Does Prior Breast Augmentation Affect Outcomes After Mastectomy With Reconstruction? An Analysis of Postoperative Complications and Reoperations.

BACKGROUND: The purpose of this study is to evaluate how prior breast augmentation impacts rates of complications and risk for reoperation after mastectomy with concurrent breast reconstruction. METHODS: Patients undergoing nipple-sparing, skin-sparing, or simple mastectomy with implant-based reconstruction from 2008 to 2018 were identified in a prospective database. Postoperative complications and reoperations were then analyzed comparing patients with prior augmentation to patients without history of previous breast surgery. RESULTS: A total of 468 patients were identified with a median follow-up of 4 years. Of these, 72 had prior augmentation mammoplasty. These patients underwent nipple-sparing (52, 72%), skin-sparing (15, 21%), or simple (5, 7%) mastectomy with immediate direct-to-implant (46, 61%) or tissue expander (26, 35%) reconstruction. On univariate analysis, this cohort had a lower body mass index (23.3 vs 25.3, P = 0.003), a higher rate of nipple-sparing mastectomy (72% vs 54%, P = 0.01), and a higher prevalence of stage I disease (44% vs 33%, P = 0.04). Differences in age, comorbidities, reconstructive techniques, tumor size, and neoadjuvant/adjuvant therapies were not significant. Overall complication rate between patients with or without prior augmentation did not significantly differ (51% vs 50%, P = 0.83); no significant differences in rates of surgical site infection, hematoma, mastectomy skin flap/wound necrosis, nipple complications, implant loss, or capsular contracture were found. Analysis of reoperations between patients with and without prior augmentation revealed no significant differences in average number of subsequent planned, unplanned, or total reoperations. On multivariate analysis, prior breast augmentation was found to be associated with significantly increased risk for undergoing ≥1 unplanned reoperation (odds ratio, 2.28; 95% confidence interval, 1.28-4.05, P = 0.005). CONCLUSIONS: Prior augmentation mammoplasty does not significantly affect rates of postoperative complications after mastectomy with concurrent reconstruction. Although prior augmentation does not affect number of subsequent reoperations on average, it does increase the risk of experiencing 1 or more unplanned reoperation after mastectomy with reconstruction.

Pyoderma Gangrenosum: A Rare Disease With Dire Consequences in Facial Aesthetic Surgery Patients.

Pyoderma gangrenosum (PG) is a rare, inflammatory dermatologic condition characterized by painful cutaneous ulcerations. Herein, we describe the third documented case of PG arising in an elective plastic surgery patient who had undergone an otherwise uncomplicated facelift. We describe the course of her diagnosis and management of PG, which involved her face and neck and then progressed to her lower extremities. Although the etiology remains unknown, PG often arises in a host with another autoimmune disease. In the case described, the patient was diagnosed with an immunoglobulin A gammopathy shortly after she developed PG. Following the case report, the pathogenesis, diagnosis, and treatment strategy of PG is briefly reviewed. Level of Evidence: 5.

Cutaneous and Pulmonary Manifestations: COVID-19 Virus or Coccidioidomycosis?

COVID-19 viral pandemic continues to manifest itself in the form of various clinical symptoms. Due to concerns of COVID-19 in the setting of high rates of false-negative, there is increased likelihood of anchoring bias. We present a case of a 48-year-old white female who presented with two weeks of dry cough and diffuse pruritic nodular cutaneous rash. Patient was exposed to a colleague who tested positive for COVID 19. Initial visits were conducted virtually and workup was negative for COVID-19. Patient was offered supportive care; however, her symptoms continued to worsen. Subsequent workup was positive for left lower lobe nodular opacity on the chest X-ray, follow up CT chest showed demonstrated a focal 3.4 cm infiltrate in the left lower lobe pleural base posteriorly, blood workup was positive for eosinophil count, elevated liver enzymes and positive coccidioides antibody IgG and IgM. This case highlights the importance of avoiding anchoring bias when creating differential diagnoses and triaging patients.

Multi-segment bioimpedance can assess patients with bilateral lymphedema.

