Dual-plane lift-and-hold technique for brow ptosis in young patients with facial paralysis.

BACKGROUND: Direct browlift is useful but leaves a scar above the brow. We proposed a dual-plane browlift to avoid facial scarring while effectively resolving brow ptosis in young and young adult patients. METHODS: Seven patients with facial palsy underwent dual-plane browlift between July 2018 and June 2022. The mean postoperative follow-up period was 31.9 months. Skin resection at the hairline was combined with subcutaneous dissection down to the inferior margin of the brow to "lift" the brow. Fascia lata strips were fixed to the dermis just inferior to the eyebrow to "hold" the brow, and the strips were suspended upward through the subperiosteal tunnel and fixed to the periosteum. Brow height was compared before and after the procedure and with the contralateral side. RESULTS: The reported complications included slight hematoma at the recipient site, temporary difficulty in closing the eye, and seroma at the fascia donor site. The paralyzed side showed significant differences between the preoperative period and postoperative months (POM) 3, 6, and 12, but differences were not shown in the intervals between POM 3 and 6, 6 and 12, or 3 and 12. The difference in eyebrow height between the paralyzed and nonparalyzed sides was significant preoperatively but not at POM 3, 6, or 12. All scars matured well, and the fascia silhouette was not visible in the forehead region. CONCLUSIONS: Dual-plane browlift enables rigid suspension using the fascia lata and excises flaccid skin without leaving facial scars, yielding excellent cosmetic quality and stable long-term outcomes.

Blepharoptosis Consultation with Artificial Intelligence: Aesthetic Surgery Advice and Counseling from Chat Generative Pre-Trained Transformer (ChatGPT).

BACKGROUND: Chat generative pre-trained transformer (ChatGPT) is a publicly available extensive artificial intelligence (AI) language model that leverages deep learning to generate text that mimics human conversations. In this study, the performance of ChatGPT was assessed by offering insightful and precise answers to a series of fictional questions and emulating a preliminary consultation on blepharoplasty. METHODS: ChatGPT was posed with questions derived from a blepharoplasty checklist provided by the American Society of Plastic Surgeons. Board-certified plastic surgeons and non-medical staff members evaluated the responses for accuracy, informativeness, and accessibility. RESULTS: Nine questions were used in this study. Regarding informativeness, the average score given by board-certified plastic surgeons was significantly lower than that given by non-medical staff members (2.89 ± 0.72 vs 4.41 ± 0.71; p = 0.042). No statistically significant differences were observed in accuracy (p = 0.56) or accessibility (p = 0.11). CONCLUSIONS: Our results emphasize the effectiveness of ChatGPT in simulating doctor-patient conversations during blepharoplasty. Non-medical individuals found its responses more informative compared with the surgeons. Although limited in terms of specialized guidance, ChatGPT offers foundational surgical information. Further exploration is warranted to elucidate the broader role of AI in esthetic surgical consultations. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE V: Observational study under respected authorities. This journal requires that authors assign a level of evidence to each article. For a full description of these Evidence-Based Medicine ratings, please refer to the Table of Contents or the online Instructions to Authors www.springer.com/00266 .

Performance of ChatGPT in Answering Clinical Questions on the Practical Guideline of Blepharoptosis.

BACKGROUND: ChatGPT is a free artificial intelligence (AI) language model developed and released by OpenAI in late 2022. This study aimed to evaluate the performance of ChatGPT to accurately answer clinical questions (CQs) on the Guideline for the Management of Blepharoptosis published by the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS) in 2022. METHODS: CQs in the guideline were used as question sources in both English and Japanese. For each question, ChatGPT provided answers for CQs, evidence quality, recommendation strength, reference match, and answered word counts. We compared the performance of ChatGPT in each component between English and Japanese queries. RESULTS: A total of 11 questions were included in the final analysis, and ChatGPT answered 61.3% of these correctly. ChatGPT demonstrated a higher accuracy rate in English answers for CQs compared to Japanese answers for CQs (76.4% versus 46.4%; p = 0.004) and word counts (123 words versus 35.9 words; p = 0.004). No statistical differences were noted for evidence quality, recommendation strength, and reference match. A total of 697 references were proposed, but only 216 of them (31.0%) existed. CONCLUSIONS: ChatGPT demonstrates potential as an adjunctive tool in the management of blepharoptosis. However, it is crucial to recognize that the existing AI model has distinct limitations, and its primary role should be to complement the expertise of medical professionals. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE V: Observational study under respected authorities. This journal requires that authors assign a level of evidence to each article. For a full description of these Evidence-Based Medicine ratings, please refer to the Table of Contents or the online Instructions to Authors www.springer.com/00266 .

