Double Lateral Osteotomy: Not Only the Correction of Crooked Noses but a Relevant Aesthetical Refinement in Structural Rhinoplasty.

BACKGROUND: Osteotomy represents a crucial step in structural rhinoplasty; however, there is not a unique approach accepted. Double lateral osteotomy has proven to be effective in the long-term correction of a deviated nose. In this series, we evaluated its aesthetic value also in non-deviated cases. MATERIALS AND METHODS: 864 patients who underwent primary structural rhinoplasty from 2012 to 2020 were divided into four groups. Group A and B included patients with a crooked nose treated with asymmetrical double osteotomy and bilateral double osteotomy, respectively. Patients who did not present nasal deviation were divided into group C, including cases treated with bilateral single osteotomy, and group D, including patients who underwent bilateral double osteotomy. Postoperative evaluations were performed by three independent plastic surgeons blinded to the surgical technique. Patient's satisfaction was assessed through the FACE-Q rhinoplasty module. RESULTS: FACE-Q scores reported a satisfaction rate higher than 30% for every item in all groups; however, group B and group D showed statistically higher satisfaction (p < 0.01). According to the evaluations performed by physicians, group B and group D showed the most satisfactory outcomes (p < 0.01). CONCLUSIONS: bilateral double osteotomies represent a significant aesthetic refinement in structural rhinoplasty, not only in crooked noses but also in non-deviated cases, since the reduction in the width of the nose is an aesthetical aspect very appreciated by patients.

The Triple Plane, the Bra-Flap, and the Inverted Bra-Flap Modified Dual Plane Techniques for Breast Augmentation.

BACKGROUND: Breast augmentation (BA) is a very common procedure performed for a wide range of indications. The short-term and long-term outcomes are strongly correlated with the choice of the correct implant pocket, which should be tailored to the anatomic features of the breast. OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to report the safety and efficacy of the triple-plane technique and Bra-flap modified dual-plane techniques for BA. METHODS: From January 1995 to January 2016, 605 patients underwent BA procedures that utilized the triple-plane technique or Bra-flap modified dual-plane techniques. Patient evaluation was performed preoperatively and postoperatively at 6 and 12 months and every 5 years thereafter. The occurrence of ptosis and implant malposition, as well as breast animation deformity, were assessed. Patient satisfaction was evaluated with the BREAST-Q Augmentation Module. RESULTS: The average patient age was 39.3 years. The follow-up period ranged from 24 months to 20 years. The triple-plane technique was performed in 450 patients, the Bra-flap modified dual-plane technique in 97, and the inverted Bra-flap modified dual-plane technique in 58. No cases of double-bubble deformity or implant bottoming-out were observed. Regarding animation deformity, 209 patients presented with mild to moderate distortion, whereas no patients presented with severe distortion. The BREAST-Q questionnaire reported significant postoperative improvements in all scales. CONCLUSIONS: In over 20 years of experience, the triple-plane technique has proven to be a reliable procedure that offers natural and long-lasting results. The Bra-flap and inverted Bra-flap modified dual-plane techniques are efficient options to expand the range of breast conditions treated.

Rainbow graft for tip reconstruction in revision rhinoplasty.

Patients undergoing revision rhinoplasty can show complex tip deformities such as asymmetry, dome angulation with cartilage interruption, alar pinch and retraction, and underprojection. When these defects are present at the same time, often multiple cartilage grafts are needed to restore a pleasing tip and functional external nasal valve. This study reports our experience with the rainbow graft, a previously described technique that can repair with a single cartilage graft the above-mentioned defects. We performed a retrospective review of 21 patients who had undergone revision rhinoplasty between 2006 and 2017 employing the rainbow graft technique to correct complex tip deformities. The presence of tip deformities such as asymmetry, dome angulation with cartilage interruption, alar pinch, alar retraction, and under/overprojection was recorded preoperatively and postoperatively. Complete photographic documentation was done, and Rhinoplasty Outcome Evaluation (ROE) questionnaire was administered to the patients. Five patients were male and 16 were females. Mean age of patients was 40 ± 7.6 years. Follow-up ranged from 1 to 12 years, mean 5 ±â€¯3 years. Eight patients had undergone one rhinoplasty, 10 patients had undergone two, and three patients had undergone three. Before surgery, all patients showed asymmetry, 20 dome angulation, 19 alar pinch, and 18 retraction. Eight showed tip overprojection, six underprojection, and seven no alteration of tip projection. The mean ROE score was 20.23 ± 7.37. After surgery, two patients showed persistent asymmetry, none had dome angulation, one alar pinch, and two alar retraction. Projection was corrected in every patient. We observed no case of graft infection, malposition, or resorption, and corrections achieved remained stable during follow-up. Mean postoperative ROE score was 80.75 ± 6.24. Its improvement was statistically significant (p < 0.001). The rainbow graft is a safe and effective technique in revision rhinoplasty indicated for the total restoration of nasal tip appearance in the presence of complex secondary deformities.

