A Novel Method of Treatment of Macrodactyly with Digital Nerve Resection and Nerve Allograft.

Macrodactyly is a rare and debilitating pediatric hand anomaly that has historically been treated with amputation. Recent advances in our understanding of macrodactyly have increasingly implicated the digital nerve as the underlying cause of the condition. In addition, much progress has been made toward digital salvage in treating macrodactyly. Modern techniques often advocate for digital nerve resection to prevent recurrence and treat the underlying etiology. However, little if any emphasis has been given to sensory reconstruction for purposes of protective sensation and acceptable 2-point discrimination at the volar digital pulp. We report 2 cases of macrodactyly treated with digital nerve resection and nerve allograft reconstruction of large sensory nerve gaps which show early promising sensory outcomes. There remain little if any data on the use of nerve allograft in pediatric populations, and its application in the treatment of macrodactyly. This technique permits digit salvage with the potential for improved sensory outcomes without the donor morbidity of autologous nerve harvest.

Avoiding Breast Animation Deformity with Pectoralis-Sparing Subcutaneous Direct-to-Implant Breast Reconstruction.

There is renewed interest in sparing the pectoralis major muscle in implant breast reconstruction, placing the implant in the subcutaneous position. This advance is made reliable by improvements in mastectomy skin flap quality, evolution of technique, and increased awareness of breast animation deformity. This retrospective review presents 13 patients (23 breasts) reconstructed immediately with placing the definitive implant in the subcutaneous space without disruption of the underlying chest muscles. None of the 13 patients had breast animation deformity postoperatively. One patient experienced an early hematoma, and 3 patients had small seromas that resolved uneventfully. One morbidly obese patient undergoing chemotherapy using a nearby chest port experienced infection requiring implant removal. This study describes an early experience, demonstrates feasibility, and discusses patient selection considerations that are important because we continue to evolve breast reconstruction approaches.

Uniting Evidence-Based Evaluation with the ACGME Plastic Surgery Milestones: A Simple and Reliable Assessment of Resident Operative Performance.

BACKGROUND: Milestones evaluations in plastic surgery reflect a shift toward competency-based training but have created a number of challenges. The authors have incorporated the smartphone application evaluation tool, System for Improving and Measuring Procedural Learning (SIMPL), that was recently developed by a multi-institutional research collaborative. In this pilot study, the authors hypothesize that SIMPL can improve resident evaluation and also collect granular performance data to simplify compliance with the plastic surgery Milestones. METHODS: SIMPL was prospectively piloted with a plastic surgery resident and faculty surgeon at Massachusetts General Hospital in this institutional review board-approved study. The study period was a 2-month interval corresponding to the resident's rotation. RESULTS: The resident-faculty combination performed 20 cases together. All cases were evaluated with SIMPL. SIMPL evaluations uniformly took under 1 minute to submit. The average time to completed evaluation from surgery completion was 5 hours (<0.5 hour to 12 hours). Concrete, objective, and specific data about resident performance were collected for every case and presented in a concise format. CONCLUSIONS: SIMPL is an innovative, evidence-based evaluation system that makes performance assessment feasible for every procedure in which a plastic surgery resident participates. SIMPL's competency-based framework can be easily scaled to facilitate data collection and reporting of mandatory Milestones evaluations at the program and national levels. This technology will support a shared vocabulary between residents and faculty to enhance intraoperative education.

Macrostomia: A Practical Guide for Plastic and Reconstructive Surgeons.

Macrostomia is a rare and debilitating congenital anomaly with incompletely understood etiopathogenesis. Despite the phenotypic variability in macrostomia, plastic surgeons should demonstrate competence in the diagnosis and management of this condition. The anatomy, embryology, classification, and clinical presentation of macrostomia are reviewed in this manuscript. A historical overview of surgical repair is presented that forms the basis for understanding modern techniques of repair. Finally, an effective method of macrostomia repair is presented along with review of 5-year results. It is our intent that this guide serve as a reference for plastic and reconstructive surgeons to accomplish safe, functional, and aesthetic macrostomia reconstruction.

GHOST Protocol: Greatest Healing Opportunity for Soft Tissue, a Treatment Paradigm for Complex Sarcoma Reconstruction.

Modern sarcoma treatment has created new challenges for plastic surgeons. This study was designed to review the recent experience and practice patterns following complex sarcoma resection at a large sarcoma center. All cases from October 2013 to October 2014 involving rare nonepithelial tumors, a multidisciplinary surgical team, radiation and/or chemotherapy treatments, and plastic surgical reconstruction were included in the analysis. In addition to evaluating clinical outcomes, cases were reviewed to identify factors associated with excellent or poor patient care. Review of these cases formed the basis of the greatest healing opportunity for soft tissue (GHOST) protocol. Our patient population included seven males (64%) and four females (36%). All except one patient was exposed to radiotherapy, chemotherapy, or some combination. Diverse procedures were used for reconstruction. Early complications occurred in two patients (18%), and late complications in four patients (36%). Sarcoma resection was found to be highly morbid in our series. Patients with poor preoperative nutritional status were more likely to experience complications postoperatively. The decision to stage a reconstruction was complex and influenced by several factors. Multimodal sarcoma treatments may involve highly morbid procedures and create complex wounds. The GHOST protocol is a useful reference for plastic surgeons.

