The role of the perioperative prone position in the low recurrence of pressure injuries in the pelvic region.

OBJECTIVE: A pressure injury (PI) is a localised area of damage to the skin and/or underlying soft tissue as a result of a sustained mechanical loading. There are three key aetiological mechanisms to PI formation-direct cell deformation, inflammatory oedema and ischaemic damage-which are typically activated sequentially to drive a spiral of injury. This article discusses the role of the perioperative prone position as a rational approach to reducing the recurrence of pelvic PI after reconstructive surgery. METHOD: Patients with deep PI in the pelvic region, who were operated on from 2011 to 2019, were retrospectively evaluated. The protocol of care included training in the prone position, followed by maintenance of the prone position for 4-6 weeks postoperatively. The reconstruction was performed with fasciocutaneous and myocutaneous local or regional flaps. RESULTS: The study evaluated a total of 26 patients. The rate of recurrence of PIs was 15.4% (4/26) in the mean follow-up of 54 months. Regarding postoperative complications, four cases of partial dehiscence of the suture occurred. CONCLUSION: This perioperative protocol of maintaining a prone position seems to be safe for the patient, and it can be used to prevent or reduce the recurrence of deep PIs on the pelvic region after reconstructive surgery.

Treating complex palmar-plantar wounds using a bilaminar 'trapdoor' technique: a case series.

OBJECTIVE: Due to the similarities of glabrous skin, the plantar region is an excellent donor area for covering complex palmar-plantar wounds. However, taking grafts from the plantar area often results in significant morbidity at the donor site or non-integration of the graft due to the greater thickness of the plantar corneal layer. METHOD: This is a prospective case series including patients with burns or wounds who have been treated with a dermal graft using the bilaminar 'trapdoor' technique. This procedure is used to remove a thin graft from the deep plantar dermis after the partial elevation of the first layer including the entire epidermis and superficial part of the dermis. RESULTS: At the donor area in the four patients in this case series, we observed healing at around 10 days, and absence of hypertrophic scar in all patients. There was complete re-epithelialisation between two and three weeks from the periphery to the centre of the deep dermal graft, and from the glandular epithelium transferred with the graft. During the follow-up, patients presented aesthetic and functional features of glabrous and amelanotic skin, with similar resistance to those of the adjacent areas of the wound in the palmar-plantar region. CONCLUSION: This technique has some advantages, such as less surgical time, minimal morbidity in the plantar donor area, easy integration of the grafts, and maintenance of the functional and aesthetic properties of glabrous skin both in the plantar donor area and in the palmar-plantar recipient region. DECLARATION OF INTEREST: The authors have no conflicts of interest to declare.

Gluteal Augmentation With Intramuscular Implants in Patients With Human Immunodeficiency Virus With Lipoatrophy Related to the Use of Antiretroviral Therapy.

INTRODUCTION: Lipodystrophy syndrome associated with highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) may lead to low self-esteem and poor compliance with the drug treatment on patients infected with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), which is a matter of concern for the health system. The aim of this study was to evaluate patients with HIV submitted to gluteal augmentation with intramuscular silicone implants to correct gluteal lipoatrophy related to the use of HAART. METHODS: This is a retrospective evaluation of 10 patients submitted to gluteal augmentation with intramuscular silicone implant for correction of gluteal lipoatrophy related to the use of HAART, operated between 2012 and 2015. Postoperative complications and the degree of patient's satisfaction were analyzed. RESULTS: There were 3 postoperative complications including 1 case of surgical wound dehiscence and 2 cases of seroma. Six months after surgery, 8 patients had an excellent degree of satisfaction, and 2 patients had a good degree of satisfaction related to the procedure. Although this intervention does not offer functional advantages, it improves the body contour, increases patients' self-esteem, and helps them to accept their body image. These advantages can lead to higher compliance with prolonged HAART. CONCLUSIONS: Gluteal augmentation with intramuscular silicone implant can be a viable option to treat patients with HIV with gluteal lipoatrophy related to the use of HAART. The patients were satisfied with the outcomes of the procedure, and there were only minor self-limited postoperative complications.

