Search

Background. Although upper extremity (UE) vascularized composite allotransplantation (VCA) aims to improve quality of life, relatively few have been performed worldwide to support evidence-based treatment and informed decision-making. Methods. We qualitatively examined factors contributing to anticipated and actual decision-making about UE VCA and perceptions of the elements of informed consent among people with UE amputations, and UE VCA candidates, participants, and recipients through in-depth interviews. Thematic analysis was used to analyze qualitative data. Results. Fifty individuals participated; most were male (78%) and had a mean age of 45 y and a unilateral amputation (84%). One-third (35%) were “a lot” or “completely” willing to pursue UE VCA. UE VCA decision-making themes included the utility of UE VCA, psychosocial impact of UE VCA and amputation on individuals’ lives, altruism, and anticipated burden of UE VCA on lifestyle. Most respondents who underwent UE VCA evaluation (n = 8/10) perceived having no reasonable treatment alternatives. Generally, respondents (n = 50) recognized the potential for familial, societal, cultural, medical, and self-driven pressures to pursue UE VCA among individuals with amputations. Some (n = 9/50, 18%) reported personally feeling “a little,” “somewhat,” “a lot,” or “completely” pressured to pursue UE VCA. Respondents recommended that individuals be informed about the option of UE VCA near the amputation date. Conclusions. Our study identified psychosocial and other factors affecting decision-making about UE VCA, which should be addressed to enhance informed consent. Study participants’ perceptions and preferences about UE VCA suggest re-examination of assumptions guiding the UE VCA clinical evaluation process.

Background: Upper extremity vascularized composite allotransplantation is a life-enhancing reconstructive treatment option that aims to improve recipients’ quality of life and maximize function. This study assessed upper extremity vascularized composite allotransplantation patient selection criteria perceptions among individuals with upper extremity limb loss. The perceptions of individuals with upper extremity limb loss on patient selection criteria may enable vascularized composite allotransplantation centers to improve criteria to avoid mismatched expectations about the posttransplant vascularized composite allotransplantation experience and outcomes. Realistic patient expectations may increase patient adherence, improve outcomes, and reduce vascularized composite allotransplantation graft loss. Methods: We conducted in-depth interviews with civilian and military service members with upper extremity limb loss and upper extremity vascularized composite allotransplantation candidates, participants, and recipients from three US institutions. Interviews assessed perceptions of patient selection criteria for suitability as a candidate for upper extremity vascularized composite allotransplantation. Thematic analysis was used to analyze qualitative data. Results: A total of 50 individuals participated (66% participation rate). Most participants were male (78%), White (72%), with a unilateral limb loss (84%), and a mean age of 45 years. Six themes emerged regarding upper extremity vascularized composite allotransplantation patient selection criteria, including support for candidates who: (1) are of younger age, (2) are in good physical health, (3) have mental stability, (4) are willing to “put in the work,” (5) have specific amputation characteristics, and (6) have sufficient social support. Patients had preferences about selecting candidates with unilateral versus bilateral limb loss. Conclusions: Our findings suggest that numerous factors, including medical, social, and psychological characteristics, inform patients’ perceptions of patient selection criteria for upper extremity vascularized composite allotransplantation. Patient perceptions of patient selection criteria should inform the development of validated screening measures that optimize patient outcomes.

Abstract Soft tissue reconstruction remains an intractable clinical challenge as current surgical options and synthetic implants may produce inadequate outcomes. Soft tissue deficits may be surgically reconstructed using autologous adipose tissue, but these procedures can lead to donor site morbidity, require multiple procedures, and have highly variable outcomes. To address this clinical need, we developed an “off-the-shelf” adipose extracellular matrix (ECM) biomaterial from allograft human tissue (Acellular Adipose Tissue, AAT). We applied physical and chemical processing methods to remove lipids and create an injectable matrix that mimicked the properties of lipoaspirate. Biological activity was assessed using cell migration and adipogenesis assays. Characterization of regenerative immune properties in a murine muscle injury model revealed that allograft and xenograft AAT induced pro-regenerative CD4+ T cells and macrophages with xenograft AAT additionally attracting eosinophils secreting interleukin 4 (Il4). In immunocompromised mice, AAT injections retained similar volumes as human fat grafts but lacked cysts and calcifications seen in the fat grafts. The combination of AAT with human adipose-derived stem cells (ASCs) resulted in lower implant volumes. However, tissue remodeling and adipogenesis increased significantly in combination with ASCs. Larger injected volumes of porcine-derived AAT demonstrated biocompatibility and greater retention when applied allogeneicly in Yorkshire cross pigs. AAT was implanted in healthy volunteers in abdominal tissue that was later removed by elective procedures. AAT implants were well tolerated in all human subjects. Implants removed between 1 and 18 weeks demonstrated increasing cellular infiltration and immune populations, suggesting continued tissue remodeling and the potential for long-term tissue replacement.