Salvage palmar fasciectomy after initial treatment with collagenase clostridium histolyticum.

BACKGROUND: Collagenase clostridium histolyticum was approved for clinical use in 2010 and has become an accepted treatment modality for Dupuytren's contracture. Because longitudinal experience with injectable collagenase remains limited, the effect of treatment on future surgery is not well defined. METHODS: A retrospective review of the senior author's practice from February of 2010 through March of 2014 was performed. Eleven patients were identified who had digital or palmar fasciectomy after at least one previous injection of collagenase clostridium histolyticum. Cases were reviewed for functional outcomes and operative difficulty. RESULTS: Seven metacarpophalangeal joints and 12 proximal interphalangeal joints in 11 patients were treated. Nine of the 11 patients were referred to the senior author after collagenase clostridium histolyticum injections by other hand surgeons; two patients had previous injections by the senior author. The average interval between most recent injection and salvage fasciectomy was 12 months. Intraoperative findings demonstrated disruption of normal architecture and areolar tissue, with extensive scar in the dissection planes after previous injection. Mean preoperative/postinjection joint contracture for metacarpophalangeal and proximal interphalangeal joints was 42 and 60 degrees, respectively; after surgery, joint contractures were 0 and 21 degrees, respectively. Significant improvement in postoperative range of motion was seen for both metacarpophalangeal and proximal interphalangeal joints after palmar fasciectomy. CONCLUSIONS: Collagenase clostridium histolyticum injections may produce a deeply scarred bed and increase the technical difficulty of salvage fasciectomy. However, results of palmar fasciectomy are comparable to those of primary fasciectomy even in the setting of recurrent or progressive disease. CLINICAL QUESTION/LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Therapeutic, IV.

A comparison of techniques for myelomeningocele defect closure in the neonatal period.

PURPOSE: Numerous techniques have been described for repair of myelomeningoceles, but outcome data is scarce. PATIENTS AND METHODS: A retrospective review was performed in 32 consecutive patients who underwent neonatal myelomeningocele repair and extra-dural closure to determine the influence of repair type on outcome. All procedures for myelomeningocele closure were classified into one of three groups, which included primary closure, myocutaneous flaps, and fasciocutaneous flaps. RESULTS: Defect size ranged from 1 to 48 cm(2). Primary skin closure was performed in 3 patients, fasciocutaneous flaps in 13 patients, and myocutaneous flaps in 16 patients. The overall complication rate was 18%. No difference in the complication rates among the primary closure, myocutaneous, and fasciocutaneous flap groups was observed in our analysis. While not statistically significant, our data documents an association of fasciocutaneous flaps with postoperative complications that were not evident with primary skin closure or myocutaneous flaps (odds ratio 3.8; p = 0.15). The occurrence of one or more complications was associated with a longer hospital stay. CONCLUSIONS: Myocutaneous flaps provide a secure repair and should be considered for smaller myelomeningocele defects in addition to the larger defects where they are more traditionally used. We propose a tissue-based classification of closure techniques strictly for multi-institution outcome comparison that may ultimately inform clinical decision-making.

Immunoglobulin g4-related disease presenting as an obstructing tracheal mass: consideration of surgical indications.

Immunoglobulin G4 (IgG4)-related disease is increasingly recognized in many organs; however, none are described in detail is the trachea. In addition, the role of surgical intervention in the disease has yet to be fully defined. We describe a patient with IgG4-related airway disease presenting as a low tracheal mass, which was treated with tracheal resection and reconstruction. This novel presentation of the disease highlights the importance of including IgG4-related disease in the differential diagnosis of tracheal masses. Further, possible indications for surgical therapy are considered. As the full clinical spectrum of IgG4-related disease continues to evolve, so too must approaches to disease management.

Comparison of sensory neuron growth cone and filopodial responses to structurally diverse aggrecan variants, in vitro.

