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Since its first description in 1908, the sternocleidomastoid flap (SCM) has gained popularity in head-and-neck reconstruction as a regional flap. We reported a 69-year-old Caucasian male who was evaluated in our clinic for a large, bloody, esophitic, and ulcerated lesion of the right temporoparotideal region associated with several actinic keratoses of the head skin. After resection of the tumor, taking into consideration the patient’s comorbidities and surgical defect characteristics, we decided to use the SCM flap for the reconstruction. The SCM flap was harvested as a muscular flap to avoid as possible skin paddle necrosis due to the poor conditions of the patient’s vessels. Moreover, considering the surgical site depth and to prevent a postsurgical excessive scar retraction, the muscle was covered with Integra® Dermal Regeneration Template single layer and a skin graft was harvested from the left thigh. The follow-up at 1 year confirmed that both oncological and reconstructive goals were successfully achieved. In our experience, the SCM flap in association with a dermal regeneration template and a skin graft can be considered as a reliable and possible option in temporal region reconstruction when local or systemic conditions of the patient do not permit other reconstructive options.

Introduction: This study explores the efficacy of Autologous Micrografts Technology (AMG) in treating chronic wounds refractory to traditional therapies., Methods: AMGs, derived from adipose tissue or dermis using a mechanical fragmentation process, were applied to patients with post-surgical dehiscence. A comprehensive evaluation of wound healing outcomes, including surface area reduction and complete healing, was conducted over a 90-day follow-up period. Additionally, the study investigated the cellular antioxidant activity of AMG solutions and characterized the exosomes obtained through mechanical disaggregation., Results: Results indicate significant improvements ( p  < 0.05) in wound healing, with 91.66% of patients showing at least a 50% reduction in lesion size and 75% achieving complete healing by day 90. Notably, AMG technology demonstrated immediate efficacy with fat-only application, while combined dermis and fat micrografts showed longer-term benefits, particularly in chronic wounds. The study also elucidated the mechanism of action of AMGs, highlighting their role in enhancing cellular antioxidant activity and exosome-mediated tissue regeneration., Discussion: Overall, these findings underscore the promising potential of AMG technology as a versatile and effective treatment option for chronic wounds, warranting further investigation into its mechanisms and clinical applications., Competing Interests: EP belongs to the R&D department of HBW srl, the company owner of the Rigenera Micrografting Technology. The remaining authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2024 Baglioni, Perego, Paolin, Abate, Pusceddu, Zavan and Bocchiotti.)

Purpose: In modern breast cancer treatment, a growing role has been observed for breast reconstruction together with an increase in clinical indications for postmastectomy radiotherapy (PMRT). Choosing the optimum type of reconstructive technique is a clinical challenge. We therefore conducted a national multicenter study to analyze the impact of PMRT on breast reconstruction., Methods: We conducted a retrospective case-control multicenter study on women undergoing breast reconstruction. Data were collected from 18 Italian Breast Centres and stored in a cumulative database which included the following: autologous reconstruction, direct-to-implant (DTI), and tissue expander/immediate (TE/I). For all patients, we described complications and surgical endpoints to complications such as reconstruction failure, explant, change in type of reconstruction, and reintervention., Results: From 2001 to April 2020, 3116 patients were evaluated. The risk for any complication was significantly increased in patients receiving PMRT (aOR, 1.73; 95% CI, 1.33-2.24; p < 0.001). PMRT was associated with a significant increase in the risk of capsular contracture in the DTI and TE/I groups (aOR, 2.24; 95% CI, 1.57-3.20; p < 0.001). Comparing type of procedures, the risk of failure (aOR, 1.82; 95% CI, 1.06-3.12, p =0.030), explant (aOR, 3.34; 95% CI, 3.85-7.83, p < 0.001), and severe complications (aOR, 2.54; 95% CI, 1.88-3.43, p < 0.001) were significantly higher in the group undergoing DTI reconstruction as compared to TE/I reconstruction., Conclusion: Our study confirms that autologous reconstruction is the procedure least impacted by PMRT, while DTI appears to be the most impacted by PMRT, when compared with TE/I which shows a lower rate of explant and reconstruction failure. The trial is registered with NCT04783818, and the date of registration is 1 March, 2021, retrospectively registered., Competing Interests: The authors declare that they have no conflicts of interest., (Copyright © 2023 Andrea Vittorio Emanuele Lisa et al.)