Postabdominoplasty Wound Dehiscence in Bariatric Patients: Biliopancreatic Diversion Versus Gastric Bypass: A Preliminary Study.

BACKGROUND: Surgical procedures with an extended follow-up and therefore recognized as safe in literature are classified into 2 categories: procedures limiting the introduction of food mechanically (restrictive interventions such as adjustable gastric banding, vertical banded gastroplasty, and sleeve gastrectomy) or functionally (mini gastric bypass or gastric bypass) and procedures limiting absorption (mainly biliopancreatic diversion [BPD]). MATERIALS AND METHODS: Seventy-nine patients who underwent postbariatric abdominoplasty to correct serious flaws resulting from weight loss surgery were included in this retrospective study. Dehiscence of the surgical wound was carefully investigated between the population previously submitted to BPD and gastric bypass. The data were analyzed by correlating the incidence of postoperative dehiscence by Fisher exact test, with a statistical significance level of P<0.05. RESULTS: Among the 42 abdominoplasties after BPD, dehiscence rate was 33% (14 patients), whereas in the group of 37 patients who underwent gastric bypass, the occurrence of dehiscence was 8% (3 patients).The Fisher exact test highlighted previously performed BPD as statistically significant for the onset of postoperative dehiscence (P=0.012). CONCLUSIONS: There is a great need to validate these data on large or multicentric studies. The previous bariatric surgery procedure may play a role similar to so many other widely investigated risk factors such as smoking and body mass index, and some categories of patients should require even more attention in the preoperative, intraoperative, and postoperative management.

L-Shaped Lipothighplasty.

BACKGROUND: In addition to the already-known postoperative complications in patients formerly obese, for medial thigh lift, there are many more problematic issues. The main ones are represented as follows: by the frequent downward displacement of the scars that become, in this way, extremely visible; by the distortion of the vulva or scrotal region; by serious and disabling disorders of the lymphatic system; and by the early recurrence of ptosis in this anatomical site. MATERIALS AND METHODS: From 2004 to 2010, 16 patients with moderate to severe laxity of the medial area of the thighs were treated by an L-shaped medial thigh lift after selective liposuction. Ten have been previously treated with biliopancreatic diversion and 6 have been previously treated with gastric bypass. Mean (standard deviation [SD]) height before bariatric surgery was 1.62 (0.08) m, mean (SD) weight was 141.53 (23.12) kg, and mean (SD) body mass index was 57.13 (8.21) kg/m. After the intervention, mean (SD) weight decreased to 81.12 (16.43) kg, whereas mean (SD) body mass index decreased to 31.83 (8.51) kg/m. RESULTS: After L-shaped lipothighplasty, 13 patients (81%) had no complications in the postoperative period. No skin necrosis, hematoma, seroma, or thromboembolic events were reported. Two patients experienced hypertophic scarring and 1 patient had a wound infection because of poor hygienic care. CONCLUSIONS: The medial lifting technique defined as L-shaped lipothighplasty is a valid, fast, and safe technique and can reduce early and late postoperative complications in a critical and troublesome area for the surgeon who is going to correct the deformity.

Rainbow graft: a technique for the replacement of the lower lateral cartilages, improvement of tip projection, and correction of external nasal valve dysfunction.

Revision rhinoplasties are extremely difficult to perform even for the surgeons mastering nasal surgery. In fact, they must be skilled at adapting surgical strategies to the anatomical changes induced by primary rhinoplasty.We herein describe an original technique using an auricular cartilage graft after 6 revision rhinoplasties.The aforementioned graft succeeded in improving tip support, correct external nasal valve dysfunction and alar pinch, and providing tip definition, projection, and ptosis.In our opinion, rainbow graft is a safe approach in case of severe nasal structural deficiencies, improving both the functional and esthetic results in revision rhinoplasties.

Micro- and macroscopic tissue modifications after bariatric surgery: effects of different procedures-a pilot study.