Following spinal cord injury, a regenerating neurite encounters a glial scar enriched in chondroitin sulfate proteoglycans (CSPGs), which presents a major barrier. There are two points at which a neurite makes contact with glial scar CSPGs: initially, filopodia surrounding the growth cone extend and make contact with CSPGs, then the peripheral domain of the entire growth cone makes CSPG contact. Aggrecan is a CSPG commonly used to model the effect CSPGs have on elongating or regenerating neurites. In this study, we investigated filopodia and growth cone responses to contact with structurally diverse aggrecan variants using the common stripe assay. Using time-lapse imaging with 15-s intervals, we measured growth cone area, growth cone width, growth cone length, filopodia number, total filopodia length, and the length of the longest filopodia following contact with aggrecan. Responses were measured after both filopodia and growth cone contact with five different preparations of aggrecan: two forms of aggrecan derived from bovine articular cartilage (purified and prepared using different techniques), recombinant aggrecan lacking chondroitin sulfate side chains (produced in CHO-745 cells) and two additional recombinant aggrecan preparations with varying lengths of chondroitin sulfate side chains (produced in CHO-K1 and COS-7 cells). Responses in filopodia and growth cone behavior differed between the structurally diverse aggrecan variants. Mutant CHO-745 aggrecan (lacking chondroitin sulfate chains) permitted extensive growth across the PG stripe. Filopodia contact with the CHO-745 aggrecan caused a significant increase in growth cone width and filopodia length (112.7% ± 4.9 and 150.9% ± 7.2 respectively, p<0.05), and subsequently upon growth cone contact, growth cone width remained elevated along with a reduction in filopodia number (121.9% ± 4.2; 72.39% ± 6.4, p<0.05). COS-7 derived aggrecan inhibited neurite outgrowth following growth cone contact. Filopodia contact produced an increase in growth cone area and width (126.5% ± 8.1; 150.3% ± 13.31, p<0.001), and while these parameters returned to baseline upon growth cone contact, a reduction in filopodia number and length was observed (73.94% ± 5.8, 75.3% ± 6.2, p<0.05). CHO-K1 derived aggrecan inhibited neurite outgrowth following filopodia contact, and caused an increase in growth cone area and length (157.6% ± 6.2; 117.0% ± 2.8, p<0.001). Interestingly, the two bovine articular cartilage aggrecan preparations differed in their effects on neurite outgrowth. The proprietary aggrecan (BA I, Sigma-Aldrich) inhibited neurites at the point of growth cone contact, while our chemically purified aggrecan (BA II) inhibited neurite outgrowth at the point of filopodia contact. BA I caused a reduction in growth cone width following filopodia contact (91.7% ± 2.5, p<0.05). Upon growth cone contact, there was a further reduction in growth cone width and area (66.4% ± 2.2; 75.6% ± 2.9; p<0.05), as well as reductions in filopodia number, total length, and max length (75.9% ± 5.7, p<0.05; 68.8% ± 6.0; 69.6% ± 3.5, p<0.001). Upon filopodia contact, BA II caused a significant increase in growth cone area, and reductions in filopodia number and total filopodia length (115.9% ± 5.4, p<0.05; 72.5% ± 2.7; 77.7% ± 3.2, p<0.001). In addition, filopodia contact with BA I caused a significant reduction in growth cone velocity (38.6 nm/s ± 1.3 before contact, 17.1 nm/s ± 3.6 after contact). These data showed that neuron morphology and behavior are differentially dependent upon aggrecan structure. Furthermore, the behavioral changes associated with the approaching growth cone may be predictive of inhibition or growth.

Risk factors for adverse outcome following skin-sparing mastectomy and immediate prosthetic reconstruction.

BACKGROUND: Attempts to identify risk factors for adverse outcome following skin-sparing mastectomy and immediate prosthetic reconstruction have yielded inconsistent results, and no clear patient selection criteria have emerged. The authors identified patient- and procedure-related characteristics that predict unfavorable postoperative outcomes. Knowledge of these risk factors will facilitate preoperative patient screening to reduce the rate of implant loss and other postoperative complications. METHODS: The authors retrospectively evaluated the postoperative outcomes of implant loss and major and minor complications in 102 patients (155 breasts) undergoing the combined operation from January of 2005 to December of 2010. Univariate logistic regression analysis was performed to determine the influence of six patient-related and three procedure-related characteristics on implant loss and postoperative complications. RESULTS: The use of acellular dermis was associated with a greater than three-fold increased risk of postoperative complications. Radiotherapy exposure was found to have a significant association with implant loss. None of the patient-related characteristics studied behaved as risk factors for postoperative complications, and none of the procedure-related characteristics acted as risk factors for implant loss. CONCLUSIONS: A cautious and conservative approach to using acelluar dermal matrix in this setting is warranted until its effect on postoperative outcomes is more clearly defined. The authors' data support findings from other studies of the deleterious effect of breast radiotherapy on postoperative outcomes. CLINICAL QUESTION/LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Risk, IV.

Cancer recurrence involving a TRAM flap and abdominal donor site following mastectomy and immediate breast reconstruction: a case report.

Local tumor recurrence after mastectomy with immediate reconstruction is rare. Most reported recurrences involve invasive or in situ ductal carcinoma and occur at the skin or subcutaneous tissues near the mastectomy site. We report a case of a patient with malignant phyllodes tumor that recurred after mastectomy with immediate pedicle transverse rectus abdominis myocutaneous flap reconstruction. The recurrent disease involved the mastectomy bed, transverse rectus abdominis myocutaneous flap, abdominal donor site, and precostal tunnel.