Split-thickness Plantar Skin Graft for Foot Syndactyly.

For the treatment of syndactyly, the submalleolar or inguinal area is the common donor site for skin grafts. However, high skin tension of the submalleolar area could potentially delay wound healing or cause scarring. Skin grafts from the inguinal area cause pigmentation. In this study, we have harvested split-thickness skin grafts from the plantar area to treat syndactyly and evaluated the healing course and aesthetic outcome. We analyzed 13 recipient and nine donor sites in eight patients, aged 13-68 months (average 25 months), with syndactyly of the foot. The minimum follow-up was 14 months, and average follow-up period was 22.3 months. Aesthetic outcomes including color and texture match, wound healing of donor site using Vancouver Scar Scale, and complications of both sites were assessed in all patients. At the recipient sites, the graft survived well, and the lack of pigmentation of the graft led to good color match. At the donor sites, hypertrophic scar and high scar scale were seen around postoperative month 3, but were momentary, as all donor sites matured to a flat and soft scar. Morbidity of split-thickness skin graft from the plantar region is limited. It causes minimum scarring of the nonexposed area. Moreover, because it does not cause pigmentation, the split-thickness skin graft technique is a reasonable option for the treatment of syndactyly.

Generating Informed Consent Documents Related to Blepharoplasty Using ChatGPT.

PURPOSE: This study aimed to demonstrate the performance of the popular artificial intelligence (AI) language model, Chat Generative Pre-trained Transformer (ChatGPT) (OpenAI, San Francisco, CA, U.S.A.), in generating the informed consent (IC) document of blepharoplasty. METHODS: A total of 2 prompts were provided to ChatGPT to generate IC documents. Four board-certified plastic surgeons and 4 nonmedical staff members evaluated the AI-generated IC documents and the original IC document currently used in the clinical setting. They assessed these documents in terms of accuracy, informativeness, and accessibility. RESULTS: Among board-certified plastic surgeons, the initial AI-generated IC document scored significantly lower than the original IC document in accuracy (p < 0.001), informativeness (p = 0.005), and accessibility (p = 0.021), while the revised AI-generated IC document scored lower compared with the original document in accuracy (p = 0.03) and accessibility (p = 0.021). Among nonmedical staff members, no statistical significance of 2 AI-generated IC documents was observed compared with the original document in terms of accuracy, informativeness, and accessibility. CONCLUSIONS: Our results showed that current ChatGPT cannot be used as a distinct patient education resource. However, it has the potential to make better IC documents when improving the professional terminology. This AI technology will eventually transform ophthalmic plastic surgery healthcare systematics by enhancing patient education and decision-making via IC documents.

"Frontalis suspension through infrabrow skin excision for blepharoptosis in Asians."

SUMMARY: Frontalis suspension is the preferred approach for blepharoptosis with compromised levator function. Various studies have explored the utilization of different materials or material shapes for performing this procedure; however, only a limited number discuss the specifics of skin incisions. Given that blepharoplasty demands not only functional but also aesthetic results, we applied an infrabrow incision, a technique commonly utilized in cosmetic surgeries. This study is the first report involving a series of nine blepharoptosis cases treated using this technique and explores its viability as a promising alternative to traditional frontalis suspension.This innovative technique was employed in seven consecutive patients exhibiting poor levator function who were treated at the University of Tokyo between September 2019 and February 2022. A retrospective analysis was conducted on clinical photographs and charts. In one representative case, visual field angle and frontal muscle tone were also measured. The average duration of postoperative follow-up was 9 months.In all cases, the frontalis muscle was adequately exposed enough to allow suspension through the infrabrow approach. Notably, significant improvements were observed in the marginal reflex distances without effort from -1.9 to 2.1 mm (p = 0.0027) and marginal reflex distances with effort from 0.0 to 5.4 mm (p < 0.0001). Complications included a hematoma (n = 1), eyelash entropion (n = 1), transient sensory loss of the forehead (n = 1), and transient dry eye (n = 3).The infrabrow incision is a good alternative for frontalis suspension owing to its capacity to offer a broad surgical field, effective access to the frontalis muscle, and the ability to facilitate excess skin excisions without resulting in conspicuous scarring.

Simultaneous reconstruction of smiling eye using V-shaped long latissimus dorsi muscle transfer in patients with flaccid facial paralysis.

