Sub-zero non-freezing of vascularized composite allografts in a rodent partial hindlimb model.

Ischemia is a major limiting factor in Vascularized Composite Allotransplantation (VCA) as irreversible muscular injury can occur after as early as 4-6 h of static cold storage (SCS). Organ preservation technologies have led to the development of storage protocols extending rat liver ex vivo preservation up to 4 days. Development of such a protocol for VCAs has the added challenge of inherent ice nucleating factors of the graft, therefore, this study focused on developing a robust protocol for VCA supercooling. Rodent partial hindlimbs underwent subnormothermic machine perfusion (SNMP) with several loading solutions, followed by a storage solution with cryoprotective agents (CPA) developed for VCAs. Storage occurred in suspended animation for 24h and VCAs were recovered using SNMP with modified Steen. This study shows a robust VCA supercooling preservation protocol in a rodent model. Further optimization is expected to allow for its application in a transplantation model, which would be a breakthrough in the field of VCA preservation.

Reconstruction of a septic femoral triangle fistula with a pedicled DIEP flap: A case report and mini-review.

Flap-based reconstruction techniques have shown promise in preventing scar contractures and enhancing healing in fold areas by providing vascularized and thick tissue. We report a septic rupture of the superficial femoral artery treated with an arterial allograft and covered with a contralateral pedicled Deep Inferior Epigastric Artery Perforator (DIEP) flap. The patient presented favorable outcomes, including optimal healing at 8 months, with no functional limitation. A literature review also discusses alternative pedicled perforator flaps. These modern techniques present several advantages, including reliability, and can be of great interest in complex vascular surgery cases.

Fournier's Gangrene reconstruction in black patients using SCIP flap and split thickness skin graft: 2 case reports and a literature review.

Fournier's gangrene is a potentially life-threatening infectious disease involving the perineum and genitals. Aggressive surgical and medical management is often required, leaving the patient with large integumentary defects. The multiplicity of reconstructive options reported highlights the lack of consensus on the best covering option. Functional and aesthetic considerations are in play, and the literature is scarce on male black patients. We report here two cases of dark-skinned patients presenting with scrotal and penile integumentary defects that were respectively reconstructed with a superficial circumflex iliac artery propeller perforator flap and a split-thickness meshed skin graft and discuss the available literature on the topic.

Use of perfusion device for free flap salvage after ischemia in swine.

INTRODUCTION: In free flap reconstruction, improving flap tolerance to warm ischemia (WI) is fundamental. WI is the result of a venous or arterial thrombosis, which can only be addressed through surgical revision. No additional treatments have shown superior efficacy at salvaging free flaps after or during WI. Custom perfusion machines (PM), used to reduce the intensity of lesions of the flap stored in cold ischemia, have not been evaluated for WI flap salvage. This proof-of-concept study assessed whether the Lifeport® perfusion machine could improve the salvage procedure's success rates after one hour of venous WI. METHODS: Five different groups were evaluated with four porcine latissimus dorsi free flaps included in each group. Depending on the group, the flaps were subjected to one hour of WI followed by revascularization, static hypothermic submersion, or dynamic Lifeport® perfusion. Additionally, two flap perfusion liquids were evaluated: KPS-1® and IGL-1®. Biopsies were performed before in vivo warm ischemia of the flap, after in vivo warm ischemia of the flap, and after one and two hours of preservation. Interstitial edema, muscular cell size and muscular diffuse necrosis were quantified by histological assessment. RESULTS: Static submersion did not demonstrate any efficacy for venous flap salvage. Dynamic perfusion on Lifeport® machine showed a significant improvement in tissue parameters. Thrombi and fibrine, present during the WI period, were no longer visible inside vessels and the perfusion machine flow evacuated the inflammatory cells and their substrates from the flap. The flap weights did not increase during perfusion time, confirming the benefits of the Lifeport® perfusion machine. CONCLUSION: Evaluating Lifeport® advantages on human free flap salvage is necessary to confirm the benefits for the tissue and to increase post-operative results after congestive free flap revision surgery.

Omental flap for treatment of spondylodiscitis with lumbosacral dehiscence: A case report.

We report a case of pedicled omental flap use together with osteosynthesis treatment of a chronic L4-L5 spondylodiscitis due to a large sacral eschar. The 43-years-old patient was paraplegic and had depleted regional flaps solutions due to multiple previous surgeries. The procedure was carried out in supine position then in prone position whereby the dissected flap was recovered through the spine. The surgery was performed by a multidisciplinary team. First, we used an anterior approach for spine osteosynthesis with a metal implant and flap harvest. Then, in a prone position, we completed the vertebral reconstruction by an L3 athrodesis to the pelvis. The flap was recovered through the spine defect, on the side of the implant. It was a right sided pedicled. Complete wound healing was 120 days. The omental flap proved to be a reliable solution in the absence of recipient vessels for free flap transfer and depleted regional flap solutions. It also spared the latissimus dorsi muscle required for a wheelchair user as in our case. The omental flap is still performed in spine surgery especially in oncologic context to prevent wound dehiscence and for spondylodiscitis coverage. The anterior approach allows for both spine osteosynthesis and flap dissection.