Gluteal Augmentation with Silicone Implants: A New Proposal for Intramuscular Dissection.

BACKGROUND: Gluteoplasty has gained notoriety over the last decades, which has motivated the development of various surgical techniques. Nevertheless, the fear of dissection of the intramuscular plane without direct visualization may inhibit learning and development of gluteal augmentation with implants. Moreover, literature detailing the technical steps of intramuscular dissection for the construction of the implant pocket is scarce. This study presents a new approach to intramuscular dissection for gluteal augmentation with silicone implants, a variation of the conventional surgical technique. METHODS: We performed a retrospective analysis of a series of 12 female patients submitted to a variation of the intramuscular dissection technique for gluteal augmentation with silicone implants. Data from patients, implants, follow-up time, postoperative complications, and the degree of patient satisfaction were obtained. This technique follows the principle of alternating spatulas to perform the blunt dissection of the implant pocket. RESULTS: In this series, the proposed technique is controlled and safe for intramuscular dissection, which can be used for both experienced and training surgeons. This technique is based on well-known anatomical points and references. We observed that the implant was well positioned and covered, the patients were satisfied with the result, and the number of complications was low. CONCLUSIONS: This variation of the intramuscular dissection technique for gluteal augmentation with silicone implants provides an easily reproducible and safe procedure that involves well-controlled technical steps, especially during dissection of the intramuscular pocket. In this series of patients, training surgeons learned faster, results were satisfactory, and the number of complications was low. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE V: 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 .

Alternative surgical treatment of paralytic lagophthalmos using autogenic cartilage grafts and canthopexy.

PURPOSE: This study aims to analyze the use of autogenic auricular cartilage grafts as weight for the upper eyelid in conjunction with lateral canthopexy for patients with mild paralytic lagophthalmos. This procedure was also accompanied by elevation of the lower eyelid using the cartilage graft for moderate cases. METHODS: We conducted a retrospective study including case series of 30 patients with paralytic lagophthalmos from 1997 to 2010. For mild cases, cartilage from the auricular scapha was placed in pretarsal space of the upper eyelid and cartilage from the concha was inserted in preaponeurotic space and then sutured to the levator aponeurosis in conjunction with lateral canthopexy. For moderate cases, lower eyelid was also elevated by suturing cartilage graft to tarsum and resting it by the inferior orbital rim. RESULTS: All patients had some degree of keratopathy before the intervention. After treatment, they presented with evident clinical improvement, reduction of eye symptoms, and resolution of keratopathy. During the mean postoperative follow-up of 37.3 months, none of the patients presented with cartilage graft exposition, reabsorption, visibility, infection, or warping. Complete eye closure was achieved in 24 (80%) patients, whereas the remaining 6 (20%) patients had residual asymptomatic lagophthalmos. CONCLUSIONS: The intervention using autogenic auricular cartilage grafts explained in this study was only effective for the treatment of mild and moderate cases of paralytic lagophthalmos. This outpatient surgery is associated with low morbidity and achievement of functional and aesthetic improvement.

Optical Properties of Human Skin Phototypes and Their Correlation with Individual Angle Typology.

Objective: This study aims to correlate human skin phototypes with complete optical characterization (absorption, scattering, effective attenuation, optical penetration, and albedo coefficients) based on individual typology angle (ITA) values and colorimetric parameters. Methods: A colorimeter was used to group 12, fresh, ex vivo human skin samples according to their phototype; the CIELAB color scale and ITA values were employed. An integrating sphere system and the inverse adding-doubling algorithm were applied during optical characterization, conducted from 500 to 1300 nm. Results: On the basis of ITA values and their classification, the skin samples were separated into six groups: two intermediates, two tan, and two brown. In the visible range, for lower ITA values (darker skins), the absorption and effective attenuation coefficient parameters increased, whereas the albedo and depth penetration parameters decreased. In the infrared region, all the phototypes had similar parameters. The scattering coefficient was similar for all the samples and did not change with ITA values. Conclusions: ITA analysis, a quantitative method, showed that the human skin tissue's optical properties and pigmentation colors were highly correlated.

