Publications by authors named "Ashraf Patel"

Background: Recent literature on autologous breast reconstruction suggests that such factors as scar symmetry and skin paddle size impact patient preferences more than preservation of native breast skin. Since patient satisfaction with plastic surgery procedures can be largely influenced by beauty standards set by the general public, this study used a novel crowdsourcing method to evaluate laypeople's aesthetic preferences for different bilateral autologous breast reconstructions to determine the relative importance of scar and skin paddle symmetry and preservation of native skin.

Methods: Using Amazon's Mechanical Turk crowdsourcing marketplace, participants ranked images of reconstructions based on overall aesthetic appearance.

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Objective: We sought to identify differences in 30-day medical and surgical complications in unilateral versus bilateral palatoplasty.

Design: The NSQIP-P 2015-2020 database was queried to identify cleft palate repairs using CPT codes. Cases were stratified as unilateral (Veau III) and bilateral (Veau IV) using ICD-9 and -10 codes.

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Introduction: The location of trainees' plastic surgery residency or fellowship has implications on their subsequent careers, which can inform future trainees and faculty decisions, and may affect access to care nationwide. This study explores historic geographic trends of the location where trainees complete residency or fellowship and where they pursue a fellowship program or first job.

Methods: Graduates from US integrated plastic surgery residency or fellowship programs from 2015 to 2021 were identified along with their proximity to fellowship or first job.

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Background: Clinical trials form the backbone of evidence-based medicine. ClinicalTrials.gov is the world's largest clinical trial registry, and the state of clinical trials in plastic and reconstructive surgery (PRS) within that database has not been comprehensively studied.

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Background:  While many factors influence decisions related to the timing between mastectomy and flap-based breast reconstruction, there is limited literature comparing postoperative complications between immediate (IBR), delayed immediate (DIBR), and delayed (DBR) reconstruction modalities. Using the National Surgical Quality Improvement Program (NSQIP), we sought to compare postoperative complication rates of each timing modality.

Methods:  The NSQIP 2010-2020 database was queried for patients who underwent free flap breast reconstruction.

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Background: Aesthetic results in breast reconstruction for ptotic/obese breasts may be improved when using Wise-pattern closures compared with nipple-sparing mastectomies. In two-stage reconstruction, acellular dermal matrix is commonly used to support the prosthesis. This study tests the efficacy of an alternate technique that uses deepithelialized excess breast skin in lieu of acellular dermal matrix.

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Introduction: Chest wall irradiation significantly decreases the strength and quality of breast tissue supporting prostheses, increasing the risk of skin breakdown and implant or tissue expander extrusion. Autologous tissue, including the latissimus dorsi (LD) or abdominal-based flaps, including the muscle-sparing transverse rectus abdominis myocutaneous or deep inferior epigastric perforator flaps, may be used to salvage reconstructions. However, data comparing outcomes of the two flap options remains limited.

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Background: Postmastectomy radiation therapy (PMRT) is known to increase the risk of multiple adverse outcomes after breast reconstruction. In the context of delayed-immediate autologous breast reconstruction, PMRT is typically conducted after placement of subpectoral (SP) tissue expanders. With the re-emergence of prepectoral (PP) reconstruction, there are little data assessing the outcomes of PP reconstruction in breasts receiving PMRT.

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Introduction: Breast reconstruction in the prepectoral plane has recently fallen into favor. Minimizing the number of revisionary procedures after reconstruction is an important factor in improving patient care, but long-term studies on the effects of prepectoral reconstruction are limited. In this study, we compare the revision rates after delayed-immediate, autologous reconstruction between prepectoral and subpectoral reconstructions.

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Introduction The study aimed to assess the accuracy of online software in the use of self-referral to breast surgery clinics for patients with new signs and symptoms. The study also evaluated the appropriateness of GP referrals to breast clinics and evaluated patients' perceptions of an online self-referral portal to the breast clinic for the assessment of breast signs and symptoms.  Design and methods The pilot study was divided into two phases.

