What Should Be the Role of Plastic Surgeons in Nonanatomic Breast Reconstruction, including Tattooing?

The goal of plastic surgeons performing postmastectomy anatomic reconstruction is to create a breast structure that closely matches the shape and appearance of a patient's native breast. Tattoo artists have helped improve outcomes with nipple-areolar tattooing. Some patients now prefer to have more extensive, nonanatomic designs to help camouflage their scars. Two questions are considered here: What role should plastic surgeons have in supporting or performing nonanatomic reconstruction? And should insurance programs cover nonanatomic breast reconstruction options?

A new purpose for tattoos: medical alert tattoos.

Tattooing has gained a tremendous popularity for the past twenty years. The motivations that drive an individual to acquire a tattoo are plentiful. Tattooing has also found its way in the field of medicine (corneal tattooing, gastrointestinal tattooing during endoscopy, permanent make-up tattooing, scar camouflage or radiotherapy field marking...). An emerging application of tattooing is for the purpose of medical identification for conditions requiring special attention during emergency situations, such as patients with diabetes who may be found unconscious due to hypoglycaemia or with allergy to specific medication. This new phenomenon, (practiced by patients on their own without medical consultation) can be found on the Internet. We review here this practice, which is seemingly underreported in the medical literature with its advantages and potential drawbacks.

Un estudio del tatuado en el paciente adicto a sustancias tóxicas / A tatto's study in toxic substances addict patients

Se realizó un estudio descriptivo y transversal que contó 51 pacientes toxicómanos masculinos, tatuados, ingresados en el Hospital Psiquiátrico de La Habana, con el objetivo de precisar si existía alguna relación entre tatuarse y ser consumidor. Se aplicó un cuestionario y un examen físico de la piel. Del total de los pacientes estudiados (53 por ciento) eran monodependientes y el resto (47 por ciento) polidependientes. En cuanto al contenido de los tatuajes predominaron el texto (59 por ciento), las figuras de animales (31,4 por ciento) y las imágenes alegóricas a demonios (25,5 por ciento). Los miembros superiores resultaron más tatuados (94 per cent) que los inferiores (53 per cent). Se encontró un índice de arrepentimiento de un 57 per cent por haberse tatuado, evidenciando variación de las significaciones conferidas a estos, en al menos un tatuaje de los que poseían; el 70,5 per cent de los pacientes se tatuaron por primera vez siendo ya adictos. En el 60 per cent de los adictos, los tatuajes tenían relación con su adicción; directa en 15,7 per cent, e indirecta en 45 per cent. Todos los que se tatuaron la hoja de marihuana, habían consumido esta droga y los que no se plantearon borrarlo, tampoco se plantearon dejar su consumo; este hallazgo evidenció un potencial valor diagnóstico y pronóstico de este tatuaje específico. Existe en este grupo una demanda potencial de salud respecto al deseo de borrarse una determinada cantidad de tatuajes con el menor riesgo estético posible.

This study is descriptive and transverse. 51 male junkie inpatients in the Psychiatric of Havana and tattooed were studied with the objective of specifying if relationship existed some between to be tattooed and to be consumer. It was applied a survey and a physical exam of the skin. 27 patients (53 per cent) were mono dependents and the rest 24 (47 per cent) multi-dependents. The text 30 fellows prevailed (59 per cent), figures of animals 16 fellows (31.4 per cent) and allegorical images to demons 13 fellows (25.5 per cent). they were the superior members where they were tattooed more, 48 (94 per cent) followed by the inferior one 27 (53 per cent). A 57 % of tattooed people who regretted of doing that was found. This finding showed a change of the significance they conferred to these tattoos, at least in one of them. 70.5 per cent of patients were tattooed by first time after being addicts. 60 per cent of addicts, their tattoos had a relationship with their addiction, direct 15.7 per cent (8 consumers of marijuana tattooed with the clover of the cannabis) and indirectly 45 per cent (23 patients that were tattooed under effects of toxics at least once). All those that were tattooed the leaf of marijuana, had consumed this drug and those that didn’t decide to erase it, neither thought about to leave their consumption, evidencing this discovery a potential value diagnosis and prognosis about this specific tattoo, it exists in this group, a potential demand of health regarding the desire of fading a certain quantity of tattoos with the smallest possible aesthetic risk.