Background: The most effective dissection technique for elevating flaps in body contouring is still controversial, particularly in high-risk massive weight loss (MWL) patients. LigaSure (Medtronic, Dublin, Ireland) is an energy device commonly used among different surgical specialties to reduce morbidity and improve outcomes. The aim of this study is to investigate the effectiveness of LigaSure Impact and LigaSure Small Jaw in body contouring after MWL compared with conventional technique., Material and Methods: Patients who underwent abdominoplasty, mastopexy, brachioplasty and thigh lift after MWL at a single center from 1 December 2018 to 1 March 2020 were retrospectively reviewed. In each procedure patients were divided into two groups according to the dissection technique: LigaSure group and monopolar electrosurgery group. Patients characteristics, perioperative details and postoperative complications were evaluated., Results: Fourty-five patients underwent abdominoplasty, twenty-six mastopexy, twenty brachioplasty and sixteen medial thigh lift. Using LigaSure, operative time was longer in abdominoplasty and thigh lift, but shorter in mastopexy and brachioplasty. Although not statistically significant, the amount of blood and serum recorded from drains in the first 36 hours was reduced in LigaSure groups. Additional analgesic intake was reduced with LigaSure as well as postoperative subjective pain. In all body contouring procedures statistically significant difference was found in days of hospital stay favoring LigaSure groups. Complications occurred most frequently in control groups compared to LigaSure groups., Conclusion: LigaSure Impact and LigaSure Small Jaw may be beneficial in improving outcomes because they might reduce fluids drainage, analgesics intake, hospital stay and postoperative complications.

Background: Autologous fat grafting (AFG), defined as the re-implant to the breast of fat tissue from different body areas, has been firstly applied to esthetic plastic surgery and then has moved to reconstructive surgery, mainly used for scar correction and opposite breast altering. Nevertheless, due to the potentially unsafe stem-like properties of adipocytes at the tumoral bed level, no clear evidence of the procedure's oncological safety has been clearly documented at present., Patients and Methods: We retrospectively collected data of early breast cancer (BC) patients from 17 Italian Breast Units and assessed differences in terms of locoregional recurrence rate (LRR) and locoregional recurrence-free survival (LRFS) between patients who underwent AFG and patients who did not. Differences were analyzed in the entire cohort of invasive tumors and in different subgroups, according to prognostic biological subtypes., Results: With a median follow-up time of 60 months, LRR was 5.3% (n = 71) in the matched population, 3.9% (n = 18) in the AFG group, and 6.1% (n = 53) in the non-AFG group, suggesting non-inferiority of AFG (p = 0.084). Building Kaplan-Meier curves confirmed non-inferiority of the AFG procedure for LRFS (aHR 0.73, 95% CI 0.41-1.30, p = 0.291). The same effect, in terms of LRFS, was also documented among different biological subtypes (luminal-like group, aHR 0.76, 95% CI 0.34-1.68, p = 0.493; HER2 enriched-like, aHR 0.89, 95% CI 0.19-4.22, p = 0.882; and TNBC, aHR 0.61, 95% CI 0.12-2.98, p = 0.543)., Conclusions: Our study confirms in a very large, multicenter cohort of early BC patients that, aside the well-known benefits on the esthetic result, AFG do not interfere negatively with cancer prognosis., (© 2021. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature.)

Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are implicated in the crosstalk between adipocytes and other metabolic organs, and an altered biological cargo has been observed in EVs from human obese adipose tissue (AT). Yet, the role of adipocyte-derived EVs in pancreatic β cells remains to be determined. Here, we explored the effects of EVs released from adipocytes isolated from both rodents and humans and human AT explants on survival and function of pancreatic β cells and human pancreatic islets. EVs from healthy 3T3-L1 adipocytes increased survival and proliferation and promoted insulin secretion in INS-1E β cells and human pancreatic islets, both those untreated or exposed to cytokines or glucolipotoxicity, whereas EVs from inflamed adipocytes caused β cell death and dysfunction. Human lean adipocyte-derived EVs produced similar beneficial effects, whereas EVs from obese AT explants were harmful for human EndoC-βH3 β cells. We observed differential expression of miRNAs in EVs from healthy and inflamed adipocytes, as well as alteration in signaling pathways and expression of β cell genes, adipokines, and cytokines in recipient β cells. These in vitro results suggest that, depending on the physiopathological state of AT, adipocyte-derived EVs may influence β cell fate and function.

