbidity. Presenting characteristics, possible contributing factors, and other multifactorial causes of this uncommon postoperative occurrence are discussed.

Computer imaging: true or false.

Technologic advancements in the field of computer imaging are providing plastic surgeons with the ability to give patients a visual forecast of postsurgical outcome and serve as a platform for improved doctor-patient communication. This same technology allows the convenient and stable storage, cataloguing and rapid retrieval of massive numbers of photographs in minimal space. Along with these positive aspects, negative ones are becoming apparent. Poor prediction of outcomes by the physician, whether conscious or not, could result in patient dissatisfaction with what might be an optimal operative result. The hard copy evidence of the predicted outcome may then serve as evidence in our very unyielding legal system. Our inability to discern altered from unaltered photographs, negatives and slides presents our profession with ethical challenges in the presentation of data to our peers. Some partial solutions are discussed but the advent of this new technology calls us to a unique and absolute commitment to professional honesty.

The biomechanics of brow and frontalis function and its effect on blepharoplasty.

Understanding the biomechanics and dynamics of eyebrow and frontalis function is essential to controlling the outcome of blepharoplasty. Ignoring the forehead in the pursuit of blepharoplasty excellence dooms to failure any eventual outcome. If, however, the principles laid out in this article become the basis for planning and execution, the final result, measured in the quality of aesthetic repair, will surely improve immensely.

Controlled bending of cranial bone grafts: a simple surgical technique.

The cranium serves as a primary bone graft donor site in reconstructive craniofacial surgery. However, the mechanical properties of cranial bone predispose to fragmentation when excessive bending forces are applied, or to a return to the original shape when bending forces are insufficient. The precise and sustained contouring of cranial bone therefore remains a practical clinical problem. This paper describes a simple surgical technique which relies upon the application of a miniplate to the cortical surface of the cranial bone segment prior to bending. The miniplate serves to reinforce the segment, allowing accurate shaping of cranial bone and maintenance of the newly acquired contour.

Bending mechanics of bone grafts: an experimental study.

We compare the mechanical properties of rib and cranial grafts subjected to bending stresses and analyze the modification of those properties following miniplate fixation. Standardized side-paired rib and cranial bone samples were harvested from human cadavers. Twenty bone specimens were divided into four study groups, comprising rib and cranial grafts, with and without miniplate reinforcement. Bone segments were subjected to measured stresses in an Instrom unit with simultaneous strain recording. The stress/strain curves were analyzed to determine the modulus of elasticity, failure points, and elastic properties. Experimental findings and clinical implications are discussed.

Metastatic melanoma of the gastrointestinal tract. Results of surgical management.

Between 1954 and 1989, 41 patients with melanoma metastatic to the gastrointestinal tract underwent surgical treatment at the Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn. The small bowel was most commonly involved (71%), followed by the stomach (27%), large bowel (22%), and esophagus (5%). Gross total excision of all intra-abdominal metastases was performed in 52% of patients. The postoperative mortality was 5% and the median patient survival was 0.8 years, with 1- and 5-year survival rates of 44% and 9%, respectively. Of the patient, tumor, and treatment variables evaluated, patients with small-intestinal metastases had a significantly worse prognosis. Although patients with melanoma metastatic to the bowel have a limited life expectancy, surgical resection of their metastases provides effective palliation. Operative treatment of selected patients with symptomatic melanoma metastatic to the gastrointestinal tract is a worthwhile undertaking.

Morphological examination of the glycocalyces of Staphylococcus aureus strains Wiley and Smith.

The glycocalyces of gram-positive bacteria have only been studied to a limited extent, with most studies being directed at the elucidation of capsules. With modern methods of electron microscopy, it has been shown that an extensive, diffuse polyanionic matrix surrounds Staphylococcus aureus cells of the Smith and Wiley strains, both in vivo and in modified staphylococcus 110 media. This slime layer was extracapsular in the case of the Smith strain, yet appeared to be the only layer peripheral to the teichoic acid in the Wiley strain. It is proposed that these glycocalyces serve a protective function and that their production is induced not only by excess nutrients in the growth medium but also by metabolic stress.