Various neurovascular free muscle transfers for smile reconstruction in patients with facial paralysis have been reported. However, these methods focused on peri-oral smiling rather than eye smiling. Although the lower eyelid does not contribute significantly to eyelid closure, dynamic reanimation of the upward movement of the lower eyelid, with bulging of the malar region, during smiling is important in smile reconstruction. Herein, we present a novel procedure for smiling eye and peri-oral smiling. The V-shaped latissimus dorsi muscle flap containing the descending branch (DB) of the thoracodorsal nerve (TDN) was employed. Muscle-A (15-17 cm), which is located along the main trunk of the DB, is much longer than muscle-B (10-12 cm), which is along the branch of DB. A distal stump of the TDN involved in muscle-B was prepared. The true trunk and distal stump of the TDN were sutured to the contralateral facial and ipsilateral masseteric nerves, respectively. The central region of muscle-A was positioned at the lateral part of the lower eyelid; the distal end of long muscle-A was affixed to the temporal region, which enabled peri-ocular movements and narrowing of the palpebral fissures alongside peri-oral smiling when muscle-A contracted. Nine patients with complete flaccid facial paralysis were treated. All patients attained muscle contraction induced by the ipsilateral masseteric and contralateral facial nerves. The smiling eye atmosphere was observed in seven of nine patients. This procedure simultaneously improves paralytic ectropion at rest and aids eyelid closure and enables early voluntary smile and a later spontaneous smile.

Stair-Step Incision for Composite Grafts in Nasal Reconstruction.

Composite grafts are excellent options for treating external nasal deformities because they provide support and include the skin, which improves the delicate anatomy of the nose. However, they are constrained by size limits since the grafts rely on blood flow to the nasal bed. This is a critical issue when the recipient sites have scarring or degenerative diseases. A novel stair-step incision was made to produce a graft bed with a blood supply and to maximize the use of nonvascularized composite grafts. Instead of making a full-thickness defect through the skin envelope and lining, we placed individual incisions and connected them via a subcutaneous dissection. By dividing the defect into 2 layers, the graft bed was produced and the risk of fistula was reduced. From 2009 to 2020, we satisfactorily conducted 3 cases of nasal reconstruction with a stair-step incision followed by a composite tissue graft. One patient was a girl, and 2 were men. Their ages ranged from 11 to 44 years. The largest graft was 24 × 24 mm in size. No complications were observed. The stair-step incision method for nasal reconstruction can eliminate the limitations of composite grafts and maximize improvements through a simple procedure. This makes composite grafts safer in cases with poor vascularity, enables larger composite grafts to survive, and lowers the risk of fistula formation by avoiding full-thickness defects.

Nasal alar reconstruction using the free auricular helix flap based on the flow-through concept: Report of two cases.

Nasal alar reconstruction with the free auricular helix flap is challenging because the flap is prone to congestion. We report two cases of successful nasal alar reconstruction using free auricular helix flaps utilizing the flow-through concept. Case 1 was a 37-year-old man presented with a basal cell carcinoma in the nasal cavity. After radical excision, we transferred a 20 × 20 mm2 free flow-through auricular helix flap by interposing the T-portion of the superficial temporal artery of the flap to the transected facial artery. Case 2 was a 39-year-old man presented with neurofibromatosis type I and a nasal alar deformity after multiple excision of the neurofibroma. We corrected the deformity with a 26 × 22 mm2 free auricular helix flap. We used a flow-through arterial graft of the descending branch of the lateral circumflex femoral artery to bridge the gap between the flap artery and the recipient facial artery of the submandibular region because an appropriate recipient artery was not available around the defect. Both of the flaps survived without vascular compromise and no donor-site complication occurred. The esthetic results of the nasal ala were satisfactory. The flow-through arterial anastomosis diverted the arterial flow to the peripheral side of the recipient artery and relieved flap congestion. These physiological properties of flow-through anastomosis may stabilize the flap circulation and improve the success rate of free auricular helix flap transfer.

Wearable, wireless, multi-sensor device for monitoring tissue circulation after free-tissue transplantation: a multicentre clinical trial.

Wearable sensors have seen remarkable recent technological developments, and their role in healthcare is expected to expand. Specifically, monitoring tissue circulation in patients who have undergone reconstructive surgery is critical because blood flow deficiencies must be rescued within hours or the transplant will fail due to thrombosis/haematoma within the artery or vein. We design a wearable, wireless, continuous, multipoint sensor to monitor tissue circulation. The system measures pulse waves, skin colour, and tissue temperature to reproduce physician assessment. Data are analysed in real time for patient risk using an algorithm. This multicentre clinical trial involved 73 patients who underwent transplant surgery and had their tissue circulation monitored until postoperative day 7. Herein, we show that the overall agreement rate between physician and sensor findings is 99.2%. In addition, the patient questionnaire results indicate that the device is easy to wear. The sensor demonstrates non-invasive, real-time, continuous, multi-point, wireless, and reliable monitoring for postoperative care. This wearable system can improve the success rate of reconstructive surgeries.