Upper extremity body reshaping is a very frequent surgical procedure in massive weight loss patients. Many surgeons have presented different patterns of brachioplasty skin excision and a variety of adjunctive techniques, each of them claiming improvements in scar aesthetic, arm shape or overall safety of the procedure. In this pape,r we want to illustrate our personal brachioplasty technique for massive weight loss patients. Our incision design named 'J' Brachioplasty is described. Between March 2013 and March 2016, a retrospective study of patients with massive weight loss and clinical diagnosis of brachial ptosis undergoing surgical reconstruction with 'J' brachioplasty was performed. All patients were treated according to a standard surgical procedure described in detail in the paper. The presence of axillary and thoracic skin excess was also recorded for every subject, as well as clinical and surgical postoperative complications. A total number of 73 Caucasian underwent J-shaped brachioplasty. Our technique allowed us to treat both arm and thoracic skin excess with a single skin incision. Among our casuistic we had only two cases of postoperative bleeding and four cases of partial wound dehiscence due to tension. Seroma was reported only in one (female) patient. Despite the recent introduction our technique has proven to reach good results in massive weight loss patients.

Fournier's gangrene is an acute bacterial infection producing necrosis of the perineum and external genitalia that generally affects elderly men. Although skin grafts and flaps are the standard procedure for reconstruction, sometimes wounds can become chronic. Rigenera Protocol is a new technique based on autologous skin micrografts that reactivates and supports wound healing. A 40-year-old male with Fournier's gangrene, due to a rectal microperforation following diarrhoea, was treated with surgical debridement, negative pressure wound therapy and subsequently coverage with skin grafts. He developed non-healing wounds treated by Rigenera protocol after two months of advanced wound dressings. This technique is based on skin micrografts obtained by mechanical dermal disgregation to provide mesenchymal stem cells and extracellular matrix to the wound. The suspension injected into the wound triggers reactivation of healing without significant residual scarring on both donor site and treated area. Non-healing wounds were reduced by 15% at day 7 and by 50% after 30 days. Wounds completely healed after seventy days. The regenerated tissue appeared closer to skin graft than to scar tissue. This report shows how the use of skin micrografts through Rigenera protocol can be a useful method to reactivate wound healing resulting from Fournier's gangrene, with no discomfort for patient in a practical, safe and easy way.

The postoperative dressing in patients undergoing thigh lift is often difficult, not very resistant to movement, and uncomfortable for the patient, and often exposes surgical site to infection, maceration, or delay in wound healing., Methods: We included 40 patients in a case-control crossover study with no period effects, who were treated both by Aquacel Surgical and a traditional wound dressing. Surveys with a 10-point scale evaluation were used to assess nontraumatic removal level, ease of application, adhesion, and strength of the 2 treatments. We reported the number of days necessary for wound healing, the number of infection cases, and wound-related complications. Costs of the 2 medications were also considered. Ten days after surgery, patients answered a questionnaire with 6 multiple-choice questions to assess comfort, pain at dressing change, pruritus, strength, and number of dressing changes., Results: Compared with controls, surveys revealed Aquacel Surgical to be less traumatic to remove, easier to apply, and to be more adherent and stronger. Significant acceleration of the wound healing was also evident with Aquacel Surgical compared with the traditional dressing. Nonsignificant differences were reported about the risk of infection and wound-related complications between the 2 treatments. A statistical analysis of costs revealed that Aquacel Surgical is significantly more expensive than the traditional medication., Conclusion: We recommend the use of Aquacel Surgical in all the surgery procedures where the risk of wound dehiscence and maceration is high., Competing Interests: The authors have no financial interest to declare in relation to the content of this article. This study was funded, in part, by an unrestricted research grant from ConvaTec Italia S.r.l. Via della Sierra Nevada, 60 Rome, Italy 00144. The Article Processing Charge was paid by ConvaTec Italia S.r.l.

