Midface anatomy, aging, and aesthetic analysis.

This article reviews the key anatomic structures in the region of the midface, including important surface and bony landmarks, innervation, blood supply, muscle layers, and fat compartments. It also discusses changes in these structures related to the aging process and aesthetic analysis of the midface to aid with operative planning.

Outpatient lipoabdominoplasty: review of the literature and practical considerations for safe practice.

Background: Lipoabdominoplasty, popularized by Saldanha et al in 2001, is a powerful technique to contour the abdomen and flanks. It has not gained widespread use as concerns exist about increased complications related to wound healing and thromboembolism.

Objectives: The authors review the existing literature on lipoabdominoplasty and discuss their experiences with the technique in a retrospective case series.

The impact of a standardized consultation form for facial trauma on billing and evaluation and management levels.

Background: Facial trauma is among the most frequent consultations encountered by plastic surgeons. Unfortunately, the reimbursement from these consultations can be low, and qualified plastic surgeons may exclude facial trauma from their practice. An audit of our records found insufficient documentation to justify higher evaluation and management (EM) levels of service resulting in lower reimbursement.

Beard reconstruction using hair grafts in a free flap.

Hair transplantation using micrografts or minigrafts is a standard procedure used for hair restoration in androgenic, burn scar and cicatricial alopecia. These grafts have also been used to reconstruct the eyebrow, eyelash, mustache, beard and pubic escutcheon. A patient who underwent successful micrograft and minigraft hair transplantation into a free osteocutaneous mandibular flap reconstruction is presented.

Successful incorporation of tissue-engineered porcine small-intestinal submucosa as substitute flexor tendon graft is mediated by elevated TGF-beta1 expression in the rabbit.

Purpose: Ideal tendon repair materials combine minimal donor-site morbidity and ready availability with excellent healing and postoperative function. Bioengineered porcine small-intestinal submucosa (SIS) was compared with tendon autografts as a potential human flexor tendon graft substitute.

Methods: Rabbit zone II flexor digitorum profundus segments were excised in 40 rabbits.