Archives of Plastic Surgery-APS最新文献

Background  Among breast reconstruction methods, implant-based breast reconstruction has become the mainstream. However, periprosthetic infection is still an unresolved problem. Although published articles have revealed that limited use of antibiotics is sufficient to reduce infection rates, the number of surgeons still preferring elongated usage of antibiotics is not less. The aim of our study is to validate the appropriate duration of antibiotic use to reduce infection rate after implant-based breast reconstruction. Methods  A retrospective study reviewed medical record of 235 patients (274 implants for reconstruction) who underwent prepectoral direct to implant breast reconstruction using acellular dermal matrix wrapping technique. Infection rates were analyzed for the patients administered postoperative prophylactic antibiotics until drain removal and those who received only perioperative prophylactic antibiotics for 24 hours. Results  Of the 274 implants, 98 who were administered prophylactic antibiotics until drain removal had an infection rate of 3.06% (three implants) and 176 who received prophylactic antibiotics no longer than 24 hours postoperatively had an infection rate of 4.49% (eight implants). A total of 11 patients diagnosed with postoperative infection clinically, 8 were salvaged by antibiotic treatment, and 3 had implant removal and replacement with autologous flap. Postoperative antibiotic prophylaxis duration had no statistically significant effects in the risk of infection ( p  = 0.549). Conclusion  The duration of prophylactic antibiotics after surgery was not related to infection risk. Further study with a large number of patients, randomized control study, and route of antibiotics is needed.

A patient suffered from chronic ulcer due to recalcitrant fungal infection for 3.5 years. Five antifungal agents and 40 times of debridement-all failed. Finally, radical microscopic debridement was performed for eradication of fungal conidiospores. Since then, there was no recurrence at 2 years of follow-up. Scopulariopsis brevicaulis is one of the rarest pathogens of cutaneous fungal infections, for which multidrug resistance increased the complexity and difficulty of treatment. Radical excision, especially microscopic debridement, was the key for eradication of fungal conidiospores in this case.

Background  For the small glabrous skin defect, Thenar and Hypothenar skin are useful donors and they have been used as a free flap. Because of similar skin characteristics, both flaps have same indications. We will conduct comparative study for the donor morbidity of the Free thenar flap and Hypothenar free flap. Methods  From January 2011 to December 2021, demographic data, characteristics of each flap, and complications using retrospective chart review were obtained. Donor outcomes of the patient, who had been followed up for more than 6 months, were measured using photographic analysis and physical examination. General pain was assessed by Numeric Rating Scale (NRS) score, neuropathic pain was assessed by Douleur Neuropathique 4 Questions (DN4) score, scar appearance was assessed by modified Vancouver Scar Scale (mVSS), and patient satisfaction was assessed on a 3-point scale. Statistical analysis was performed on the outcomes. Results  Out of the 39 survey respondents, 17 patients received Free thenar flaps, and 22 patients received Hypothenar free flaps. Thenar group had higher NRS, DN4, and mVSS ( p  < 0.05). The average scores for the Thenar and Hypothenar groups were 1.35 and 0.27 for NRS, 2.41 and 0.55 for DN4, and 3.12 and 1.59 for mVSS, respectively. Despite the Hypothenar group showing greater satisfaction on the 3-point scale (1.82) compared with the Thenar group (1.47), the difference was not significant ( p  = 0.085). Linear regression analysis indicated that flap width did not have a notable impact on the outcome measures, and multiple linear regression analysis revealed no significant interaction between flap width and each of the outcome measures. Conclusion  Despite the limited number of participants, higher donor morbidity in general pain, neuropathic pain, and scar formation was noted in the Thenar free flap compared with the Hypothenar free flap. However, no difference in overall patient satisfaction was found between the two groups.

This study aimed to analyze cases of anterolateral thigh (ALT) free flap used for hand reconstruction with terminal perforator-to-digital artery anastomosis. Patients who underwent ALT free flap placement with terminal perforator-to-digital artery anastomosis for hand reconstruction between January 2011 and August 2021 were included. The number, length, and diameter of the perforators and veins, flap size, and operative time were investigated through a retrospective review of charts and photographs. The occurrences of arterial thrombosis, venous thrombosis, arterial spasm, and flap necrosis were analyzed. In total, 50 patients were included in this study. The mean diameter and length of the perforators were 0.68 mm and 3.25 cm, respectively, and the mean number of veins anastomosed was 1.88, with a mean diameter of 0.54 mm. Complications included four cases of arterial thrombosis, one case of venous thrombosis, seven cases of partial necrosis, and one case of total flap failure. Regression analysis showed that a longer perforator was associated with arterial thrombosis whereas larger flap size and number of anastomosed veins were associated with partial necrosis ( p  < 0.05). The terminal perforator-to-digital artery anastomosis offers advantages in using compact free flaps with short pedicle lengths to cover small hand defects.

