Spectrum, Procedural Feasibility, and the Value of a Surgeon's Opinion in Varying Gender-Affirming Surgeries.

The understanding of gender has expanded contributing to gaps in gender-affirming care. Traditional gender-affirming surgeries focus on binary results, diminishing room for affirmation of other identities. Surgeons are faced with the challenge of deciding whether a variation of gender-affirming surgery can be safely performed per request. The ethical question of when a surgeon may say yes or no to these varying requests comes after the consideration of premorbid conditions, body habitus, age, social and family support, individuals' goals, and risk assessment. Preoperative evaluations must take into account surgical experience, barriers to care, increased risk profile, and the surgeon's personal biases.

Tracheostomy, the Not So Definitive Airway?: Tracheostomy Morbidity in Pediatric Craniofacial Patients.

BACKGROUND: Tracheostomy is the definitive treatment for airway management in severe cases of craniofacial-associated upper airway obstruction, like the Pierre-Robin sequence, but is associated with significant morbidity. The purpose of this study was to examine tracheostomy-associated morbidities and mortalities in craniofacial patients to identify opportunities to improve clinical care and patient prognosis. METHODS: The study was a retrospective review of pediatric craniofacial patients who were tracheostomized between 2016 and 2022. Data regarding their demographics, craniofacial diagnoses, endoscopic airway anomalies, intubation grade of view classification, tracheostomy-related complications, and causes of mortality were analyzed. RESULTS: Sixteen of the 17 tracheostomized pediatric patients had the Pierre-Robin sequence, with 5 of those patients having an additional syndromic craniofacial diagnosis. Additional airway anomalies were found in 82.4% of the patients. The mean length of hospital stay after tracheostomy was 4.08 months. Infection was the most common complication, observed in 94.1% of patients, followed by stomal granulation in 76.5% of patients. Two mortalities were observed: one following the compassionate removal of ventilator support and the other following the accidental dislodgment of the tracheostomy tube. CONCLUSIONS: Tracheostomy-related complications were observed in all craniofacial patients in this group. Compared with the general pediatric population, tracheostomized craniofacial patients may endure longer hospital stays and greater stomal granulation rates. Mandibular distraction osteogenesis may allow for tracheostomy avoidance in these patients, and future research should focus on comparing the long-term complication rates and outcomes between tracheostomy mandibular distraction osteogenesis in this challenging patient population.

Trends of Medicare Reimbursement Rates for Lower Extremity Procedures.

INTRODUCTION: Data collected across many surgical specialties suggest that Medicare reimbursement for physicians consistently lags inflation. Studies are needed that describe reimbursement rates for lower extremity procedures. Our goal is to analyze the trends in Medicare reimbursement rates from 2010 to 2021 for both lower extremity amputation and salvage surgeries. METHODS: The Physician Fee Schedule Look-Up Tool of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services was assessed and Current Procedural Terminology codes for common lower extremity procedures were collected. Average reimbursement rates from 2010 to 2021 were analyzed and adjusted for inflation. The rates of work-, facility-, and malpractice-related relative value units (RVUs) were also collected. RESULTS: We found an overall increase in Medicare reimbursement of 4.73% over the study period for lower extremity surgery. However, after adjusting for inflation, the average reimbursement decreased by 13.19%. The adjusted relative difference was calculated to be (-)18.31 and (-)11.34% for lower extremity amputation and salvage procedures, respectively. We also found that physician work-related RVUs decreased by 0.27%, while facility-related and malpractice-related RVUs increased. CONCLUSION: Reimbursement for lower extremity amputation and salvage procedures has steadily declined from 2010 to 2021 after adjusting for inflation, with amputation procedures being devaluated at a greater rate than lower extremity salvage procedures. With the recent marked inflation, knowledge of these trends is crucial for surgeons, hospitals, and health care policymakers to ensure appropriate physician reimbursement. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: IV (cross-sectional study).

Avoiding Assumptions: Sexual Function in Transgender and Non-Binary Individuals.

BACKGROUND: As the field of gender-affirming care continues its advancement, a clinical gap in the definition and evaluation of sexual function in transgender and non-binary (TGNB) individuals is becoming increasingly apparent. Recent speculations propose the modification of cis-gender heteronormative sexual function measurement tools as a useful way to close this knowledge gap. METHODS: Although the use of previously validated tools creates an easier platform for modification, the assumption of cis-gender sexual function as baseline will further disrupt patient-provider relationships, leading to inaccurate scientific conclusions, and increase the healthcare barriers faced by this community. RESULTS: As the definition of health has grown to include sexual function, the responsibility of the physician has evolved to include the treatment of sexual dysfunction as well. Without the imminent establishment of a scientific definition of sexual function with an accompanying measurement tool, this lack of understanding continues a precedent that may further stigmatize and distance this population from healthcare. Although this challenge may seem daunting, it should be noted that this has been accomplished for both cis-gender heterosexual men and women. This failure to scrupulously address the needs of the TGNB community directly contradicts the medical profession's revered values of equity and compassion. This branch of sexual medicine and gender-affirming care is critical for maximizing the quality of life as well as equity of the TGNB community to their cis-gender, heteronormative counterparts. CONCLUSION: A careful, kinder, and more inclusive approach is necessary, and the TGNB community deserves optimized care which requires a uniquely developed definition of sexual function and the required measurement tools. Whitney N., Samuel A., Douglass L., et al. Avoiding Assumptions: Sexual Function in Transgender and Non-Binary Individuals. J Sex Med 2022;19:1032-1034.

Productive Infection of Human Breast Cancer Cell Lines with Human Cytomegalovirus (HCMV).

Breast cancer is the leading cause of cancer deaths among women worldwide. There are many known risk factors for breast cancer, but the role of infectious disease remains unclear. Human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) is a widespread herpesvirus that usually causes little disease. Because HCMV has been detected in breast tumor biopsy samples and is frequently transmitted via human breast milk, we investigated HCMV replication in breast tumor cells. Four human breast cancer cell lines with different expression profiles for the key diagnostic markers of the estrogen receptor (ER), progesterone receptor (PR), and human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2), were infected with a bacterial artificial chromosome-derived HCMV clinical strain TB40/E tagged with green fluorescent protein (GFP). Fluorescence microscopy confirmed that all four breast cancer cell lines supported virus entry. RNA was isolated from infected cells and the expression of immediate early (UL123), early (UL54), and late (UL111A) genes was confirmed using PCR. Viral proteins were detected by immunoblotting, and viral progeny were produced during the infection of breast tumor cells, as evidenced by subsequent infection of fibroblasts with culture supernatants. These results demonstrate that breast tumor cells support productive HCMV infection and could indicate that HCMV replication may play a role in breast cancer progression.