Systematic review of pathologic markers in skin ischemia with and without reperfusion injury in microsurgical reconstruction: Biomarker alterations precede histological structure changes.

BACKGROUND: Ischemia and ischemia-reperfusion injury contribute to partial or complete flap necrosis. Traditionally, skin histology has been used to evaluate morphological and structural changes, however histology does not detect early changes. We hypothesize that morphological and structural skin changes in response to ischemia and IRI occur late, and modification of gene and protein expression are the earliest changes in ischemia and IRI. METHODS: A systematic review was performed in accordance with PRISMA guidelines. Studies reporting skin histology or gene/protein expression changes following ischemia with or without reperfusion injury published between 2002 and 2022 were included. The primary outcomes were descriptive and semi-quantitative histological structural changes, leukocyte infiltration, edema, vessel density; secondary outcomes were quantitative gene and protein expression intensity (PCR and western blot). Model type, experimental intervention, ischemia method and duration, reperfusion duration, biopsy location and time point were collected. RESULTS: One hundred and one articles were included. Hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) showed inflammatory infiltration in early responses (12-24 h), with structural modifications (3-14 days) and neovascularization (5-14 days) as delayed responses. Immunohistochemistry (IHC) identified angiogenesis (CD31, CD34), apoptosis (TUNEL, caspase-3, Bax/Bcl-2), and protein localization (NF-κB). Gene (PCR) and protein expression (western blot) detected inflammation and apoptosis; endoplasmic reticulum stress/oxidative stress and hypoxia; and neovascularization. The most common markers were TNF-α, IL-6 and IL-1ß (inflammation), caspase-3 (apoptosis), VEGF (neovascularization), and HIF-1α (hypoxia). CONCLUSION: There is no consensus or standard for reporting skin injury during ischemia and IRI. H&E histology is most frequently performed but is primarily descriptive and lacks sensitivity for early skin injury. Immunohistochemistry and gene/protein expression reveal immediate and quantitative cellular responses to skin ischemia and IRI. Future research is needed towards a universally-accepted skin injury scoring system.

Trends of Medicare Reimbursement Rates for Lower Extremity Procedures.

BACKGROUND: 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).

Prediction of blood pressure variability during thrombectomy using supervised machine learning and outcomes of patients with ischemic stroke from large vessel occlusion.

Mechanical thrombectomy (MT) is the standard of care for patients with acute ischemic stroke from large vessel occlusion (AIS-LVO). The association of blood pressure variability (BPV) during MT and outcomes are unknown. We leveraged a supervised machine learning algorithm to predict patient characteristics that are associated with BPV indices. We performed a retrospective review of our comprehensive stroke center's registry of all adult patients undergoing MT between 01/01/2016 and 12/31/2019. The primary outcome was poor functional independence, defined as 90-day modified Rankin Scale (mRS) ≥ 3. We used probit analysis and multivariate logistic regressions to evaluate the association of patients' clinical factors and outcomes. We applied a machine learning algorithm (random forest, RF) to determine predictive factors for the different BPV indices during MT. Evaluation was performed with root-mean-square error (RMSE) and normalized-RMSE (nRMSE) metrics. We analyzed 375 patients with mean age (± standard deviation [SD]) of 65 (15) years. There were 234 (62%) patients with mRS ≥ 3. Univariate probit analysis demonstrated that BPV during MT was associated with poor functional independence. Multivariable logistic regression showed that age, admission National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS), mechanical ventilation, and thrombolysis in cerebral infarction (TICI) score (OR 0.42, 95% CI 0.17-0.98, P = 0.044) were significantly associated with outcome. RF analysis identified that the interval from last-known-well time-to-groin puncture, age, and mechanical ventilation were among important factors significantly associated with BPV. BPV during MT was associated with functional outcome in univariate probit analysis but not in multivariable regression analysis, however, NIHSS and TICI score were. RF algorithm identified risk factors influencing patients' BPV during MT. While awaiting further studies' results, clinicians should still monitor and avoid high BPV during thrombectomy while triaging AIS-LVO candidates quickly to MT.

Analyzing the Visibility of Gender-Affirming Surgery Education on US Plastic Surgery Residency Program Web Sites.