Sensibility of the ear after otoplasty.

Changes in skin sensibility occur in various postoperative plastic surgeries, especially when they involve major skin and subcutaneous dissection. There were no studies so far that objectively compared changes of ear sensibility. This prospective study was conducted to compare ear sensibility before and after otoplasty. Patients with prominent ears (n = 15) underwent bilateral otoplasty. Ear tactile sensibility was tested preoperatively and 6 and 12 months after surgery by Pressure Specified Sensory Device, an apparatus that quantifies cutaneous pressure sensation (g/mm(2)). Comparison between preoperative and 6-months postoperative results indicated an increment on mean skin pressure thresholds; however, mean thresholds between pre- and 12 months postoperative period were similar. Vibratory and hot/cold sensibility did not present any difference during this period. This is the first comparative assessment of ear tactile sensibility using quantitative methods. After otoplasty, initially there was reduction in an ear tactile sensibility, followed by a return to levels similar to preoperative sensibility.

Comparison Between Two Strategies of Topical Treatment in Tar Burn: A Case Report.

The management of tar burns presents a wide range of possible approaches, and several strategies can be used to reduce the damage regarding the removal of tar adhered to the patient's skin. Tar residues should preferably be emulsified with solvent solutions. Due to the low incidence of tar burns, it has not yet been possible to select the appropriate agent for the removal of the adhered tar. In this article, we reported a case of a 47-year-old man with a tar burn in his forehead region and his both upper limbs treated with two different approaches and the outcomes. In the right upper limb, the removal of tar with oil-based on essential fatty acids was attempted at the time of hospital admission, whereas in the left upper limb, he was treated with 1% silver sulfadiazine cream, sterile gauze, and bandage. On the right upper limb, the treatment was eventually performed with debridement and split-thickness skin grafting. On the left upper limb, there was complete re-epithelialization of the burns. The more conservative approach of keeping a dressing with 1% silver sulfadiazine on the tar itself, followed by removing the material in the dressing changes was considered better than the immediate removal of tar with an oily solution, especially about pain. Our impression was that the application of 1% silver sulfadiazine cream at the time of the admission, as well as in the following days, may be beneficial for the removal of the tar in close contact with the skin. Possibly, this approach leads to less trauma to the skin and, eventually, simplifies the treatment of burns by hot tar.

Facial palsy after blunt trauma and without facial bone fracture.

A 14-year-old patient had a low-energy facial blunt trauma that evolved to right facial paralysis caused by parotid hematoma with parotid salivary gland lesion. Computed tomography and angiography demonstrated intraparotid collection without pseudoaneurysm and without radiologic signs of fracture in the face. The patient was treated with serial punctures for hematoma deflation, resolving with regression and complete remission of facial paralysis, with no late sequela. The authors discuss the relationship between facial nerve traumatic injuries associated or not with the presence of facial fractures, emphasizing the importance of early recognition and appropriate treatment of such cases.

[Body contour surgery in the massive weight loss patient: three year-experience in a secondary public hospital]. / Cirurgia do contorno corporal no paciente após perda ponderal maciça: experiência de três anos em hospital público secundário.

OBJECTIVE: To present the clinical-surgical three year-experience related to body contour surgery in the massive weight loss patient, performed by the Plastic Surgery team of the Sapopemba State Hospital. METHODS: Retrospective study performed at the Sapopemba State Hospital, linked to the 'Hospital das Clínicas' of the University of São Paulo School of Medicine, from July 2005 to July 2008. A total of 98 patients was operated, whose morbid obesity had been treated by bariatric surgery, after success of the technique, or weight loss by non-surgical method. Exclusion criteria were smoking, gestational intent and weight instability. Stable weight for at least 6 months after satisfactory weight loss was required from patients. RESULTS: Of the 98 operated patients, 97% were female, with mean age of 40.5 years and the weight loss method was the surgery in 88% of cases. From 177 plastic surgeries performed, 46% were abdominoplasty, followed by mammaplasty (15%), thigh suspension (13%) and brachioplasty (12%). Mean hospital stay was of two days and the main diagnosed complications were: seroma (28%), minor necrosis/dehiscences (18%), major necrosis/dehiscences (4%), hematomas (4%), superficial thrombophlebitis from the saphena vein (2%) and deep venous thrombosis (1%). CONCLUSION: An increasing demand for surgeries to improve body contour after massive weight loss has been detected. Plastic surgeons must know the clinical peculiarities and higher risk of complications of these patients, control their expectations, analyze results and engage in a continued investigation to improve surgical techniques.

