Internal mammary recipient site breast cancer recurrence following delayed microvascular breast reconstruction.

OBJECTIVE: The internal mammary vessels are a popular recipient site for microsurgical anastomoses of free flap breast reconstructions. We, however, observed 3 patients undergoing internal mammary vessel delayed free flap breast reconstruction that subsequently developed tumor recurrence at this site. We reviewed their characteristics to determine whether there was a correlation between delayed microsurgical reconstruction and local recurrence. METHODS: A retrospective review of a single surgeon's delayed free flap breast reconstructions using the internal mammary vessels was conducted over a 7-year period to identify the time intervals between mastectomy and delayed breast reconstruction and between delayed breast reconstruction and recurrence. RESULTS: Three patients developed local recurrence at the site of the microvascular anastomoses following delayed breast reconstruction. All patients had been disease-free following mastectomy. The median time interval between mastectomy and delayed breast reconstruction was 28 months (range = 20-120 months) while that between delayed breast reconstruction and local recurrence was 7 months (range = 4-10 months). Two patients died from metastatic disease, 36 and 72 months following their local recurrence. One patient remains alive 44 months after reconstruction. CONCLUSIONS: Local tumor recurrence at the internal mammary vessel dissection site following delayed breast reconstruction raises the question whether these 2 events may be related. Specifically, could internal mammary vessel dissection undertaken for delayed microsurgical reconstruction predispose to recurrence in the internal mammary lymph nodes? Further research is needed to ascertain whether delayed breast reconstruction increases the risk of local recurrence in this patient group.

Sonographic measurements of longitudinal median nerve sliding in patients following nerve repair.

Nerve sliding may be restricted following nerve repair. This could result in increased tension across the repair site and lead to poor functional recovery of the nerve. Ultrasound was used to examine longitudinal median nerve sliding in 10 patients who had previously undergone nerve repair surgery following complete division of the median nerve. The median longitudinal movement in the forearm in response to metacarpophalangeal (MCP) joint movements was 2.15 mm on the injured side, compared with 2.54 mm on the uninjured side, a difference that was significant. There was a significant reduction in nerve sliding following repair (median = 8%, range -8% to 54%; P = 0.02), which correlated with time from injury to surgery (rho = 0.87; P = 0.001). These results indicate that ultrasound can be used as an adjunct assessment tool to monitor both morphology and sliding of the nerve through the repair site. It may have future application in the investigation of patients with persisting functional impairment following primary nerve repair.

Mastectomy scars following breast reconstruction: should routine histologic analysis be performed?

BACKGROUND: There is some debate in the recent literature regarding the routine submission of mastectomy scars for histologic analysis when performing delayed breast reconstructions. The aim of this study was to review the relevant publications and evaluate the practice of routine histologic examination of mastectomy scars. METHODS: The authors conducted a retrospective review, across three regional plastic and reconstructive surgery units, of 433 patients who had 455 scars routinely sent for histologic examination following delayed breast reconstruction between January of 2000 and December of 2006. Patients with clinical evidence of recurrent carcinoma were excluded. RESULTS: Data from 433 patients revealed an average age at reconstruction of 49.9 years (range, 25 to 77 years). The mean interval from primary breast surgery to reconstruction was 3.9 years (range, 2 months to 32 years), and the average length of patient follow-up, from primary surgery, was 6.4 years (range, 1 to 40 years). The majority of the initial operations were carried out for invasive carcinoma (89 percent). Four mastectomy scars in three patients were positive for carcinoma recurrence. CONCLUSIONS: The publications related to the practice of routine histologic analysis of mastectomy scars provide conflicting conclusions. As a proportion of patients may benefit from the early detection and treatment of locoregional recurrence, the authors suggest that the routine submission of mastectomy scars will allow for the earlier detection of soft-tissue recurrences that may affect long-term outcome. In keeping with cancer surgery principles, the authors recommend routine histologic examination of mastectomy scars following delayed breast reconstruction.

Microsurgery simulators in virtual reality: review.

Surgical training is undergoing a rapid transformation, which has been influenced by advances in computer modeling. Increased pressure to reduce the use of animals in technical training has led to a new approach in teaching microsurgery. This new technology may prove to be a cost-effective, portable, and nonhazardous way forward in microsurgical training. This paper reviews the current state of available technological models used in microsurgical training. In doing so, we review articles from the latest journals and authenticated Internet websites to compare and contrast these various methods. Finally, we look at the specific technique that has potential impact on the future modeling of microsurgical techniques.

Unusual metastatic spread of a malignant eccrine poroma.

Malignant eccrine poroma is a rare skin tumor which commonly presents as verrucous plaques or polypoid growths. We report an 83 year old male who presented with an ulcerating eccrine poroma on the left arm. Though the tumor was excised with wide margins, axillary lymphadenopathy due to regional metastasis developed four months later, followed by lymphangitic cutaneous spread at six months. Though the prognosis for this tumor is better than previously thought, it still must certainly be considered potentially fatal.