BACKGROUND: As the demand for gender affirmation grows, teaching gender-affirming surgery (GAS) in plastic and reconstructive surgery (PRS) programs has become increasingly important. Residency applicants interested in GAS often use program web sites to explore potential training opportunities. Our study aimed to quantify the GAS training opportunities promoted on residency program web sites and determine the characteristics of programs likely to promote GAS training. METHODS: An assessment of 88 integrated PRS residency programs' web sites was conducted between 2021 and 2022. Plastic and reconstructive surgery residency and institutional webpages were queried for geographical location, training opportunities in GAS through residency or fellowship, and the number of faculty performing GAS. Descriptive statistics and multivariable regressions were used to describe and identify factors associated with increased GAS residency training opportunities. RESULTS: Twenty-six percent of PRS residencies mentioned training opportunities for GAS on their web sites. Gender-affirming surgery fellowships were offered at 7% of institutions, and an additional 7% were available via adjunct academic programs. Programs with faculty practicing GAS were 54% more likely to mention GAS on their residency page (odds ratio, 1.54; 95% confidence interval, 1.14-2.21; P = 0.009). CONCLUSIONS: Few PRS residency programs mention GAS on their web sites. As GAS becomes a more robust component of plastic surgery, appropriate information about the extent of GAS training should be available for applicants. Determining how local, state, and federal policies impact programs' abilities to highlight GAS should be investigated in future studies.

Assessment of Sex Diversity Among Craniofacial Academic Faculty.

Sex diversity among plastic surgery and its subspecialties faculties lags behind many medical specialties. Despite the significant evidence in favor of diversity in leadership, female presence in high-ranking positions in medicine is lacking across multiple specialties. In this study, we aim to evaluate sex disparity among faculty across craniofacial fellowship programs by comparing the disparities among total number of faculty, program directors, years in practice, and academic rank. Our sample included 354 individuals including 193 craniofacial surgery journal editorial board members, 130 craniofacial surgery academic faculty members, and 31 craniofacial surgery association board members. A significant difference (P-value <0.0001) was seen among male and female craniofacial surgery faculty with 84.6% males. Faculty members were further subdivided by academic rank. A significant difference was found between the number of male and female faculty members at all academic positions (P-value =0.043). Of 41 full professors, 2.4% were female. There were 42 associate professors queried with 14.3% female. Similarly, 43 assistant professors were identified with 32.0% female. Years in practice after completing terminal training were analyzed across the academic faculty. There was a significant difference in the number of male and female faculty members across all experience levels (P-value =0.0037). Among the faculty with <10 years since completion of terminal training, 32.4 % were female. For faculty with 10 to 20 years after post-terminal training, 19.6% were female. For those with 20 to 30 years of experience, 0% were female. Finally, for the faculty with over 30 years since graduation, 5.9% were female. Board membership in 2 craniofacial surgery organizations was analyzed: the American Cleft Palate-Craniofacial Association and the American Society of Maxillofacial Surgeons. Among the 17 board members of the American Cleft Palate-Craniofacial Association, 8 (47.1%) were female. For the American Society of Maxillofacial Surgeons, 5 (35.7%) were female. Data were collected for 193 editorial board members from 2 craniofacial surgery journals. There was a significant difference between the number of male and female members across both journals (χ2 value: 33.3570; P-value <0.0001). Among 56 editorial board members from Cleft Palate-Craniofacial Journal, 26 (46.4%) members were female. In comparison, Journal of Craniofacial Surgery has 24.8% female editorial board members. Sex diversity among faculty members is really important and should be brought into light to highlight and improve areas of particular importance and of tremendous potential impact. Given our results, surgical residencies and fellowship programs should begin to show concrete commitment and increase their efforts to recruit and retain a diverse faculty not only for the educational benefit but more importantly to achieve a higher level of care for all.

Emergency department and transport predictors of neurological deterioration in patients with spontaneous intracranial hemorrhage.

