Lower Third Leg Trauma Management Algorithm; Kasr Alainy Protocol.

Background: Soft tissue defects in the lower third of the leg present significant challenges for surgeons. Despite various options available for soft tissue coverage, selecting the most suitable option is limited by potential complications. In response to this challenge, some surgeons have sought to develop algorithms to guide decision-making in the management of lower leg trauma. Methods: This prospective observational cross-sectional study included 53 patients with traumatic injuries to the lower third leg and ankle regions. Each patient underwent a management plan based on our proposed algorithm, which incorporated the utilization of negative pressure wound therapy and dermal substitutes. Outcomes were assessed in terms of the ability to achieve complete coverage, complication rates, duration of hospital stay, and return to normal daily activity. Results: The proposed algorithm proved to be comprehensive and easily applicable, achieving complete coverage in 98.1% of cases. The mean duration for definitive coverage was 21.89 ±â€…12.84 days, and the majority of cases (81.1%) returned to normal daily activity within a mean duration of 60.69 ±â€…56.7 days. The use of dermal substitutes resulted in achieving coverage in wounds with exposed structures, with favorable outcomes in cases with a mean size of 11.39 ±â€…10.05 cm². Conclusions: Our algorithm provides a safe and effective approach to manage traumatic defects of the lower third leg and ankle, considering the patient's general condition and the complexity of the wound. Proper utilization of dermal substitutes and negative pressure wound therapy is emphasized in the algorithm.

3D Volume Assessment as an Objective Tool in Breast Asymmetry Management.

Throughout history, the female breast has been a universal symbol of femininity. The breast's normal symmetrical appearance is an important aspect of the female form. Female breasts are not perfectly symmetrical by nature, and minor differences in shape or volume are common. However, it can be psychologically distressing for patients and affect their perception of their bodies. Aesthetic breast surgeons strive to minimize these differences in order to make them more acceptable to patients. This study aimed to provide an objective and practical strategy for effectively managing breast asymmetry. Method: This study was conducted between November 2017 and September 2021 on 20 female patients seeking breast asymmetry correction at Kasr El-Ainy Hospital. All patients had volumetric breast assessment using a three-dimensional (3D) imaging system (3D LifeViz, Quantificare system), and MRI breast volumetry was done preoperatively in all patients. The patients were managed with different single-stage surgical procedures depending on the objective assessment of the volume differences between their breasts. Results: Breast volume assessment using the 3D camera was done preoperatively and postoperatively. The preoperative mean volume difference was 159.45 cm3, and the postoperative mean difference was 16.75 cm3 with an overall reduction in mean volume difference of 89.5%. Comparing the 3D camera and MRI in assessing breast volume difference showed no statistical significance. Conclusions: The 3D technology is a useful objective tool to augment the surgeon's experience. It helped achieve an 84.57% reduction in volume difference in managing breast asymmetry with a single-stage procedure.

Antia-Buch versus Franssen-Frechner Technique.

We performed a retrospective study comparing 2 patient groups. Each cohort included 22 cases of skin cancer of the external ear. Each patient required resection of the affected part of the external ear, followed by flap reconstruction. METHODS: The patients in Cohort A underwent external ear reconstruction with a classic Antia-Buch flap, as described by Antia and Buch in 1967: The defect was closed by mobilizing an advancement flap from the root of the helix (upper ear), which was closed in a V-Y fashion, after a rim of healthy scaphal cartilage was resected to allow approximation of the skin. The patients in Cohort B underwent external ear reconstruction with a modified Antia-Buch flap, as presented by Franssen and Frechner in 2010. Here, a wedge of skin was removed from the ear lobe (lower ear), to allow mobilization of an advancement flap from the caudal end of the ear, to close the defect. RESULTS: Both techniques allowed tension-free closure. Cohort B, however, required less dissection of the ear. The entire cephalic ear remained unaffected and no scaphal cartilage was sacrificed, thus preserving ear width, with scars that were overall less visible. Also, the loss in ear height associated with Cohort B was easily symmetrized by contralateral ear lobe reduction. CONCLUSIONS: Cohort B achieved closure with less ear dissection, achieving excellent morphological outcomes. The patients in Cohort B had superior levels of satisfaction with scars and ear symmetry than those in Cohort A.