Many techniques for nipple-areola complex (NAC) reconstruction are described. Clarity is required on the currently available options. Since a complete list of all the techniques described until now is not available, a possibly comprehensive literature overview was carried out from 75 papers (years 1946-2015). The local flap was the most frequently described technique for the nipple reconstruction with no significant difference in complications' rate among the various types of techniques. Complications in nipple reconstruction were 46.9% after graft, 7.9% after local flap, and 5.3% in case of flaps with autologous graft/alloplastic/allograft augmentation, while complications in areola reconstruction were 10.1% after graft, and 1.6% after areola tattoo. Flaps appear to be more reliable than grafts in nipple reconstruction, while tattoo is thought to be safer than graft in areola reconstruction. The loss of projection, although considerable (45%-75%), had not significant impact on patients' satisfaction. Due to contraction, overcorrection of 25-50% of the desired result is advisory when adopting local flaps, in order to prevent loss of projection. The use of flaps with autologous graft/alloplastic/allograft augmentation (cartilage, fat, calcium hydroxylapatite, acellular dermal matrix, polymethylmethacrylate, biologic collagen) showed a minor loss of nipple projection but may expose to a relative increased number of postoperative flap necrosis., (Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Background/aim: The closure of postoperative wounds is essential in order to prevent surgical site infections or wound dehiscence, mainly in oncological patients. We aimed to demonstrate the efficacy of autologous micrografts in the management of wound dehiscence in an oncology patient undergoing decompressive spinal laminectomy., Case Report: A 57-year-old man with IgG multiple myeloma and medullary plasmocytoma C7-T3, was to undergo decompressive spinal laminectomy and vertebral fixation leading to a wound dehiscence with exposed instrumentation. Autologous micrografts were obtained by Rigenera protocol and directly applied to the dehisced wound. After 60 days of negative pressure wound therapy, we observed reduction of the diameter and depth of wound dehiscence, with a coverage of instrumentation, without complete re-epithelialization, that instead was reached by application of autologous micrografts after 70 days., Conclusion: The Rigenera protocol may be the solution for complex wounds in oncological and immune-compromised patients where other treatments are contraindicated., (Copyright© 2016 International Institute of Anticancer Research (Dr. John G. Delinassios), All rights reserved.)

Background: Rhinoplasty is considered the most challenging chapter of plastic surgery due to its variability and the continuing evolution of surgical maneuvers. Worksheets became essential to unequivocally record surgical steps and to demonstrate their reciprocal effects/interactions during the follow-up period. After 1989, no other software was created to upgrade the Gunter Rhinoplasty Diagrams, the forefather and benchmark of the rhinoplasty "virtual" worksheet maker., Methods: The authors built a new standard three-dimensional nasal framework model in STL format. All the basic components were modified to simulate the interaction among sutures, grafts, and the most common maneuvers performed during rhinoplasty. The authors created a total of 669 (99 built-in units and 285 unilateral units) three-dimensional figures which can be selected by the surgeon from among 230 options. The interface for the surgeon is Bergamo 3D Rhinoplasty Software., Results: Bergamo 3D Rhinoplasty Software is made up of the database section, which gathers all the patient's personal information and documents, and the surgery section, which groups multiple selection lists in 10 surgical areas. Eighty percent of the options modify the original shape of the three-dimensional model. Several options help the surgeon to tailor the final result and to export it both in desktop software and in a real three-dimensional printed model., Conclusions: Bergamo Rhinoplasty Software revolutionizes the concept of patient and surgical data storage. Furthermore, the immediacy of three dimensions facilitates communication with patients, allows case sharing with colleagues, simplifies teaching, and encourages the surgeon's self-analysis and professional growth. Customization of the original model and of the maneuvers is the main limitation of the software, because of the currently existing technology in 2014.

Salivary fistulas are frequent complications in oral oncological reconstructive surgery by means of pedicled or free flaps. The most common risk factors are malnutrition, advanced disease, and healing alterations due to radiation therapy or infections. However, they can be observed also in healthy patients where the flap suture breakdown is the only cause. During the reconstructive phase, flaps are anchored to the remnant tongue, hyoid bone, and residual gingival mucosa; the last structure often does not offer suitable margins for a strong suture. The aim of this study was to propose a transmandibular fixation of the flap that allows, in a safe, efficient, and unexpensive way, the creation of a saliva-proof neofloor of the mouth, independently from the quality and thickness of residual gingival mucosa.