BACKGROUND: Patients with spontaneous intracranial hemorrhage (sICH) and intracranial hypertension are associated with poor outcomes. Blood pressure variability (BPV) and neurological deterioration (ND) are known factors associated with sICH outcomes, but the relationship between BPV and ND in the hyperacute phase remains poorly described. We hypothesized that BPV is associated with ND during patients' initial emergency department (ED) stay and during interhospital transport (IHT) to a tertiary care center. METHODS: A retrospective study of adult patients with sICH was performed. Patients who were transferred from an ED to a tertiary care center between 01/01/2011 and 09/30/2015 and underwent external ventricular drainage were eligible. The outcome was ND at any time before arrival at a tertiary care center. Classification and Regression Tree (CART) analysis, a machine learning algorithm, was used to assign "relative variable importance" (RVI) for important predictive clinical factors. RESULTS: 153 eligible patients were analyzed. Sixty-five (42%) patients developed ND. Maximum ED systolic blood pressure (ED SBPMax) was most predictive of sICH patients developing ND (RVI = 100%). Other important factors for ND included standard deviation in SBP (SBPSD) during ED stay and IHT, with RVI of 43% and 20%, respectively. CONCLUSION: ED SBPMax was the strongest predictive factor of ND, while other BPV components were also significant. Our study found evidence that BPV should be prioritized as it may also increase the risk of ND among patients with sICH who required external ventricular drain placement. Future studies should examine whether fluctuations in BP in an ED or IHT setting are associated with increased risk of worsening outcomes.

Early Predictors of Near-Shore Spinal Injuries Among Emergency Department Patients.

BACKGROUND: Spinal injuries (SIs) can pose a significant burden to patients and family; delayed surgical intervention, associated with interhospital transfer, results in worse outcomes. OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to identify early patient-centered factors associated with risk for near-shore SIs to assist clinicians with expeditious medical decision-making. METHODS: We performed a multicenter retrospective study of all adults transported from Ocean City, Maryland to two emergency departments (EDs) and one regional trauma center for evaluation of suspected SIs from 2006 to 2017. Outcomes were any SI and any spinal cord injury (SCI). Multivariable logistic regression was performed for association of environmental and clinical factors with outcomes. RESULTS: We analyzed 278 records, 102 patients (37%) were diagnosed with any SI and 41 (15%) were diagnosed with SCIs. Compared with patients without SI, patients with SI were more likely to be older (48 vs. 39 years), male (90% vs. 70%), with pre-existing spinal condition (62% vs. 33%), and injury caused by diving (11% vs. 2%). Multivariable logistic regression showed age (odd ratio [OR] 1.07; 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.04-1.11), diving (OR 3.5; 95% CI 3-100+), and wave height (OR 4.5; 95% CI 1.35-15.2) were associated with any SI, and a chief complaint of extremity numbness or tingling (OR 5.73; 95% CI 1.2-27.9) was associated with SCI. CONCLUSIONS: We identified older age, diving, and higher wave height as risk factors for any SI and symptoms of numbness and tingling were associated with SCIs. Clinicians should consider expediting these patients' transfers to a trauma center with neurosurgical capability.

Manual Palpation vs. Femoral Arterial Doppler Ultrasound for Comparison of Pulse Check Time During Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation in the Emergency Department: A Pilot Study.

BACKGROUND: Manual palpation (MP) is frequently employed for pulse checks, but studies have shown that trained medical personnel have difficulty accurately identifying pulselessness or return of spontaneous circulation (ROSC) using MP. Any delays in identifying pulselessness can lead to significant delays in starting or resuming high-quality chest compressions. OBJECTIVES: This study explored whether femoral arterial Doppler ultrasound (FADU) decreases pulse check duration during cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) compared with MP among patients in the emergency department (ED) receiving CPR directed by emergency medicine physicians who had received minimal additional didactic ultrasound training. METHODS: We performed a prospective observational cohort study from October 2018 to May 2019 at an urban community ED. Using convenience sampling, we enrolled patients arriving at our ED or who decompensated during their ED stay and received CPR. For continuous data, median (interquartile range [IQR]) were calculated, and medians were compared using Kruskal-Wallis test. RESULTS: Fifty-two eligible patients were enrolled and 135 pulse checks via MP and 35 via FADU were recorded. MP observations had a median (IQR) of 11.00 (7.36-15.48) s, whereas FADU had a median (IQR) of 8.98 (5.45-13.85) s. There was a difference between the two medians of 2.02 s (p = 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: In this study, the use of FADU was superior to MP in achieving shorter pulse check times. Further research is needed to confirm the accuracy of FADU for identifying ROSC as well as to determine whether FADU can improve clinical outcomes.