Change in Eyelid Closure in Spontaneous Blinking After Static Eyelid Reconstruction Surgery for Patients With Facial Paralysis.

BACKGROUND: Static eyelid reconstruction surgery, such as ptosis repair or brow lift, is widely performed for patients with facial paralysis. Complications include exposure keratitis and possible vision loss mainly due to eyelid closure impairment in spontaneous blinking. However, no quantitative evaluation data has been available regarding postoperative closure deterioration. METHODS: To elucidate factors associated with postoperative eyelid closure impairment, a retrospective study was performed for 51 patients who underwent an initial static eyelid reconstruction surgery from October 2017 to August 2020. A static eyelid reconstruction surgery consisted of either 1 or more of the following: (1) levator advancement, (2) brow lift, and (3) orbicularis oculi myectomy. Eyelid closure ratios (0% for complete closure impairment and 100% for perfect closure) at spontaneous blinks were measured on 6 occasions: before operation and at postoperative 1, 3, 6, 9, and 12 months. Comparison was made between preoperative and postoperative values by using mixed-effects model. RESULTS: Overall, average closure ratio was significantly increased. However, 10 patients had >10% closure ratio decreases at at least 1 postoperative measurement point, and all those patients had undergone brow lift procedures. CONCLUSIONS: Although eyelid closure at spontaneous blinks may, contrary to assumptions, generally be improved after static eyelid reconstruction surgery, brow lift was suggested to be associated with eyelid closure impairment.

Comparative Blink Analysis in Patients With Established Facial Paralysis Using High-Speed Video Analysis.

ABSTRACT: This study analyzed the blink characteristics of patients with incomplete and complete facial paralysis. The authors measured and compared the palpebral distance, eyelid movement distance, and the eye-closing ratio of blinks in 55 patients with Bell's palsy or Ramsay Hunt syndrome (Bell & Hunt group) and 14 with complete paralysis (Complete Paralysis group). in the Bell & Hunt group, the palpebral distance (7.94 mm) was smaller on the paralyzed side than on the non-paralyzed side (9.61 mm). The eyeclosing ratio and the upper eyelid movement were reduced on the paralyzed side (65.3% versus 93.7%, 4.61 versus 7.97 mm) and in the Complete Paralysis group (25.3% versus 94.7%, 2.10 versus 8.49 mm). In the Bell & Hunt group, movement of the upper eyelid on the paralyzed side was weakened despite palpebral contracture. The Complete Paralysis group exhibited highly reduced movement in both the upper and lower eyelids.

Microsurgical Lymphovenous Anastomosis for Pelvic Lymphoceles after Gynecological Cancer Surgery.

BACKGROUND: Pelvic lymphoceles are the most common complications after pelvic lymphadenectomy. Microsurgical procedures have attracted attention as an alternative treatment for lymphoceles. Here, we report six cases of refractory lymphoceles that were successfully treated using lymphovenous anastomosis (LVA). METHODS: Six patients underwent surgery for gynecological cancers and developed pelvic lymphoceles, which did not respond to conventional treatment. We mainly performed LVA on the ipsilateral lower limbs, although some procedures were also performed on the contralateral limbs. The change in the lymphocele volume after LVA was examined using computed tomography and compared using the Wilcoxon test. RESULTS: Five of the six refractory lymphocele cases were successfully treated using LVA, and the remaining case exhibited an 87% reduction in lymphocele volume. The average numbers of anastomoses were 6.7 on the ipsilateral side and 2.8 on the contralateral side (the median numbers: 6 [range: 5-9] vs. 3 [range: 1-4], P = 0.034). The average lymphocele volume decreased significantly from 414.0 mL preoperatively to 8.0 mL postoperatively (the median lymphocele volume: 255.8 [range: 61.5-1,329.2] vs. 0 [range: 0-47.7], P = 0.0313). CONCLUSION: We found that microsurgical treatment was potentially effective for lymphoceles that did not respond to conventional treatment.

The Impact of Brow-Lift on Eyelid Closure in Patients with Facial Paralysis.