Does postauricular fascial flap reduce suture complications in otoplasty?

Numerous suture techniques and covering flaps have been described to minimize complications related to sutures in otoplasty. The split postauricular fascial flap is one of such techniques, and it has been used to pad otoplasty suture. The aim of this study was to evaluate complications related to nonabsorbable cartilage sutures in otoplasty, using a variation of the split postauricular fascial flap. In this retrospective case series, we analyzed otoplasty patients in whom simplified split postauricular fascial flap was utilized. A postauricular skin ellipse was de-epithelialized (preserving dermis) and a longitudinally split in half. Flaps were dissected, and they were positioned on the cartilage to promote additional soft tissue coverage to the sutures. The lateral flap covered conchoscaphal sutures while the medial flap covered the conchomastoid sutures. Both the flaps were not sutured to cartilage. Early and late postoperative complications were evaluated. A total of 142 patients were included. Twenty-four (16.9%) patients developed late complications: 13 (9.1%) patients had palpable and visible sutures, nine (6.3%) had suture extrusion and two (1.4%) had hypertrophic scars. In this case series, the simplified split postauricular flap did not prevent or reduce late complications related to suture extrusion in otoplasty. It is possible that suturing the entire length of the flaps may play a role in our results. So, anchoring the flap and possibly tightening it a little may be an important technical step to prevent extrusion of sutures whenever the postauricular flap is used.

Negative pressure therapy for the treatment of complex wounds.

The objective of this study is to evaluate the effectiveness of negative pressure therapy (NPT) in the treatment of complex wounds, with emphasis on its mechanisms of action and main therapeutic indications. We searched the Pubmed / Medline database for articles published from 1997 to 2016, and selected the most relevant ones. The mechanisms of action of NPT involveboth physical effects, such as increased perfusion, control of edema and exudate, reduction of wound dimensions and bacterial clearance, and biological ones, such as the stimulation of granulation tissue formation, microdeformations and reduction of Inflammatory response. The main indications of NPT are complex wounds, such as pressure ulcers, traumatic wounds, operative wound dehiscences, burns, necrotizing wounds, venous ulcers, diabetic wounds, skin grafts, open abdomen, prevention of complications in closed incisions and in the association with instillation of solutions in infected wounds.

O objetivo desse estudo é avaliar a eficácia da terapia por pressão negativa (TPN) no tratamento de feridas complexas, com ênfase em seus mecanismos de ação e principais indicações terapêuticas. Foi realizada revisão na base de dados Pubmed / Medline, em artigos publicados de 1997 a 2016, e selecionados os mais relevantes. O mecanismo de ação da TPN envolve efeitos físicos, como o aumento da perfusão, controle do edema e do exsudato, redução das dimensões da ferida e depuração bacteriana, e biológicos, como o estímulo à formação de tecido de granulação, microdeformações e redução da resposta inflamatória local. As principais indicações da TPN são as feridas complexas como úlceras por pressão, feridas traumáticas, deiscências de ferida operatória, queimaduras, feridas necrotizantes, úlceras venosas, feridas diabéticas, os enxertos de pele, o abdome aberto, na prevenção de complicações em incisões fechadas e na associação com instilação de soluções em feridas infectadas.

Single Stage Augmentation Mastopexy with L-shaped Inferior Pedicle Combined with Dual Plane Implant Placement.

Supplemental Digital Content is available in the text.