Breaking the selectivity-uptake trade-off of photoimmunoconjugates with nanoliposomal irinotecan for synergistic multi-tier cancer targeting.

BACKGROUND: Photoimmunotherapy involves targeted delivery of photosensitizers via an antibody conjugate (i.e., photoimmunoconjugate, PIC) followed by light activation for selective tumor killing. The trade-off between PIC selectivity and PIC uptake is a major drawback limiting the efficacy of photoimmunotherapy. Despite ample evidence showing that photoimmunotherapy is most effective when combined with chemotherapy, the design of nanocarriers to co-deliver PICs and chemotherapy drugs remains an unmet need. To overcome these challenges, we developed a novel photoimmunoconjugate-nanoliposome (PIC-Nal) comprising of three clinically used agents: anti-epidermal growth factor receptor (anti-EGFR) monoclonal antibody cetuximab (Cet), benzoporphyrin derivative (BPD) photosensitizer, and irinotecan (IRI) chemotherapy. RESULTS: The BPD photosensitizers were first tethered to Cet at a molar ratio of 6:1 using carbodiimide chemistry to form PICs. Conjugation of PICs onto nanoliposome irinotecan (Nal-IRI) was facilitated by copper-free click chemistry, which resulted in monodispersed PIC-Nal-IRI with an average size of 158.8 ± 15.6 nm. PIC-Nal-IRI is highly selective against EGFR-overexpressing epithelial ovarian cancer cells with 2- to 6-fold less accumulation in low EGFR expressing cells. Successful coupling of PIC onto Nal-IRI enhanced PIC uptake and photoimmunotherapy efficacy by up to 30% in OVCAR-5 cells. Furthermore, PIC-Nal-IRI synergistically reduced cancer viability via a unique three-way mechanism (i.e., EGFR downregulation, mitochondrial depolarization, and DNA damage). CONCLUSION: It is increasingly evident that the most effective therapies for cancer will involve combination treatments that target multiple non-overlapping pathways while minimizing side effects. Nanotechnology combined with photochemistry provides a unique opportunity to simultaneously deliver and activate multiple drugs that target all major regions of a cancer cell-plasma membrane, cytoplasm, and nucleus. PIC-Nal-IRI offers a promising strategy to overcome the selectivity-uptake trade-off, improve photoimmunotherapy efficacy, and enable multi-tier cancer targeting. Controllable drug compartmentalization, easy surface modification, and high clinical relevance collectively make PIC-Nal-IRI extremely valuable and merits further investigations in living animals.

Correlation of history and physical examination with imaging in traumatic near-shore aquatic head and spinal injury.

OBJECTIVE: It remains unclear whether clinicians can rely on specific symptoms and signs to detect or exclude serious head and spinal injury sustained during near-shore aquatic activities. Our study investigated patients' history of present illness (HPI) and physical examination (PE) for their utility in detecting serious head and spinal injury. METHODS: We conducted a multicenter retrospective comparative analysis of adult patients who were transported from the beach in Ocean City, Maryland, to three nearby emergency departments for possible spinal injury from 2006 through 2017. Patients suspected to have any spinal injury from beach activities were eligible. We excluded patients who could not verbalize their symptoms or with insufficient emergency department records. We compared components of each patient's HPI and PE with radiologic evidence of spinal injury. We calculated sensitivity, specificity, and negative and positive likelihood ratios (LRs). RESULTS: We analyzed 278 patients with suspected spinal injury. Midline spinal tenderness was associated with increased likelihood of thoracic (LR+ 2.6) and lumbar spinal fractures (LR+ 3.5). HPI complaints of paralysis (LR+ 13.9) and sensory loss (LR+ 5.8) had strong associations with spinal cord injuries. Weakness found through PE was also associated with spinal cord injury (LR+ 5.3). CONCLUSIONS: We identified several components of the clinical evaluation that had clinically significant association with spinal injuries from beach-related trauma. While prospective studies are needed to confirm our observations, clinicians may consider these high-risk features in patients with beach-related trauma and adjust testing and level of care appropriately.

