ESPRAS Survey: National and European Societies for Plastic Surgeons.

BACKGROUND: The European Society of Plastic, Reconstructive and Aesthetic Surgery (ESPRAS) comprises 40 national societies across Europe. In addition to ESPRAS, there are 8 different European Plastic Surgery societies representing Plastic Surgeons in Europe. The 4th European Leadership Forum (ELF) of ESPRAS, held under the motto "Stronger together in Europe" in Munich in 2023, aimed to collect and disseminate information regarding the national member societies of ESPRAS and European societies for Plastic Surgeons. The purpose was to identify synergies and redundancies and promote improved cooperation and exchange to enhance coordinated decision-making at the European level. MATERIAL AND METHODS: An online survey was conducted regarding the organisational structures, objectives and challenges of national and European societies for Plastic Surgeons in Europe. This survey was distributed to official representatives (Presidents, Vice Presidents and General Secretaries) and delegates of national and European societies at the ELF meeting. Missing information was completed using data obtained from the official websites of the respective European societies. Preliminary results were discussed during the 4th ELF meeting in Munich in March 2023. RESULTS: The ESPRAS survey included 22 national and 9 European Plastic Surgery societies representing more than 7000 Plastic Surgeons in Europe. Most national societies consist of less than 500 full members (median 182 members (interquartile range (IQR) 54-400); n=22). European societies, which covered the full spectrum or subspecialities, differed in membership types and congress cycles, with some requiring applications by individuals and others including national societies. The main purposes of the societies include research, representation against other disciplines, specialisation and education as well as more individual goals like patient care and policy regulation. CONCLUSION: This ESPRAS survey offers key insights into the structures, requirements and challenges of national and European societies for Plastic Surgeons, highlighting the relevance of ongoing close exchange between the societies to foster professional advancement and reduce redundancies. Future efforts of the ELF will continue to further explore strategies for enhancing collaboration and harmonisation within the European Plastic Surgery landscape.

Danish translation and linguistic validation of the BODY-Q Chest Module.

The aim of this study was to translate and linguistically validate the patient-reported outcome (PRO) instrument body-q chest module, designed to measure outcomes following chest contouring surgery. The BODY-Q Chest Module includes two scales that measure appearance of chest and nipples. The translation and validation were performed according to the guidelines from the world health organization (who) and the international society for pharmacoeconomics and outcomes research (ISPOR). This approach involved two independent forward translations, a backwards translation, an expert panel meeting and cognitive debriefing interviews with patients. Each step was undertaken with the aim of achieving a conceptual and culturally equal instrument. This process led to a linguistically validated and conceptually equivalent danish version of the body-q chest module. The forward translation resulted in several discrepant translations of items that were harmonized to form the backward translation. This translation included three items with conceptual differences that required further revision. The revised version presented at the expert panel meeting had six items that needed to be revised due to conceptual discrepancies. The cognitive debriefing interviews led to revision of one item. The practices from the who and ispor guidelines were essential to developing a translation that preserved the meaning of the content of the body-q chest module from the original development study. The translation and linguistic validation methods used in our study could be used for further translations and validation of pro instruments. These new scales have since been field-tested as part of an international psychometric study.

The Post-mastectomy Pain Syndrome-A Systematic Review of the Treatment Modalities.

Post-mastectomy pain syndrome (PMPS) is a chronic neuropathic pain condition, affecting many women who have undergone breast cancer surgery. The development of PMPS is complex and the treatment options are limited. In this systematic review, we have analyzed the existing treatment modalities of PMPS. Six studies on five treatments were carefully selected, critically evaluated, and presented. The treatments were: antidepressants, anti-epileptics, topical capsaicin, and autologous fat grafting. Four of these treatments had a significant effect on PMPS. However, most of the studies had several flaws and therefore larger studies of high quality should be performed in the future.

Femoral hernia, a rare complication following deep inguinal lymph node dissection.

A 72-year-old woman underwent complete deep inguinal lymph node dissection on her right side subsequent to metastasis from malignant melanoma. On the second postoperative day, the patient reported of nausea and vomiting. She presented with a mass in the resected area that gradually increased in size to approximately 15×20 cm. The wound was opened a few hours after onset of symptoms and a large femoral hernia with 40 cm of small intestine was immediately revealed protruding in the groin. Prophylactic suturing of the inguinal ligament and Coopers ligament can reduce the risk of postoperative femoral hernia. Further, the authors argue that drainage for seroma and haematoma should be performed with utmost care, considering other possible causes and, if necessary, guided by ultrasonography.