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Background: The use of acellular dermal matrices (ADMs) in immediate two-stage prosthetic breast reconstruction following mastectomy is now a common practice. The procedure confers several compelling benefits, including coverage of the inferior pole, enhanced definition of the inframammary fold, and reduction of capsular contracture. However, operative techniques used to create the ADM inferolateral sling can be unwieldy in practice, typically involving the placement of the ADM followed by positioning and anchoring of the prosthetic expander.

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Background: Patients often pursue revisions following implant-based breast reconstruction (IBR) to achieve their desired result. Fat grafting is a popular choice for patients and can be performed at second stage reconstruction or at a future date as a revisionary surgery. We investigate the best time to fat graft in IBR by comparing the outcomes of patients who received fat grafting during implant placement with those who pursued fat grafting during a tertiary procedure.

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Background: Panniculectomies are associated with high complication rates (43 to 70 percent), particularly in patients with obesity, smoking, and diabetes mellitus. Closed-incision negative-pressure therapy can be used postoperatively to support healing by promoting angiogenesis and decreasing tension. The authors hypothesized that using it with panniculectomies would minimize complications, and that a longer duration of therapy would not increase the incidence of complications.

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Background: Delayed-immediate breast reconstruction has traditionally involved placement of tissue expanders (TE) in the subpectoral (SP) position. Development of acellular dermal matrices has renewed interest in the prepectoral (PP) pocket, which avoids extensive muscle manipulation. We compare complication rates between PP and SP TE placement in autologous delayed-immediate breast reconstruction.

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Background: Understanding the salient features that draw focus when assessing aesthetics is important for maximizing perceived outcomes. Eye-tracking technology provides an unbiased method for determining the features that draw attention when evaluating aesthetic plastic surgery. This study aimed to characterize viewing patterns of plastic surgery patients and laypeople when assessing facial cosmetic procedure images.

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Background: Aesthetic outcomes of unilateral cleft lip repairs have important psychosocial implications for patients who are heavily influenced by social perceptions. Online crowdsourcing offers the unique potential to efficiently recruit large numbers of laypeople to assess public perception. The aim of this study was to use the online crowdsourcing platform Mechanical Turk to compare the postoperative outcomes of Fisher, Millard, and Mohler cleft lip repair techniques.

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Introduction: Breast cancer treatment and recovery remain physically and psychologically challenging for patients. Reflexology has been studied as a complementary therapy to help relieve patients of the physical and psychological stresses involved with breast cancer. As a result of recent positive evidence, we studied its effects quantitatively from 2015 to 2016.

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Breast cancer is the most common cancer affecting women, causing 29% of all female cancers and afflicting 14% of all female cancer-related deaths worldwide. It remains a significant clinical, psychological, and financial burden. Exercise has been suggested to reduce cancer recurrence and cancer-related mortality from research in the past decade.

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Purpose: Stereotactic needle breast biopsy and vacuum assisted breast biopsy have replaced wide local excision in the last decades. B3 lesions of the breast represent a particular subgroup which is difficult to manage. The purpose of the present study was to present our experience with this specific type of lesions and to examine the conformity of Princess Margaret Hospital with current recommendations.

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The adjuvant use of aromatase inhibitors in breast cancer is associated with adverse effects on bone health. We previously reported a decline in bone mineral density (BMD) following the switch from tamoxifen to exemestane in the Intergroup Exemestane Study (IES). Here we report effects of endocrine treatment withdrawal on BMD, bone turnover markers (BTM) and fracture rates.

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Background: Tamoxifen preserves bone in postmenopausal women, but non-steroidal aromatase inhibitors accelerate bone loss and increase fracture risk. We aimed to study the effect on bone health in a subgroup of women included in the Intergroup Exemestane Study (IES), a large randomised trial that compared the switch to the steroidal aromatase inhibitor exemestane with continuation of tamoxifen in the adjuvant treatment of postmenopausal breast cancer.

Methods: Results were analysed from 206 evaluable patients from the IES, in which postmenopausal women with histologically confirmed and completely resected unilateral breast cancer (that was oestrogen-receptor positive or of unknown status), who were disease-free after 2-3 years of treatment with tamoxifen were randomised to continue oral tamoxifen 20 mg/day or switch to oral exemestane 25 mg/day to complete a total of 5 years of adjuvant endocrine therapy.

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