UNLABELLED: The most effective treatment for morbid obesity has demonstrated to be bariatric surgery. Despite enormous benefits, skin tissue aberrations are inevitable consequences. Our study was focused on micro- and macroscopic modifications in patients who had previously undergone gastric bypass. These preliminary data suggest that tissue alterations, partly responsible for high wound complications rate, may differ among patients undergoing both different and same weight loss procedures. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE V: 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 .

Triple-plane technique for breast augmentation: solving animation deformities.

UNLABELLED: An unpleasant consequence of subpectoral implant placement is the occurrence of animation deformities during pectoralis muscle contraction. This study aimed to review the results achieved for 524 patients undergoing the triple-plane technique with respect to loss of animation deformities. The evaluation was performed by a group of three plastic surgeons according to the Spear grading system for breast distortion using a 4-point scale. Of the 524 patients evaluated, 351 (67 %) were rated as grade 1 (no distortion), 156 (29.77 %) as grade 2 (mild distortion), 17 (3 %) as grade 3 (moderate distortion), and 0 (0 %) as 4 (severe distortion).The excellent results achieved can be explained by the horizontal sectioning of the major pectoralis muscle at the areola level to the sternal margin. In fact, it determines that superior to sectioning of the muscle, its activity remains normal, with a low degree of dynamic deformities. On the contrary, inferiorly, at the muscular-aponeurotic plane level, no activity is detected, with no resultant animation deformities. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE IV: 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 .

A simple procedure to facilitate chin implants placement via submental approach.

In order to facilitate chin implants placement by submental incision, the use of two threads is described. They are separately passed through the extremities of the implant and inserted into the previously created subperiosteal pocket using a grooved guide. Once the landmarks of dissection have been reached, the tip of the needle exits through the skin just a few centimetres laterally to the augmentation area and, only by pulling the free ends of the threads, the implant can easily be inserted into the pocket and the sutures cut and removed. This procedure was successfully performed in 79 patients of both sexes presenting with deficiencies in the sagittal dimension at the pogonion and in width, laterally to the symphysis. Therefore, in the authors' opinion, the before-described technique could be a useful tool that facial plastic surgeons can employ to facilitate alloplastic chin implants placement, by minimising the invasiveness of the procedure, reducing the operative time, and greatly improving the aesthetic result, without sacrificing the safety of the operation.

SMAS Strip Autograft.

The thinning of the overlying nasal skin and nasal SMAS layer and the variations in nasal bones consistency increase the risk of showing dorsal contour irregularities after osteotomies of this site.The authors present their experience with combined nasal dorsal osteotomies and insertion of a SMAS strip graft, harvested during facelift procedure in 6 aging patients.Postoperative follow-up time ranged from 1 year to 7 years and showed excellent outcomes: no infection, graft migration, or reabsorption was detected.Due to the ease of execution of the procedure and taking into account this graft as an ideal soft-tissue augmentation composed by fat, muscle, and fascia, the SMAS strip autograft represents another viable option for nasal dorsum contouring in the patient presenting also for rhythidectomy.

Patchy areolar hyperpigmentation 6 years after augmentation mastopexy: a case report.

UNLABELLED: A 42-year-old primigravida woman of 20 weeks gestation was referred to the authors for the treatment of a suspected malignant melanoma of her left areola. She had undergone bilateral augmentation mammoplasty with periareolar mastopexy elsewhere 6 years previously. Her history included partial necrosis of her left areola in the immediate postoperative period that required a long time to heal and had resulted in partial areolar depigmentation. Her left areola had a few patches of hyperpigmentation at her presentation to the authors. Specimens removed from eight involved areas showed a tissue diagnosis of benign areolar melanosis. The hyperpigmentation completely disappeared after delivery. This case is reported because of its rarity as well as its nonmalignant and self-resolving nature. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE V: 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 .

Immediate definitive prosthetic reconstruction in patients with ptotic breasts.

Immediate reconstruction of medium/large ptotic breasts can be performed by using expanders, definitive implants, or autologous flaps. If a skin-sparing mastectomy is feasible, excellent results can be achieved by planning Wise pattern incisions, using definitive implants. The authors suggest the use of a dermal-adipose flap, harvested from the ptotic part of the breast, rotated laterally, and interposed between the serratus fascia and the pectoralis muscle to close the inferolateral part of the pocket. We performed 23 immediate unilateral single-stage breast reconstructions, with simultaneous contralateral reduction. Preoperatively, all breasts showed grade II or III ptosis. There was no case of implant infection or failure of the reconstruction. The median follow-up was 21 months; however, some patients followed up for >4 years; in this period, no case of capsular contracture was observed. This technique has provided good shape, acceptable ptosis consistent with the healthy breast and symmetric scars.