The rate of margins involvement and the associated recurrence risk in basal cell carcinomas (BCCs) varies widely in published works (7%-25% and 26%-67%, respectively). This study investigated the risk factors associated with incomplete excision and their relevance in surgical management when positive margins occur in 3957 BCCs excised in 2358 patients. This study performed a multivariate analysis on the database collected from all patients operated for BCCs in the Plastic Surgery Department between 1 January 1992 and 1 September 2007. All data collected (3957 excisions; 2358 individuals) were divided into complete and incomplete excisions groups and analyzed according to 14 variables. The overall rate of incomplete excisions was 14%. Mean age (68), size of the lesion (< 0.5 cm), BCC subtype (nodular with sclerosant aspects, sclerosant and basosquamous), location (face), infiltration depth (hypodermis and deep tissues), recurrent BCC and re-excised BCC were significantly associated with a higher rate of incomplete excision. The recurrence rate for incompletely excised tumours was 26.8%, while only 5.9% for completely excised tumours. Most of the risk factors associated to incomplete excision can be identified before surgery (by simple anamnesis and clinical examination) and successfully overcome by appropriate surgical margins. The high recurrence rate after incomplete excision and the low patient compliance towards follow-up should lead the surgeon to early re-excise residual cancer.

Wounds can be caused by different mechanisms and have a significant morbidity and mortality. Negative pressure wound therapy (NPWT) is one of the most successful treatment modalities for wound healing. We have been using both foam and gauze-based NPWT. During application of NPWT, we noticed that the patient's pain was of varying intensity depending on the filler used. The aim of our work was to compare the level of pain and feedback before, during the treatment and at the dressing change after treatment with NPWT with two different fillers. For this study, we compared a pool of 13 gauze-treated patients with a pool of 18 foam-treated patients regarding the level of pain and feedback before, during the treatment and at the dressing change after treatment with NPWT. They were all post-traumatic patients with loss of tissue up to the muscular band. The patients were asked to respond to a questionnaire interviewed by the same physician to assess the level of pain using VNS (verbal numerical scale). We observed similar difference of means before and during the treatment with NPWT with gauze and foam. Regarding the pain at the dressing change, the mean of the scores for the foam was 6·5 while for the gauze was 4·15. In this case, we noticed the most significant difference between means from the scores given: 2·35 which was a statistically significant difference between the two groups (P = 0·046). The finding of this study confirms less pain at the dressing change after treatment with gauze-based NPWT. In our opinion, this finding is related to the more adhesive property of the foam probably because of the ingrowth of the granulation tissue in the micropores present on the foam. Considering this statement, we recommend the foam for neuropathic and paraplegic patients and the gauze for patients with bone and tendon exposition wounds, patients that do not tolerate NPWT with foam and low compliant patient particularly paediatric and old-age patients. We remind that the performance of this study was not sponsored by any company., (© 2011 The Authors. © 2011 Blackwell Publishing Ltd and Medicalhelplines.com Inc.)

Negative pressure wound therapy (NPWT) is becoming routine for the preparation of wounds prior to grafting for wound closure. We have been using both foam- and gauze-based NPWT to prepare wounds for closure prior to skin grafting and have obtained similar proportions of closed wounds; 7/7 for wounds treated with gauze-based NPWT and 11/11 for wounds treated with foam-based NPWT. In our follow-up consultations we observed that skin grafts on the foam-treated patients were less pliable than those on the gauze-treated patients. To assess what the mechanism of this effect might be, we compared the specific details of the treatments of both 11 foam and 7 gauze patients, including depth, location, patients' age and co-morbidity; biopsies of granulation and scar tissue were taken and stained with haematoxylin-eosin and by Masson's trichrome staining and conducted ultrasound analysis of the closed wounds, to see if there were features which explained those effects. All foam patients were treated at -125 mm Hg for an average of 25·9 days before skin grafts were applied. All gauze patients were treated at -80 mm Hg for an average of 24·7 days before skin grafts were applied. Biopsies of granulation tissue prior to skin grafting from five foam and four gauze-based NPWT patients did not reveal any obvious histological differences between the treatments. Ultrasound analysis of the skin-grafted wounds showed an average depth of scar tissue of 18 mm in the wound beds of the foam-treated wounds and 7 mm in the gauze-treated ones. Biopsies taken on the scar tissue after treatment with the gauze showed a minor tissue thickness and disorganisation and less sclerotic components. The findings of this preliminary analysis suggest that foam-based NPWT may induce a thicker layer of scar tissue beneath skin grafts than gauze-based NPWT which might explain a reduced pliability of the reconstructed bed. At present it is unclear which mechanism might be responsible for the difference in pressure (-125 versus -80 mm Hg), either the length of the time taken to reconstruct the wound bed or the intrinsic nature of the foam or gauze on the tissue surface. Prospective studies are necessary to investigate whether these preliminary observations are confirmed and to investigate what the mechanism might be., (© 2011 The Authors. © 2011 Blackwell Publishing Ltd and Medicalhelplines.com Inc.)