BackgroundPeople with upper extremity (UE) amputations report receiving insufficient information about treatment options. Furthermore, patients commonly report not knowing what questions to ask providers. A question prompt sheet (QPS), or list of questions, can support patient-centered care by empowering patients to ask questions important to them, promoting patient-provider communication, and increasing patient knowledge. This study assessed information needs among people with UE amputations about UE vascularized composite allotransplantation (VCA) and developed a UE VCA-QPS.MethodsThis multi-site, cross-sectional, mixed-methods study involved in-depth and semi-structured interviews with people with UE amputations to assess information needs and develop a UE VCA-QPS. Qualitative data were analyzed by thematic analysis; quantitative data were analyzed by descriptive statistics. The initial UE VCA-QPS included 130 items across 18 topics.ResultsEighty-nine people with UE amputations participated. Most were male (73%), had a mean age of 46 years, and had a unilateral (84%) and below-elbow amputation (56%). Participants desired information about UE VCA eligibility, evaluation process, surgery, risks, rehabilitation, and functional outcomes. After refinement, the final UE VCA-QPS included 35 items, across 9 topics. All items were written at a ≤ 6th grade reading level. Most semi-structured interview participants (86%) reported being ‘completely’ or ‘very’ likely to use a UE VCA-QPS.ConclusionPeople with UE amputations have extensive information needs about UE VCA. The UE VCA-QPS aims to address patients’ information needs and foster patient-centered care. Future research should assess whether the UE VCA-QPS facilitates patient-provider discussion and informed decision-making for UE VCA.

Background:. This study investigates the effect of prophylactic perioperative antibiotic use on patients with small burns [≤20% total body surface area (TBSA)] on rates of infection, graft loss, or readmission. Methods:. A retrospective chart review was conducted on patients admitted to our institution’s burn center between January 2020 and July 2021. Patients were included if they had a 20% or less TBSA burn with 1 or more operating room visit for burn excision and were excluded if a preoperative infection was present. Data were gathered regarding patient demographics, burn mechanism, burn characteristics, and outcome measures including infection, graft loss, and readmission. Statistical analysis was conducted by Mann–Whitney U and Fisher exact tests, and P values reported at two-sided significance of less than 0.05. Results:. There were no significant differences in age, body mass index, TBSA, percent third-degree burn, or comorbidities between patients who received (n = 29) or did not receive (n = 47) prophylactic perioperative antibiotics. There was a nonsignificant trend toward higher length of stay in the prophylactic antibiotic group, possibly driven by a nonsignificant trend toward higher rates of flame injuries in this group. There was no difference in infection (P = 0.544), graft loss (P = 0.494), or 30-day readmission (P = 0.584) between the two groups. Conclusion:. This study finds no significant difference in postoperative infection, graft loss, or 30-day readmission in two similar patient cohorts who received or did not receive prophylactic perioperative antibiotics for acute excision of small (≤20% TBSA) burns.

Background: Partial face composite allotransplantation poses a unique aesthetic challenge. Namely, partial face transplants need to resemble the patient’s native skin. The degree of resemblance considered acceptable is a prominent variable and may depend on the gender and underlying skin tone of the recipient. The primary aim of this study was to investigate the degree of skin tone matching deemed aesthetically tolerable, recipient gender, and recipient skin tone. Two populations were queried: (1) the general public and (2) plastic surgeons. Few studies have investigated this topic from either of these standpoints. A secondary aim was to determine whether participant characteristics such as demographics, skin color, and history of having had facial surgery impacted their perceptions. Methods: This was a cross-sectional investigation of perceptions on skin tone matching. Participants from the general public were recruited through Amazon Mechanical Turk and surgeons were recruited through the American Council of Academic Plastic Surgeons. Participants were queried for aesthetic preferences using frontal face photos from age-standardized models. Skin tones of transplanted segments were varied using the Munsell color scale via Adobe Photoshop (Adobe Inc., San Jose, CA). Results: In total, 550 lay participants from Amazon Mechanical Turk and 21 plastic surgeons provided complete survey responses. On average, plastic surgeons tolerated a lesser degree of skin tone discordance than the lay public: 87% of lay participants and 33% of plastic surgeons believed a change of 4 hues was acceptable (p=0.02). Additionally, all survey respondents tolerated less of a degree of skin tone discrepancy on female faces when compared to male faces (mean difference tolerated: 2 hues for females, 4 hues for males). Participants tended to tolerate less skin tone discrepancy in subjects with similar skin tones as their own (mean difference tolerated: 2 hues for own versus 4 hues for different skin tones, p=0.04). Conclusion: This study highlighted the intensely- subjective nature of aesthetic preferences surrounding skin tone matching on the face, which varied by demographics and between surgeons versus the lay public. Surgeons should ensure that they truly elicit their patients’ preferences, especially given that our results demonstrated a greater tolerance for discrepancies among the lay public compared to plastic surgeons. Procuring a graft for facial allotransplantation is challenging; understanding what level of skin tone discrepancy is tolerable to the recipient can help surgeons improve patient satisfaction and may also lessen time-to-transplant by enlarging the potential donor pool for this type of transplant.

