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A letter to the editor is presented in response to the article "Three-dimensional CT Diagnosis of Maxillofacial Trauma," by L.A. Fox in a previous issue.

Development of chronic pelvic pain after laser resection for benign prostatic hypertrophy has not been described previously (Clavien IIIb complication). The etiology of this chronic pain, which persisted despite medical chronic pain and urologic management for 5 years, was proven to be of pudendal nerve origin by local anesthetic blockade of the pudendal nerves bilaterally at the ischial spines. Surgical treatment was based upon the anatomic proximity of the perineal and dorsal branches of the pudendal nerve to the site of laser therapy on the pelvic side of the urogenital diaphragm. Treatment required resection of the perineal branches of the pudendal nerve bilaterally and neurolysis of the dorsal nerve to the penis bilaterally through incisions overlying the inferior pubic ramus. Relief of perineal pain and pain with micturition occurred in the immediate postoperative period. Pain relief and resumption of all normal activity occurred by 3 months postoperatively and continues 13 months following the surgery. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background The purpose of this study is to identify whether intraoperative use of vasoactive medications increases the risk of free flap failure or complications through a systematic review and meta-analysis. Materials and Methods PubMed/MEDLINE, EMBASE, and Scopus databases were searched for studies published through January 2015. English publications that met the following criteria were included: (1) adult patients undergoing head and neck free flap reconstruction; (2) comparison of patients with and without intraoperative vasopressor administration; and (3) documentation of flap failure rate and/or flap complications. The primary outcome was the incidence of flap failure. The secondary outcome was the incidence of overall flap complications. Meta-analysis was performed to obtain pooled odds ratios (ORs) of the effect of intraoperative use of vasopressors on flap failure and complication rates. Results Four cohort studies met inclusion criteria. All studies were of high methodological quality with an average Methodological Index for Non-Randomized Studies score of 18.75 (range 16-23). A total of 933 patients undergoing head and neck free flap reconstruction were included. Meta-analysis demonstrated no statistically significant difference in the incidence of flap failure (2.9 vs. 3.6%; OR, 0.68; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.23-1.99; p = 0.48) or incidence of flap complications (16.8 vs. 18.6%; OR, 0.92; 95% CI, 0.60-1.42; p = 0.71). Conclusion Based on the current evidence, intraoperative use of vasopressors has no impact on the incidence of flap failure or flap complications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses cases which show that vasopressors are safe in microsurgery. The first case involves a patient with a fungating invasive squamous cell carcinoma of the right scalp while the second case involves a patient with a history of multiple basal cell carcinomas and melanoma of his scalp that was treated with radiation. The article discusses the safety of vasopressor medication in free tissue transfer and the importance of cardiac monitoring in patients receiving vasopressors.

Background Current literature describes the forehead as one aesthetic subunit of the face. We argue for the usefulness of aesthetic forehead subunits when microvascular flap reconstruction is required. Key to utilization ofmicrovascular flaps for restoration of forehead subunits is an understanding of the patient population and defect characteristics most amiable to treatment. Methods We conducted an International Review Board--approved retrospective chart review of nine consecutive patients who had undergone free flap reconstruction for large forehead defects. Results The patients' foreheads included one paramedian defect; one central and paramedian defect; four central, paramedian, and lateral defects; and three lateral defects. Seven patients had ulnar forearm flaps and two had anterolateral thigh flaps. The success rate was 100%. Conclusion A forehead subunit classification system has been devised that provides a suitable option for cases that benefit from distant tissue replacement in a single stage, while preserving the principles of aesthetic replacement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Reconstruction of traumatic ventral hernias often requires additional techniques to the abdominal wall component separation, such as the use of interpositional reconstruction with an acellular dermal matrix or other mesh to bridge the defect. Methods: We have developed a new value termed the "Component Separation Index" to evaluate ventral hernia defects. Choosing a fixed point on a preoperative axial computed tomographic scan (aorta) and the medial leading edges of the rectus abdominus muscles, we determined the angle of diastasis of the hernia. This angle is divided by 360° giving a relative value of the transverse defect size as compared to the estimated circular body habitus for that specific patient. A retrospective review of 36 cases of ventral hernia repairs was performed. The Component Separation Index was calculated from the preoperative computed tomographic scans obtained before repair. Group 1 (n = 18) required component separation for closure. Group 2 (n = 18) required component separation and placement of interpositional mesh to span the hernia defect. Results: The Component Separation Index values were then compared using the student t test for each group. The mean Component Separation Index for group 1 was 0.11 with standard deviation of 0.06. The mean Component Separation Index for group 2 was 0.21 with standard deviation of 0.04 (P < .0001). As this value approaches 0.21, the likelihood of an interpositional repair in addition to component separation becomes much greater. Conclusions: While there is no substitute for clinical acumen when evaluating these defects, objective measurements can provide a valuable additional tool for the surgeon facing these challenging cases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Advances in tissue engineering require biofunctional scaffolds that can not only provide cells with structural support, but also interact with cells in a biological manner. To achieve this goal, a frequently used cell adhesion peptide Arg–Gly–Asp (RGD) was covalently incorporated into poly(ethylene glycol) diacrylate (PEODA) hydrogel and its dosage effect (0.025, 1.25 and 2.5mm) on osteogenesis of marrow stromal cells in a three-dimensional environment was examined. Expression of bone-related markers, osteocalcin (OCN) and Alkaline phosphatase (ALP), increased significantly as the RGD concentration increased. Compared with no RGD, 2.5mm RGD group showed a 1344% increase in ALP production and a 277% increase in OCN accumulation in the medium. RGD helped MSCs maintain cbfa-1 expression when shifted from a two-dimensional environment to a three-dimensional environment. Soluble RGD was found to completely block the mineralization of marrow stromal cells, as manifested by quantitative calcium assay, phosphorus elemental analysis and Von Kossa staining. In conclusion, we have demonstrated that RGD-conjugated PEODA hydrogel promotes the osteogenesis of MSCs in a dosage-dependent manner, with 2.5mm being optimal concentration. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The development of biocompatible photopolymerizing polymers for biomedical and tissue engineering applications has the potential to reduce the invasiveness and cost of biomaterial implants designed to repair or augment tissues. However, more information is needed about the cellular toxicity of the compounds and initiators used in these systems. The current study evaluates the cellular toxicity of three ultraviolet sensitive photoinitiators on six different cell populations that are used for engineering numerous tissues. The photoinitiator 2-hydroxy-1-[4-(hydroxyethoxy)phenyl]-2-methyl-1-propanone (Irgacure 2959) caused minimal toxicity (cell death) over a broad range of mammalian cell types and species. It was also demonstrated that different cell types have variable responses to identical concentrations of the same photoinitiator. While inherent differences in the cell lines may contribute to the variable cytotoxicity, a correlation between cellular proliferation rate (population doubling time) and increased cytotoxicity of the photoinitiator was observed. Cell lines that divided more quickly were more sensitive to photoinitiator-induced cell death. In summary, the photoinitiator Irgacure 2959 is well tolerated by many cell types over a range of mammalian species. Cell photoencapsulation strategies may be optimized to improve cell survival by manipulating proliferation rate. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]