Surgical reconstruction of the oral commissure aims to restore both symmetry of the lips at rest and, more importantly, full oral competence. Moulding the lip commissure with functional and cosmetic fidelity remains till today a difficult task. A possible surgical solution, the 'elastic flap' principle described by Goldstein, may be found in the wide full-thickness mobilization of the upper and lower vermilion as two composite myocutaneous flaps - tissue sandwiches consisting of labial skin, orbicularis oris muscle and oral mucosa - on the axial pattern of the superior and inferior labial arteries. Based on the contralateral commissure, both flaps are easily 'stretched', accordion-like, to reach the predetermined point of the new commissure, using to full advantage the inherent elastic potential of both vermilions. The fibres of the orbicularis oris muscle at each end of both flaps are embricated to reconstitute a neo-modiolus, which is anchored to the residual buccinator muscle in primary reconstructions, or to the available peri-oral fibrous tissue in secondary procedures. The authors present a select group of 22 patients, who, between 1993 and 2008, underwent this reconstruction procedure for primary or secondary defects involving the oral commissure. The results were generally satisfactory, both functionally and cosmetically. The advantages of this procedure include full restoration of the dynamic function of the orbicularis ring in a single-stage operation and avoidance of either lipswitching procedures or of mobilization of mucosa and cheek skin. The final scars remain well camouflaged within the oral mucosa and the mucocutaneous junction of each lip., ((c) 2008 British Association of Plastic, Reconstructive and Aesthetic Surgeons. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Relatively small soft-tissue defects of the lower leg following tumor excision are usually treated, especially in older patients, by split-thickness skin grafting. On specific sites where periosteum or paratenon is exposed, as well as when a skin graft is best avoided for cosmetic reasons, an excellent alternative option is the use of posterior tibial artery perforator flaps.Such flaps are designed and elevated "on demand," ie, according to the defect location and on whichever perforator is best found suited to supply the flap and allow adequate transposition.However, operative time is longer, and the surgeon needs to be judicious in dissection, as well as versatile in choosing the best flap design after identifying a suitable perforator.Between 2003 and 2008, 24 patients underwent this procedure, with uniformly successful result except for 2 partial flap necrosis.The advantages of posterior tibial artery perforator flaps are a quick and usually safe procedure, which provides good contour with excellent color, texture, and thickness match, with long-term stability of the reconstruction at the expense of minimal donor-site morbidity.

The first choice for internal mucosal restoration of the nose is a septal mucosal or vestibular local flap. The forehead flap, raised including the galeal layer, is an alternative option for large nasal defects. It can be used in any difficult situation in which septal or vestibular flaps are not adoptable, such as complete loss of lower one-third. The authors intend to describe the inclusion of galea in the traditional median forehead flap for nasal lining reconstruction. Thirteen patients treated with a forehead flap including galea for lower one-third nasal reconstruction were retrospectively reviewed. No complete flaps necrosis occurred. In 1 case, lining was lost due to infection. In 2 cases a moderate nostril stenosis was observed as late complication. The forehead flap with galea is a good option for large nasal full-thickness defects, involving the lower one-third.