TMR Using a Free Rectus Flap after Transhumeral Amputation.

Targeted muscle reinnervation offers an approach to regain use of the affected extremity through electronic prosthesis while limiting phantom pain and neuroma limb production or pain. In this case report, we present the first reported case of leveraging the rectus flap for targeted muscle reinnervation. The case herein is of a 28-year-old woman who sustained a severe right upper extremity crush injury while being involved in a vehicular roll-over collision requiring right transhumeral amputation. Plastic surgery, orthopedic surgery, and vascular surgery were consulted to manage the right upper extremity injury.

Assessment of LGBTQ+ Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in Subspecialty Surgery Literature: A Scoping Review.

OBJECTIVE: To identify LGBTQ+ DEI publications and contextualize the current frequency of the literature across subspecialty surgical fields. METHODS: A PRISMA systematic review using PubMed, MEDLINE, and Web of Science was conducted in April 2024. Inclusion criteria required intra-field DEI content of defined subspecialties while foreign language literature, poor methodology, and duplicates were excluded. The primary endpoint was the number of publications across subspecialties. Secondary endpoints included publication dates, study design, and sample size. RESULTS: Of the 702 articles identified, 27 were included. Neurological surgery had 2 studies while plastic surgery, orthopedic surgery, otolaryngology, and thoracic surgery had 11, 7, 5, and 2 respectively. There was a statistically significant different frequency of publications across subspecialties (p = 0.031). Post-hoc residual analysis indicated neurosurgery and thoracic surgery had statistically fewer publications, while plastic surgery had statistically more (p = 0.04, 0.002, 0.21, 0.42, 0.04 for neurological Surgery, plastic surgery, orthopedic surgery, otolaryngology, and thoracic surgery, respectively). Secondary outcomes found a majority of publication dates between 2022 to 2024. Study methodologies involved cross-sectional studies, editorials, and retrospective reviews (14, 11, and 3 respectively) and contained a median sample size of 248.5. CONCLUSIONS: This systematic review provides objective data to contextualize DEI literature across surgical subspecialties. Overall, this review highlights the lack of LGBTQ+ DEI literature within neurosurgery and advocates for correcting this gap for the benefit of both surgeons and patients. Understanding the current numbers and evaluating progress in other surgical fields might provide solutions.

Long-term assessment of the functional independence measure in sports-related spinal cord injury.

CONTEXT: Patients with spinal cord injury (SCI) secondary to traumatic sports-related etiology potentially face loss of independence. The Functional Independence Measure (FIM) assesses the amount of assistance patients require and has shown sensitivity to changes in patient functional status post injury. OBJECTIVES: We aimed to (1) examine long-term outcomes following sports-related SCI (SRSCI) using FIM scoring at the time of injury, one year, and five years post-injury, and (2) determine predictors of independence at one and five-year follow-up considering surgical and non-surgical management. Few studies have investigated the cohort analyzed in this study. METHODS: The 1973-2016 National Spinal Cord Injury Model Systems (SCIMS) Database was used to develop a SRSCI cohort. The primary outcome of interest captured functional independence using a multivariate logistic regression, defined by FIM individual scores greater than or equal to six, evaluated at one and five years. RESULTS: A total of 491 patients were analyzed, 60 (12%) were female, 452 (92%) underwent surgery. The cohort demographics were stratified by patients with and without spine surgery and evaluated for functional independence in FIM subcategories. Increased time spent in inpatient rehabilitation and FIM score at post-operative discharge were associated with greater likelihood of functional ability at both one and five-year follow-up. CONCLUSION: Our study demonstrated that SRSCI patients are a unique subset of SCI patients for whom factors repeatedly associated with independence at one year follow-up were dissimilar to those associated with independence at five-year follow-up. Larger prospective studies should be conducted to establish guidelines for this unique subcategory of SCI patients.