Background: Burns of the hands are common and can lead to significant functional and aesthetic impairment. Traditionally, sutures or staples are used to approximate adjacent skin grafts on the hand; however, we have found that vascular clips are a suitable alternative. We report a series of three patients in which vascular clips were used to approximate adjacent skin grafts autografted to treat full-thickness burns. Methods: Three patients presented with full-thickness burns involving their hands. Vascular clips were used to adhere adjacent skin grafts to the dorsal surfaces of the hands. Two patients sustained bilateral burns to the hands; vascular clips were used on one hand while sutures or staples were used on the other hand. In another patient, vascular clips were used. Results: Satisfactory functional and aesthetic outcomes were observed in all three patients 1–2 months post-reconstruction. One patient had hypertrophic scarring at multiple graft sites including his hands. Similar functional and aesthetic outcomes were achieved in both hands of the patients who had skin grafts approximated with vascular clips and traditional methods. Conclusion: Use of vascular clips to approximate skin grafts on the hands is a simple and effective method resulting in satisfactory functional and aesthetic outcomes. Keywords: Skin graft, Vascular clip

Background: Compromised perfusion in autologous breast reconstruction results in fat necrosis and flap loss. Increased flap weight with fewer perforator vessels may exacerbate imbalances in flap perfusion. We studied deep inferior epigastric perforator (DIEP) and muscle-sparing transverse rectus abdominis myocutaneous (MS-TRAM) flaps to assess this concept. Methods: Data from patients who underwent reconstruction with DIEP and/or MS-TRAM flaps between January 1, 2010 and December 31, 2011 (n = 123) were retrospectively reviewed. Patient demographics, comorbidities, intraoperative parameters, and postoperative outcomes were collected, including flap fat necrosis and donor/recipient site complications. Logistic regression analysis was used to examine effects of flap weight and perforator number on breast flap fat necrosis. Results: One hundred twenty-three patients who underwent 179 total flap reconstructions (166 DIEP, 13 MS-TRAM) were included. Mean flap weight was 658 ± 289 g; 132 (73.7%) were single perforator flaps. Thirteen flaps (7.5%) developed fat necrosis. African American patients had increased odds of fat necrosis (odds ratio, 11.58; P < 0.001). Odds of developing fat necrosis significantly increased with flap weight (odds ratio, 1.5 per 100 g increase; P < 0.001). In single perforator flaps weighing more than 1000 g, six (42.9%) developed fat necrosis, compared to 14.3% of large multiple perforator flaps. Conclusions: Flaps with increasing weight have increased risk of fat necrosis. These data suggest that inclusion of more than 1 perforator may decrease odds of fat necrosis in large flaps. Perforator flap breast reconstruction can be performed safely; however, considerations concerning race, body mass index, staging with tissue expanders, perforator number, and flap weight may optimize outcomes.

Background: Preoperative anemia is independently associated with adverse outcomes after general and cardiac surgery. Outcomes after breast reconstruction are not established. We assessed the effect of preoperative anemia on 30-day postoperative morbidity and length of hospital stay (LOS) in patients undergoing immediate breast reconstruction. Methods: We identified patients undergoing immediate breast reconstruction from 2008 to 2010 from the American College of Surgeons’ National Surgical Quality Improvement Program database (a prospective outcomes-based registry from hospitals worldwide). De-identified data were obtained for demographics, preoperative risk factors, 30-day morbidity, and LOS. Morbidity variables included flap/graft/prosthesis, cardiac, respiratory, neurological, urinary, wound, and venous thromboembolism outcomes. Logistic regression assessed the crude and adjusted effect of anemia (hematocrit