[Clinical photography by smartphone in plastic surgery and protection of personal data: Development of a secured platform and application on 979 patients]. / Photographie clinique par smartphone en chirurgie plastique et protection des données personnelles : développement d'une plateforme sécurisée et application sur 979 patients.

BACKGROUND: The clinical photography in plastic and reconstructive surgery has known a numerical breakthrough. The storage of online data, massive means of analysis such as facial recognitions algorithms poses a serious issue when it comes to the protection of personal data. We will assess a platform's benefits in connection with the computerized medical record, which will allow keeping the photos filed and centralized in a smart and secure manner. METHOD: We interviewed 300 plastic surgeons about the role of smartphone in their clinical practice. Concomitantly, we developed an innovative platform called Surgeon©, a secure way to index, file and send photographs with a smartphone on our hospital's server. Each photographic sequence was qualified using a specific form. We then collected prospectively, between May 1st 2017 and March 30th 2018, the number of patients photographed, the number of sequences and photographs taken and the average number of sequences per patient. RESULTS: Out of 86 French plastic surgeons surveyed, 81% say that they could not go on with their daily practice today without their smartphone. Photographs taken were stored in their smartphones (50%) or synced with virtual storage (25.6%). A majority (80.2%) would use a dedicated secured smartphone application. Our application allowed us to photograph 979 patients, or 2345 sequences and 8112 photographs, with an average of 2.28 sequences per patient. CONCLUSION: Thanks to its ergonomics and security, this platform can be set up in a hospital ward and beyond.

Parallelized Droplet Vitrification Enables Single-Run Vitrification of the Whole Rat Liver Hepatocyte Yield.

Drug discovery pipelines rely on the availability of isolated primary hepatocytes for investigating potential hepatotoxicity prior to clinical application. These hepatocytes are typically isolated from livers rejected for transplantation and subsequently cryopreserved for later usage. The gold-standard cryopreservation technique, slow-freezing, is a labor-intensive process, with significant post-storage viability loss. In this work, we introduce parallelized droplet vitrification, a technique for high-volumetric, rapid vitrification of suspended cells. We show the utility of this technique through the single-run vitrification of the whole-rate liver hepatocyte yield, resulting in a 1600% increase in single-batch vitrification and a 500% increase in droplet generation rate compared to previous droplet vitrification approaches. Additionally, we showed that these implementations maintained improved post-preservation outcomes in primary rat hepatocytes.

Ruptured infective native thoracic aortic aneurysm treated by endovascular repair as a bridge therapy to open repair.

We report the case of a 70-year-old woman who presented with a ruptured infective native thoracic aortic aneurysm (INTAA), associated with spondylodiscitis and posterior mediastinitis. She underwent a staged hybrid repair: urgent thoracic endovascular aortic repair was first performed as a bridge therapy in the context of septic shock. Allograft repair using cardiopulmonary bypass was performed five days later. Given the complexity of INTAA, multidisciplinary teamwork was paramount to determine the most appropriate treatment strategy, including procedure planning with multiple operators as well as perioperative care. Therapeutic alternatives are discussed.

BCGitis of the wrist after intravesical BCG therapy: A case report.

Septic arthritis of the wrist can result in joint destruction, making timely diagnosis crucial for initiating empiric antibiotics and surgical intervention. Mycobacterium is a rare cause of this disorder. A 47-year-old man with bladder cancer was treated surgically and received BCG intravesical therapy. Eleven months later, this patient developed severe carpal BCGitis requiring total carpal resection. The first step was addition of a cement spacer and radiometacarpal stabilisation (Masquelet technique). Secondary infections occurred aggravating the prognosis. This case emphasises the importance of taking into account the patient's medical history. Tuberculosis of the wrist is a rare etiology for septic arthritis; delayed treatment leads to severe complications and functional sequelae.

Reconstruction of a dorsal thoracic wall defect with a dorsal intercostal artery perforator flap after removal of a bulky cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma: a case report.

INTRODUCTION: Surgical reconstruction of large soft tissue defects of the upper back is challenging. Although the usefulness of free perforator flaps has been demonstrated, local options remain limited. The dorsal intercostal artery perforator flap was recently described but its use is still uncommon. CASE REPORT: An 88-year-old Causasian woman presented with a large, ulcerated, left prescapular cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma (T3N0M0). Complete excision was performed, and the resulting defect was reconstructed with a dorsal intercostal artery perforator flap based on two perforators. Postoperative recovery was uncomplicated and adjuvant radiotherapy commenced 10 weeks later. CONCLUSION: Compared to conventional muscle flaps, the dorsal intercostal artery perforator flap offers greater protection of muscle function, is less invasive, and lowers donor site morbidity. Based on these advantages, this flap should be considered a useful local option for reconstructing large cutaneous defects of the upper back.