Background: After massive weight loss, both upper and lower limbs show a similar deformity which consists of redundancy and ptosis of the cutaneous mantle. Many disturbances are associated with this abnormality, which can be treated surgically. A retrospective review of limb-contouring procedures after massive weight loss is presented., Methods: Thigh lift and arm lift procedures are described. All surgeries of upper and lower limbs contouring performed between 2003 and 2006 are reviewed with regard to quantity of tissue removed, comorbidities, complications and patients' satisfaction, which was surveyed through a questionnaire exploring functional and esthetic results (maximum score 3)., Results: Among 48 bilateral limb-contouring procedures, medial thigh lifts were 35 (73%) and brachioplasties were 13 (27%). Mean age was 46 and average body mass index variation was 20 kg/m(2). The most frequent comorbidity was gallstones (28%). In 46% of the whole group of patients, there was no complication to mention. The most frequent complication was acute anaemia in both procedures (43% in thigh lift and 54% in arm lift). Mean quantity of adipose-dermoid tissue removed was 766 g in thigh lift and 463 g in arm lift. In case of surgery combined with liposuction, the average aspirated volume was 1,933 ml (thighs) and 1,117 ml (arms). Patients' satisfaction was 2.7 for thighs and 2.6 for arms, as average., Conclusion: The rate of complications in limb contouring after weight loss is higher than the analogue esthetic procedures. Nevertheless, due to the rehabilitative significance of limb surgery after weight loss, this step is to be included as fundamental in obese patients' surgical therapy.

Background: Launois-Bensaude syndrome is a rare pathology consisting of adipose masses symmetrically distributed mainly in the superior part of the body. Men are especially affected between age of 30 and 60 as well as chronic alcohol abusers. Etiopathogenesis is attributable to mutations or deletions of mitochondrial DNA, and alcohol is a possible cofactor., Methods: The current treatment of the disease is described based on the authors' experience. Four cases treated in our department are retrospectively reviewed regarding comorbidities and type of surgery performed., Results: A relevant and long-lasting reduction of fat bulges has been obtained in all cases with no major complications except for a mild anemia., Conclusion: Launois-Bensaude syndrome causes a functional rather than esthetic concern due to the peculiar localization of fat bulges. Currently, the only effective therapy is surgery, through lipectomy or liposuction of adipose bulges.

This study was undertaken to determine the efficacy of delayed surgical treatment in cases of persistent radial nerve paralysis after fractures of the middle third of the humerus. We have limited this study to patients who had absolutely no functional recovery of the radial nerve 3 to 4 months after middle third humeral fractures. The fractures were treated by a variety of orthopaedic methods, conservative and surgical, in other departments and hospitals. Surgical exploration of the radial nerve was carried out 3 to 4 months after primary orthopaedic treatment. The outcome of this study concurs with data in the literature in showing that delayed nerve surgery (neurolysis or nerve grafts) in the absence of functional recovery of the radial nerve after humeral fracture can be useful in achieving good functional recovery and subjectively satisfying results.

Background: Morbid obesity is associated with various co-morbidities. With the significant weight loss, new dysfunctions arise, and prior body contour disorders start to severely affect the patient's quality of life. The abdominal apron is generally the greater and the first disturbance faced by the post-bariatric patient., Methods: The authors retrospectively reviewed their clinical experience in the treatment of those disorders through abdominoplasty. The benefits in terms of relief of said disorders and drawbacks in terms of surgical complications are described., Results: 117 abdominoplasties were performed from January 2002 to December 2005 on patients who had lost significant weight. The tissue removed ranged from 400 g to 10,500 g of adipose-cutaneous tissue (mean 2,276.5 g). Mean duration of the procedure was 4 hours and 25 minutes, with a maximum of 7 and a minimum of 2 and 40. Complication rate was 50.43%., Conclusion: Abdominoplasty in the post-obese patient is an apparently simple procedure, which in fact causes a high rate of surgical complications. The complication rate is higher than that of cosmetic abdominoplasties. Nevertheless, the improvement in quality of life following such a procedure renders it a fundamental step in the rehabilitation of the formerly obese patient.

Aim of the Study: The Authors intend to guide the choice of surgical treatment for mammary asymmetry, according to specific form of asymmetry., Material and Methods: Possible types of symmetryzation surgery are listed. First Author's personal technique is described and some clinical cases are presented., Discussion: Regardless to specific surgical needs for the single case, a generally valid concept is the necessity of a surgical moulding meant to obtain the same volume for both breasts before positioning of implants. This allows a longer lasting symmetry between breasts, as aging modifications bilaterally occur at equal speed if the adipo-glandular structures obtained have the same volume.

