Prelamination of Vascularized Tensor Fascia Lata for Complex Abdominal Wall Reconstruction.

There are 2 to 5 million laparotomies performed in the United States annually. Of these, 250,000 to 350,000 will undergo a ventral hernia repair. Repairs are often complicated by recurrence and infection.

Can Nicotine Replacement Therapy Decrease Complications in Plastic Surgery?

Cigarette smoking has been well demonstrated to be associated with adverse outcomes and increased complications in surgical patients in the operative and postoperative periods. There is general agreement that smoking cessation decreases such risks; however, much debate still exists regarding the most effective modalities for risk mitigation, especially concerning modalities involving nicotine replacement in some form. This article reviews the discussion regarding smoking cessation therapies, in particular those involving nicotine replacement, in the context of mitigating risk in plastic surgery procedures.

Evidence-Based Gardening: Using Palliative Approaches to Cure Complex Wounds.

Complex wounds are commonly thought to require aggressive surgical intervention to achieve healing. However, optimal healing results can often be achieved when greater emphasis is placed on optimizing patient factors prior to any surgical intervention. A retrospective review was performed of pressure ulcers and complex wound cases treated over 5 years at the Yale New Haven Wound Center.

An Algorithm for the Management of Residual Head and Neck Melanoma In Situ Using Topical Imiquimod: A Pilot Study.

Introduction: Melanoma in situ (MIS) is an early variant of melanoma in which the disease is limited to the epidermis. Standard therapy is currently surgical excision with at least 5-mm margins. In some instances, there are large or anatomically difficult lesions where complete excision will result in significant esthetic or functional impairment.

Clinical Value of Single-photon Emission Computed Tomography Combined With Computed Tomography for Sentinel Lymph Node Identification in Melanoma.

Introduction: Melanoma is the deadliest form of skin cancer and has the ability to metastasize widely. Accurate diagnosis of sentinel lymph nodes (SLN) is crucial to its management. The gold standard for SLN identification is planar lymphoscintigraphy.