Background  Congenital muscular torticollis (CMT) is a common musculoskeletal disorder in children. Secondary scoliosis can occur in patients with CMT; however, the extent of inclination and improvement of scoliosis after surgical correction of CMT have not been adequately studied. In this study, we aimed to evaluate and measure the improvement in vertebral tilting after surgical correction according to age at the time of surgery. Methods  Between June 2007 and January 2020, 831 patients with CMT underwent sternocleidomastoid release. Among them, 426 patients were enrolled, and their medical records were retrospectively reviewed. Ultimately, 210 patients available for radiological evaluation and analysis were enrolled in this study. The patients were divided into four groups according to age at the time of surgery to determine the relationship between age and changes in scoliosis. Results  Our findings showed an improvement in scoliosis in all age groups after surgery. The results for follow-up after 1 year confirmed long-term improvement in vertebral tilting. The degree of improvement in scoliosis was significantly higher in the younger age group than in patients aged 18 years or older. Conclusion  The effect of surgical release on scoliosis was significant in all age groups. The findings of this study suggest that CMT should be corrected before the age of 3 years to ensure an optimal surgical mitigation of scoliosis. Furthermore, in cases of neglected CMT, surgical release should be actively attempted because there is significant improvement.

Nevus lipomatosus superficialis (NLS) is a hamartoma of adipose tissue, rarely reported in the past 100 years. We treated one case, and we conducted a systematic review of the literature. A 41-year-old man presented with a cutaneous multinodular lesion in the posterior region near the right auricle. The lesion was excised and examined histopathologically. To review the literature, we searched PubMed with the keyword "NLS." The search was limited to articles written in English and whose full text was available. We analyzed the following data: year of report, nation of corresponding author, sex of patient, age at onset, duration of disease, location of lesion, type of lesion, associated symptoms, pathological findings, and treatment. Of 158 relevant articles in PubMed, 112 fulfilled our inclusion criteria; these referred to a total of 149 cases (cases with insufficient clinical information were excluded). In rare cases, the diagnosis of NLS was confirmed when the lesion coexisted with sebaceous trichofolliculoma and Demodex infestation. Clinical awareness for NLS has increased recently. NLS is an indolent and asymptomatic benign neoplasm that may exhibit malignant behavior in terms of huge lesion size and specific anatomical location. Early detection and curative treatment should be promoted.

Background  With the advent of cranial orthoses as therapeutic medical devices for the treatment of severe positional head deformities in Japan, an increasing number of patients are being treated with them. However, assessing the effectiveness of a treatment is often difficult due to the use of different metrics. This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of cranial orthoses for deformational plagiocephaly using two- (2D) and three-dimensional (3D) evaluation metrics. Methods  We conducted a retrospective study of infant patients with deformational plagiocephaly who underwent cranial orthosis treatment. We evaluated the severity of deformational plagiocephaly using cranial asymmetry (CA) and the cranial vault asymmetry index (CVAI) as 2D metrics, and anterior and posterior symmetry ratios as 3D metrics. The patients were divided into 24 subgroups based on the initial severity of each outcome and their age at the start of treatment. We analyzed the changes in outcomes and correlations within improvements across the age and severity categories. Results  Overall, 1,038 infants were included in this study. The mean CA, CVAI, and anterior and posterior symmetry ratios improved significantly after cranial orthosis treatment. The improvement in each score was greater in patients with more severe initial deformities and in those who underwent treatment at a younger age. Conclusion  Cranial orthosis treatment was effective in correcting deformational plagiocephaly in infants, as demonstrated by improvements in both 2D and 3D metrics. Patients with more severe initial deformities and those who underwent treatment at a younger age showed greater improvement.

The superficial circumflex iliac artery perforator (SCIP) flap is a versatile flap that has been described for various applications, mostly for lower extremity coverage and head and neck reconstructions. However, there are few publications reporting its use for breast reconstruction, mainly because of its low volume availability. In this article, we present the case of a patient who successfully underwent a partial breast and immediate nipple-areola complex (NAC) reconstruction with an SCIP flap. She had been previously reconstructed with an implant after a nipple-sparing mastectomy, but the NAC turned out to be involved with cancer needing further resection. Our goal with this article, is to introduce a novel concept for addressing partial breast and NAC reconstruction and mostly, to illustrate the importance of an adaptable surgical plan based on every individual case emphasizing the versality of microsurgery for breast cancer reconstruction.

Pachyonychia congenita is a rare genetic disorder characterized by hypertrophic nail plates, hyperkeratotic nail beds, and thickened hyponychium of the fingers and toes, impairing manual dexterity and resulting in poor aesthetics. The current body of literature describes various treatment modalities, but no singular approach has been defined as the gold standard. In this case, the authors employed different surgical techniques for treating pachyonychia congenita to evaluate the most effective approach. A 3-year-old boy presented with hypertrophic nail growth involving all digits of both hands and feet. Three surgical procedures were performed on the patient's fingers and toes using germinal matrix excision (GME) alone, GME plus partial sterile matrix excision (pSME), or GME plus complete sterile matrix excision (cSME). The digits treated with GME + cSME exhibited no recurrence of nail growth. Those treated with GME alone exhibited recurrence of hypertrophic nail growth, although their growth slowed. Excision of GME + cSME prevented recurrence of hypertrophic nails, while GME alone or with pSME led to slower-growing hypertrophic nails. Complete excision of the germinal and sterile matrices with skin graft closure may be a definitive treatment for pachyonychia congenita, but further studies are needed to validate these findings.