The inframammary fold (IMF) represents one of the most important anatomic landmarks in defining a woman's breast ptosis and inferior quadrant shape. Therefore it is important to preserve it, if this is oncologically safe, at the time of excisional surgery. If it is sacrificed, dislocated cranially or caudally, or there is a thick panniculus adiposus with a poor definition of the fold, it is necessary to recreate it. We present our experience in the reconstruction of the IMF in patients suffering from post-oncologic mastectomy, reconstructed with silicone implants. From January 2000 to May 2004 at the Plastic Surgery Department of the University of Turin, 74 reconstructions of the IMF were performed through Nava's technique, partially modified by us. We believe that IMF reconstruction, through fixation of cutis, subcutis and fascia superficialis to VI rib, along with capsulectomy of periprotesic pocket inferior quadrants, is a milestone for achieving, in selected cases, a good aesthetic result in terms of shape, ptosis and projection of inferior pole. The comparison between patients' opinions (obtained through questionnaires) and surgeon's, at 1 year after the reconstruction, shows that both are satisfied with the achieved outcome in terms of shape, projection, symmetry, ptosis and IMF definition. Another comparison was made between cases of fold preservation and cases of fold reconstruction, with a remarkable similarity of aesthetic satisfaction. The technique proposed here appears to be the current method of choice for IMF reconstruction in all cases where it is necessary to recreate or redefine it.

Supporters of traditional rhinoplasty and promoters of open rhinoplasty have debated their approaches for many years. From among different possible techniques, a surgeon must always choose the approach that provides the best aesthetic result. The surgeon's experience and artistic sense are essential for the closed technique, whereby most of the corrections are performed without exposing the nasal frame. The open technique allows a greater operating range with a direct view of the nasal structure, resulting in improved precision in modeling the cartilages. However, the absence of intact skin cover exposes the surgeon to a less precise overall aesthetic evaluation. This report highlights the marginal technique, described in 1990 by Guerrerosantos, which uses a two-sided circular incision permitting complete dissection of the alar cartilages and the overhead skin cover of the columella. This approach, together with the extramucous technique, permits complete exposure of the skin and nasal septum without a columella incision. Therefore, the marginal technique is suitable for primary rhinoplasty cases in which complex modeling of the nasal tip and an excellent aesthetic result are required.

Obesity is an increasingly common disease, whose complex treatment often terminates with the patient's discontinuation of therapies. The authors suggest how to improve a multidisciplinary approach to the obese, to increase compliance with therapy. A characterization of obesity is a helpful initial step. It consists of an accurate anatomic definition of fat distribution, which can more accurately be performed by imaging (U/S, CT, MRI). The patient's obesity should also be identified based on the physical characteristics that we propose. The plastic surgeon's intervention is often required and beneficial in every type of obesity. Many body areas are appropriate for contouring. Apart from providing a gain in esthetic appearance, plastic surgery also results in several benefits for the patient's general health.

Early reconstructive treatment of war-related lower extremity injuries can be feasible even when evacuation to ideal tertiary facilities is impossible. However, in such instances, lengthy procedures considered "state of the art" in the everyday civilian practice of plastic surgery are often impractical, and alternative options need to be sought. Undelayed distally based fasciocutaneous flaps of the leg have recently been used in 12 cases of extensive defects of the foot due to antipersonnel mine injuries. All patients, treated during the conflict in Bosnia-Herzegovina, were smokers and were between 17 and 45 years of age. No preoperative arteriography or Doppler was available. One flap was totally lost, and two others suffered tip necrosis. All other cases healed uneventfully. We were impressed at the reliability of distally based fasciocutaneous flaps, even with length-to-width ratios of up to 5:1, and even after distal deepithelialization or tubing of the pedicle. The whole foot can be reached when the appropriate lateral or medial based flap is selected. Obvious disadvantages are the grafted secondary defect of the leg and the lack of sensation, although the latter is a common feature shared by most other flaps to the foot. Also, free-muscle transfer is preferable for very deep defects with extensive bone loss. However, for the ease of dissection, versatility, and short operating time, distally based fasciocutaneous flaps find a definite place in reconstructive trauma surgery.