BACKGROUND: Bioimpedance spectroscopy (BIS) is used to assess lymphedema by measuring limb fluid content as an electric current passes through cell membranes and tissues. There are two primary device modalities, through which BIS is used clinically: single-segment bioimpedance (SSB) and multi-segment bioimpedance (MSB), which differ in their mechanisms of gathering measurements. In this cross-sectional study, we study the difference between SSB and MSB in evaluating lymphedema by referencing the results with indocyanine Green (ICG) lymphography. METHODS: Patients with unilateral and bilateral lymphedema, presented to our department, were assessed with both SSB and MSB as part of a pre-lymphatic surgery evaluation between May 1, 2017, and November 31, 2017. Patients were imaged with ICG lymphography to confirm lymphedema presence. Standardized device measurement outputs from SSB and MSB were recorded and statistically analyzed. RESULTS: SSB was more sensitive (0.9) than MSB (0.75) for unilateral lymphedema. However, MSB had the added ability to assess patients with bilateral lymphedema with a sensitivity of 0.56 and specificity of 0.60. Furthermore, MSB had a stronger correlation with relative disease severity compared to SSB and quantified the differential extents of edema. In comparison, SSB provided a manipulated number, which was derived from a comparison of the abnormal to the normal limb. Medical staff reported MSB being easier to perform, and all patients reported the MSB measurement experience being more favorable. CONCLUSIONS: While both SSB and MSB provide diagnostic information on lymphedema, MSB is notably easier to perform, can detect bilateral disease states, and objectively quantifies limb fluid volume, allowing for disease tracking and assessment of surgical and rehabilitative treatment efficacy. On the basis of this study, our department has switched to universal MSB measurement.

Early Clinical Outcomes of a New Cementless Total Knee Arthroplasty Design.

Cementless fixation design failures led to low use of this alternative technology. A cementless total knee arthroplasty addressed these design flaws. The single radius knee design incorporated additive manufacturing to produce the tibial and patellar implants. Both implants have enhanced porous substrates, optimizing initial bony ingrowth. A nonrandomized prospective review was conducted of 72 cementless knees followed for a minimum of 2 years (mean, 37 months). Surgical time, estimated blood loss, and range of motion at 6 weeks were compared with those of a matched cohort of 70 cemented knees performed by the same surgeon. Knee Society Score and Oxford Knee Score were recorded for the cementless group. Radiographs were evaluated for change in implant position, subsidence, and radiolucent and sclerotic lines. Operative time was statistically shorter in the cementless group (40 vs 45 minutes), but there was no significant difference in postoperative estimated blood loss (557 vs 355 mL). Range of motion at 6 weeks averaged 118° in the cementless group vs 114° in the cemented group. Knee Society Score improved from 53.9 preoperatively to 85.0 at 6 weeks and 91.6 at most recent follow-up. Oxford Knee Score improved from 23.9 preoperatively to 31.7 at 6 weeks and 43.4 at most recent follow-up. No implants aseptically loosened or migrated. There were 2 early infections in the cemented group requiring revision. This cementless total knee arthroplasty revealed excellent clinical results at 3-year follow-up and resulted in shortened operative times. Biologic fixation was achieved in 100% of patients with improved functional and objective scores. Early results are encouraging, and this cementless total knee arthroplasty appears to provide an excellent alternative to cemented total knee arthroplasty. [Orthopedics. 2018; 41(6):e765-e771.].

Ewing's sarcoma: A case report of a 52-year-old woman with recurrent tumor and literature review.

Ewing's sarcoma is the second most common primary sacral tumor. Ewing's sarcomas are rare, aggressive tumors with a tendency towards recurrence following resection and early metastasis. Although peak incidences are between the ages of 10 and 20 years, patients of younger or older age account for almost 30% of the cases. We report the case of a 52-year-old healthy female who presented with a 2-week history of pain in her right posterior thigh that was unable to be relieved by non-steroidal anti-inflammatory medicine and physical therapy. Magnetic resonance imaging demonstrated an irregular right presacral mass and core needle biopsy revealed a small, round blue cell neoplasm. Staging workup was normal and an open biopsy was positive for the ES translocation (22q12). The patient was treated with 17 cycles of vincristine, adriamycin and cytoxan with mesna rescue, alternating with ifosfamide and etoposide in addition to external beam radiation. Post-treatment imaging demonstrated complete resolution of the tumor. Six weeks post-treatment the patient presented with a recurrent tumor. This case emphasizes the importance of timely establishment of initial diagnosis, early metastasis in treatment responsive patients and under-utilization of positron emission tomography-computed tomography (PET-CT) during the treatment to detect sub-clinical metastasis.