Aesthetic Surgery Tourism: An Opportunity or a Danger?

BACKGROUND: Medical and surgical tourism is a rapidly growing phenomenon in post-pandemic Europe. The exodus of patients abroad to perform surgery, especially cosmetic treatments, is spreading recently in industrialized countries. In the social media era, the ease of access to advertising about surgical procedures and their costs favors traveling. However, the information given is not always punctual, and there is often a lack of patient awareness about the risks related to the procedures. METHODS: The objective of the manuscript is to investigate, through clinical examples, the path that a patient operated on in a non-European country must face once he returns home. From the availability and translation of clinical documentation to the problems encountered in revision surgeries. RESULTS: Thirteen cases of surgical tourism, patients who presented to our department with surgical complications, are investigated. Adverse events occurring during medical treatment abroad raised medico-legal and appropriateness issues, as well as concerns regarding the follow-up of patients. CONCLUSIONS: The current literature confirmed the high complication rate: It affects individual patients and the native country's healthcare systems. Therefore, patients must learn more about the dangers of traveling abroad for surgery. Education initiatives in the patient's home country might help achieve this. 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 .

Silver nanoparticle dressing: The knowledge of advantages and limits improves the indications in clinical practice.

Silver nanoparticle dressings have gained popularity recently as a way to treat challenging wounds. Notwithstanding the properties of Ag-NPS (silver nanoparticles) described by several articles, there is a lack of clinical studies that guide healthcare professionals to specific and conscious use. In this case series, Ag-NPS dressing was tested on a randomized group of 10 patients with complex wounds requiring conservative treatment. Each case was analysed, recording the patient's history, the peculiar characteristics and the progressive changes in the wound. The wound bed and the quality of the peri-wound skin improved and a decrease in signs of infection was observed. The application of the dressing was simple and comfortable for the patient and it was appreciated for its sealing ability. A few capacity restrictions showed up: those should be read as elements to improve the indications for this peculiar dressing. The thin tissue matrix of the Ag-NPS dressing does not allow for massive absorption and also performs poorly in reducing little exudate. The reduction in wound width is also limited: reconstructive surgery was required in half of the enrolled patients to achieve wound healing.

A Challenging Case of Thumb Replantation Aided by Intraoperative Indocyanine Green Fluorescence Angiography.

Background: This study presents a case of thumb replantation performed despite several risk factors: age, comorbidities, and trauma mechanism are major adverse prognostic factors directly impacting thumb replantation. Most of the literature backs up this claim that a thumb that works, even partially, is a better outcome for the patient than amputation. Methods: We performed thumb replantation on a 94-year-old patient with type 2 diabetes mellitus who arrived at the emergency department with a thumb avulsion due to a dog bite. The intraoperative indocyanine green fluorescence angiography method aided us in carrying out the operation. Results: We successfully used indocyanine green angiography intraoperatively to guide surgical debridement and evaluate the efficacy of anastomosis and reperfusion of the replanted segment during surgery. Two months after the operation, the patient had regained satisfactory hand function. Conclusions: Although indocyanine green angiography is not a technology created for revascularization procedures, it is instrumental in assessing vascular function and predicting a successful outcome. Given its undeniable potential, more research is needed on the possibility of widespread use in hand surgery and its indications.

The McKissock's technique in reduction mammaplasty: A comparative study of outcomes and complications in 211 consecutive patients.

Reduction mammaplasty is one of the most popular plastic surgery procedures requested by patients. The areola holding flap can be sculpted using a variety of methods that have evolved over time dependent on vascularity. Our institution has always employed the vertical bipedicle technique proposed by Mckissock, and we still favor it over other methods for larger breasts. In this study, we examined the case-study data from the Padua University Hospital's Unit of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery from January 2009 to December 2021. The rate of complications among patients who received breast reduction using the McKissock technique and all other procedures carried out at our facility was compared. We identified 90 postoperative problems in all (affecting 42.65% of the patients) and categorized them using the Clavien Dindo system. The groups were comparable in age, BMI, and follow-up time. Similar findings emerged from the study of the single groups' complication rate. The statistical analysis did not reveal any appreciable variation in total complications or scar quality across groups. Therefore, in order to guarantee NAC survival, a stable shape, and a full upper pole, we think it is preferable to bind more than one pedicle in cases of very large breasts. Based on the results of our experience, we also recommend the McKissock approach as the first option for patients with large and ptotic breasts, particularly those who have undergone bariatric surgery and need a full upper pole and a stable outcome.