Trends in the incidence and treatment of necrotizing soft tissue infections: an analysis of the National Hospital Discharge Survey.

Necrotizing soft tissue infections are a rare but potentially fatal condition of the soft tissues caused by virulent, toxin-producing bacteria. In the United States, there is an estimated annual incidence of 0.04 cases per 1000 annually, but previous estimates of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention had the incidence at 500 to 1500 cases yearly.

Revision decompression and collagen nerve wrap for recurrent and persistent compression neuropathies of the upper extremity.

Background: Recurrent or persistent compression neuropathies of the upper extremity, including carpal and cubital tunnel syndrome, present a difficult treatment challenge to the hand or peripheral nerve surgeon. Collagen conduits have been used successfully for decades in nerve injury repair, but have not been studied in the treatment of compression neuropathy.

Methods: Patients with recurrent or persistent compression neuropathies treated with a repeat decompression and collagen wrap from a 5-year period were retrieved from the Computerized Patient Record System database and 15 patient records were identified.

Merkel cell carcinoma of the hand and upper extremity: current trends and outcomes.

Merkel cell carcinomas represent an uncommon yet aggressive skin cancer. We sought to identify changes in incidence and predictors of outcomes and survival of patients with Merkel cell carcinomas of the hand and upper extremity. The Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results database was used to identify all patients with Merkel cell carcinomas of the skin located specifically in the hand and upper extremity.

Outpatient surgery and sequelae: an analysis of the AAAASF Internet-based quality assurance and peer review database.

Although Internet-based quality assurance and peer review data have demonstrated the safety of procedures performed in the outpatient setting through the analysis of outcomes, the future of patient care will be directed by evidence-based medicine. Large inpatient surgical databases have long existed to provide quality assurance and improvement data for the inpatient cohort of patients. The acquisition of large data sets related to surgical care can best be achieved through the Internet.

Trends in the surgical treatment of cubital tunnel syndrome: an analysis of the national survey of ambulatory surgery database.

Purpose: To ascertain trends in the surgical treatment of ulnar nerve compression at the elbow within the United States.

Methods: We analyzed the National Survey of Ambulatory Surgery to study trends in the treatment of cubital tunnel syndrome from 1994 to 2006. The National Survey of Ambulatory Surgery provides a comprehensive overview of ambulatory surgical procedures performed in the United States.

A systematic review of the literature on the outcomes of treatment for recurrent and persistent carpal tunnel syndrome.

Background: Recurrent and persistent carpal tunnel syndrome is an uncommon but potentially difficult surgical dilemma. Many surgical treatment options have been described in the literature without comparative data on outcome.

Methods: A systematic review on recurrent carpal tunnel syndrome was performed for all articles from 1946 to 2012 in MEDLINE, EMBASE, CENTRAL, and hand-searched reference lists from all identified articles.

Neural sheath tumors of the brachial plexus: a multidisciplinary team-based approach.

Peripheral tumors of the brachial plexus, although rare, provide an opportunity for the plastic surgeon to coordinate a multidisciplinary team and achieve excellent outcomes. Most of the case series are reported from the neurosurgical literature. We report on the experience of the Kaiser Permanente Brachial Plexus Clinic over a recent 2-year period.

The variation in the absence of the palmaris longus in a multiethnic population of the United States: an epidemiological study.

The absence of the palmaris longus (PL) has been shown to vary based on body side, gender, and ethnicity. In prior studies, homogenous ethnic populations have been shown to have differences in rates of absence. However, no study thus far has analyzed the differences in palmaris longus prevalence in a multiethnic population.

Hypertrophic scarring in cleft lip repair: a comparison of incidence among ethnic groups.

Background: Although hypertrophic scar (HTS) formation following cleft lip repair is relatively common, published rates vary widely, from 1% to nearly 50%. The risk factors associated with HTS formation in cleft patients are not well characterized. The primary aim of this retrospective study of 180 cleft lip repairs is to evaluate the frequency of postoperative HTS among various ethnic groups following cleft lip repair.

Algorithmic approach to the management of hemangiomas.

Hemangiomas are a common benign vascular tumor that can occur in all parts of the body. These lesions can be a distressing sight for both patient and parent. This unique vascular tumor has characteristic phases of growth.