Background: Brow-lift-induced eyelid closure impairment is commonly discussed in patients with facial paralysis but has not been well quantified. Objective: To measure the limitation of eyelid closure in patients with facial paralysis using simulated brow-lift with tape. Design, Setting, and Participants: For 50 facial paralysis patients with brow ptosis who visited our institution from October 2017 to December 2020, brow-lift was simulated by elevating the paralyzed-side brow using surgical tape, and closed palpebral fissure heights in spontaneous blinking were measured using high-speed videography. The effect of several factors on the change in closed palpebral fissure height was evaluated by multiple linear regression analysis. Results: Greater patient age (p = 0.021), single eyelids (p = 0.003), higher value of closed palpebral fissure height before simulation (p = 0.004), and higher value of brow elevation (p = 0.013) were significant for the increase of closed palpebral fissure height. Conclusions: Brow elevation to the degree that achieves symmetrical brow height could be detrimental to eyelid closure in patients with facial paralysis, especially who are elderly, have single eyelids, or present with preoperative decreased lid-closure function. UMIN Clinical Trials (UMIN Registry No. 000042974).

Factors Associated With Late Admission to Facial Plastic Surgery Among Patients With Long-Standing Facial Paralysis.

BACKGROUND: Facial plastic surgeons often encounter patients experiencing untreated long-standing facial paralysis who are unaware that their condition can be managed by facial reconstructive procedures. To promote timely admission of patients with facial paralysis for facial plastic surgery, factors associated with late admission should be elucidated. METHODS: A retrospective chart review was conducted on patients admitted to our facial paralysis clinic. Late admission was defined by an onset-to-admission interval longer than the median value. Multivariable logistic regression analysis was used to assess the odds ratio of late admission with age, sex, etiology, referring physician specialty, and the time of first admission. RESULTS: A total of 199 cases from October 2017 to March 2020 were included. Onset-to-admission interval longer than 21 months (median) was considered late admission. Etiologies involving benign tumors and congenital diseases were significantly associated with late admission (odds ratio [95% confidence interval], 3.9 [1.0-14.4] and 31.7 [4.7-212.6], respectively). Most benign tumor cases were referred from nonplastic surgeons. CONCLUSIONS: Benign tumors and congenital diseases were significantly related to late admission of patients with long-standing facial paralysis. As the majority of benign cases were referred from nonplastic surgeons, spreading awareness on facial plastic surgery as a treatment option may be necessary in promoting timely admission.

Superficial Circumflex Iliac Perforator-Osteocutaneous Flap for Reconstruction of Extensive Composite Defects in the Forefoot.

Although the great toe plays important roles in walking, loading, and maintaining balance when compared with other toes, there are few reports on great toe reconstruction, including the reconstruction of distal phalanx. This report aims to describe the use of a superficial circumflex iliac artery perforator (SCIP)-osteocutaneous flap for reconstructing a complex tissue defect of the great toe. A 62-year-old man presented with a crush injury to the forefoot. Because the great toe was severely crushed, the defect distal to the proximal phalanx of the great toe was reconstructed using a SCIP-osteocutaneous flap. The immediate postoperative course was uneventful; however, surgical revision was necessary. Signs of osseous union could be observed on radiographic images taken 2 months after the initial surgery. Twenty-four months after surgery, the patient could freely walk without resorption of the transferred bone. We demonstrated that SCIP-osteocutaneous flaps may be promising free flaps in complex tissue defect reconstruction of the great toe.

Endoscopic open rhinoplasty enables a cosmetic approach for a rare case of intraosseous cavernous hemangioma in the nasal bone.

A rare case of intraosseous cavernous hemangioma was identified in the nasal root. Using a combination of endoscopic surgery and open rhinoplasty, an osteotomy was performed and resection of the hemangioma was successfully achieved with transcolumellar and infracartilaginous incisions and 2 stab incisions. No adverse side effects were observed after the procedure, no tumor recurrence was observed at the 16-month-postoperative follow-up. The preserved periosteum contributed to the osteogenesis and thus, a need for a reconstructive surgery was indicated. The favorable outcomes associated with this approach justify and authenticate the use of endoscopy-assisted open rhinoplasty in the treatment of intraosseous cavernous hemangiomas without leaving ventral surgical scarring.

Foot Web Space Transfer for Congenital Syndactyly.

Syndactyly of the hand is commonly treated using local flaps with skin grafts; however, contractures and/or pigmentation pose a challenge, requiring repeated surgery. Here, we describe a case of a 1-year-old boy who underwent web transplantation for syndactyly. To the best of our knowledge, no "web for web" transplantations have been documented in pediatric literature. Because the patient had an "extra" web space, functional and aesthetic reconstruction was performed with careful preparation. The vascular pattern was assessed using high-resolution ultrasonography. The flap was harvested under a microscope, intravascular stenting was performed for secure anastomosis, and the adequacy of circulation in the flap was verified using the indocyanine green test. Each technique in the procedure used by us contributed to making the microsurgery safer. The present case suggests that "web for web" is a favorable treatment option for some cases, although these would be limited in number.