Application of Unilateral Pectoralis Major Muscle Flap in the Treatment of Sternal Wound Dehiscence.

OBJECTIVE: This study aims to report the use of the unilateral pectoralis major muscle flap for the treatment of the sternal wound dehiscence. METHODS: A retrospective study including patients who underwent unilateral pectoralis major muscle flap was performed for the treatment of sternotomy dehiscence due to coronary artery bypass, valve replacement, congenital heart disease correction and mediastinitis, between 1997 and 2016. Data from the epidemiological profile of patients, length of hospital stay, postoperative complications and mortality rate were obtained. RESULTS: During this period, 11 patients had their dehiscence of sternotomy treated by unilateral pectoralis major muscle flap. The patients had a mean age of 54.7 years, the mean hospital stay after flap reconstruction was 17.9 days (from 7 to 52 days). In two patients, it was necessary to harvest a flap from the rectus abdominis fascia, in association with the pectoralis major muscle flap, to facilitate the closure of the distal wound. In the postoperative period, seroma discharge from the surgical wound was observed in six patients, five reported intense pain (temporary), three had partial cutaneous dehiscence, and two presented granuloma of the incision. CONCLUSION: The complex wound from sternotomy dehiscences presents itself as a challenge to surgical teams. Treatment should include debridement of necrotic tissue and preferably coverage with well-vascularized tissue. We propose that the unilateral pectoralis major muscle flap is an interesting and low morbidity option for the reconstruction of sternal wound dehiscences, with proper sternum stability and satisfactory functional and aesthetic outcomes.

Revisiting Escharotomy in Patients With Burns in Extremities.

Escharotomy incisions must be made in the inelastic skin eschar that is typical of circumferential third-degree burns. Later, the necrotic tissue must be debrided and substituted with a skin graft. Many reports on this topic have revealed that concepts and techniques vary widely. This study aims to present a critical review of the literature about escharotomy in burns and to highlight a different strategy to perform escharotomy in patients with burned extremities. We conducted a critical review in Pubmed/MEDLINE using the keywords "escharotomy" and "burns." In the present study, we included 22 articles published from 1955 to 2015 (60 years) that contain the aforementioned keywords. With respect to the extremities, most of the publications recommend that medial and lateral longitudinal incisions be performed and that care must be taken to avoid deep structures, particularly nerves. Moreover, the publications mention that escharotomy might result in thick, hypertrophic, retracting, and painful scars. We advocate that incisions performed only on the lateral and medial borders of the extremities are usually unnecessary, and that they contribute to the creation of misconceptions about burns. In addition, these incisions can somehow trigger complications that can be avoided by using the concept of escharotomy in multiple directions, as highlighted in this review.

Bronchial fistula closure with negative pressure wound therapy: a feasible and cost-effective treatment.

Treatment of bronchial fistula (BF) after pulmonary lobectomy is a challenge. Often, patients require long hospital stay, have recurrent empyema and pneumonia, are susceptible to sepsis, often need broad-spectrum antibiotics, as well as various surgical approaches. With the advent and growing evidence of the benefits of negative pressure therapy (NPT), its use in some patients with BF has been reported with encouraging results concerning its feasibility and cost-effectiveness. The aim of this study was to demonstrate the application of NPT as a resource for BF treatment and comparatively analyze the overall cost of treatment. RESUMO O tratamento de fístula brônquica (FB) após lobectomia pulmonar é um desafio. Muitas vezes, o paciente demanda longo tempo de internação, apresenta recidivas de empiema e pneumonia, pode evoluir para sepse, frequentemente necessita de antibioticoterapia de amplo espectro, bem como de várias abordagens cirúrgicas. Com o advento e acúmulo de evidências dos benefícios da terapia por pressão negativa (TPN), seu uso em alguns pacientes com FB tem sido relatado com resultados animadores relativos à sua viabilidade e ao seu custo-efetividade. O objetivo deste estudo foi demonstrar a aplicação de TPN como recurso para tratamento da FB e analisar comparativamente o custo global do seu tratamento.