Diversity in Hand Surgery Leadership: The Impact of Mentorship and Bias.

Background: Diversity in leadership drives innovation. However, underrepresented minorities may face barriers. The aim of this study is to understand the impact of gender and race on the experience of leaders in hand surgery.

Stem Cell Therapy Enriched Fat Grafting for the Reconstruction of Craniofacial Deficits.

Unlabelled: Fat grafting is an effective treatment for craniofacial deformities. Stromal vascular fraction (SVF) is a concentrated form of adipose derived stem cells that can be isolated from fat. The aim of this clinical trial was to assess the impact of SVF enrichment on craniofacial fat grafting.

Prospective Cohort Study Comparing Ligament Reconstruction with Tendon Interposition and Suture-Only Suspension Arthroplasty.

Background: Basal joint arthritis is a common form of osteoarthritis. There is no consensus procedure for maintenance of trapezial height following trapeziectomy. Suture-only suspension arthroplasty (SSA) is a simple method for stabilizing the thumb metacarpal following trapeziectomy.

Fertility and Childbearing Outcomes of Practicing Female Plastic Surgeons.

Background: Women now represent approximately one-third of plastic surgery residents. The impact of a career in plastic surgery on family planning is unknown. The aim of this study was to report the current status of fertility and childbearing outcomes of practicing female plastic surgeons.

Evolution in Parental Leave Policies: Plastic Surgery and Obstetrics/Gynecology Lead the Way.

Background: Forty percent of physicians anticipate becoming parents during residency. This often occurs in the absence of clear parental leave and breastfeeding policies, which may adversely impact parental and child health or jeopardize residents' board eligibility, fellowship, and job prospects. This study reports on the current status of parental leave and breastfeeding policies across all specialties.

Gender Diversity in Hand Surgery Leadership.

Background: Diversity in leadership drives innovation; however, women are underrepresented in leadership positions across academic medicine. The aim of this study was to assess the current gender representation in hand surgery leadership positions.

Methods: This was a cross-sectional analysis of leaders in hand surgery.

Update on the Basic Science Concepts and Applications of Adipose-Derived Stem Cells in Hand and Craniofacial Surgery.

Adipose-derived stem cell therapy offers plastic surgeons a novel treatment alternative for conditions with few therapeutic options. Adipose-derived stem cells are a promising treatment because of their broad differentiation potential, capacity for self-renewal, and ease of isolation. Over the past decade, plastic surgeons have attempted to harness adipose-derived stem cells' unique cellular characteristics to improve the survival of traditional fat grafting procedures, a process known as cell-assisted lipotransfer.

A Report of Gender Bias and Sexual Harassment in Current Plastic Surgery Training: A National Survey.

Background: Gender bias and sexual misconduct continue to pervade medicine. The authors hypothesize that gender bias and sexual misconduct disproportionately and negatively affect female plastic surgery trainees.

Methods: A national survey of plastic surgery trainees (2018 to 2019) was conducted using previously validated sexual harassment surveys adapted for relevance to plastic surgery.

A Report on the Representation of Women in Academic Plastic Surgery Leadership.

Background: The year 2017 marked the first year women comprised a majority of U.S. medical school matriculants.

Long-gap peripheral nerve repair through sustained release of a neurotrophic factor in nonhuman primates.

Severe injuries to peripheral nerves are challenging to repair. Standard-of-care treatment for nerve gaps >2 to 3 centimeters is autografting; however, autografting can result in neuroma formation, loss of sensory function at the donor site, and increased operative time. To address the need for a synthetic nerve conduit to treat large nerve gaps, we investigated a biodegradable poly(caprolactone) (PCL) conduit with embedded double-walled polymeric microspheres encapsulating glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF) capable of providing a sustained release of GDNF for >50 days in a 5-centimeter nerve defect in a rhesus macaque model.

The Impact of Plastic Surgery Training on Family Planning and Prenatal Health.

Background: Plastic surgery trainees who wish to start a family face challenges. This is the first study to collect data directly from residents and fellows to understand issues surrounding childbearing and to propose solutions.

Methods: Following institutional review board approval, an anonymous survey was distributed to all current plastic surgery residents and fellows in the United States.

The Impact of Massive Weight Loss on Psychological Comorbidities: A Large, Retrospective Database Review.

Background: The obese population has a higher incidence of mood disorders compared to individuals with normal body mass index (BMI). A better understanding of the unique psychosocial challenges faced by this patient population will allow physicians to better optimize patient psychosocial support systems perioperatively, as well as help the patient to maintain appropriate expectations.

Methods: A large, retrospective database of 1135 patients with greater than 50 pounds of weight loss was reviewed.

Changing the Paradigm of Craniofacial Reconstruction: A Prospective Clinical Trial of Autologous Fat Transfer for Craniofacial Deformities.

Objective: This study aimed to prospectively assess outcomes for surgical autologous fat transfer (AFT) applied for traumatic and postsurgical craniofacial deformities. The minimally invasive nature of AFT has potential for reduced risk and superior outcomes compared with current reconstructive options.

Background: Craniofacial deformities have functional and psychosocial sequelae and can profoundly affect quality of life.

Amputation-Site Soft-Tissue Restoration Using Adipose Stem Cell Therapy.

Soft-tissue deficits in amputation stumps can lead to significant pain and disability. An emerging treatment option is stem cell-enriched fat grafting. This is the first study assessing the potential for this treatment modality in lower extremity amputation sites.

The Architecture of Fat Grafting II: Impact of Cannula Diameter.

Background: Fat grafting has emerged as the treatment of choice for soft-tissue augmentation and reconstruction. Variability of volume retention remains the greatest challenge for this technique, often requiring multiple operations to achieve the desired volume. Graft that is placed greater than 2 mm from the recipient bed will undergo necrosis.

Simplified Calvarial Reconstruction: Coverage of Bare Skull With GammaGraft Promotes Granulation and Facilitates Skin Grafting.

Repair of scalp defects with exposed calvaria remains a difficult clinical problem. Herein, we present a simple alternative method of scalp reconstruction. Coverage of bare skull with GammaGraft (Promethean LifeSciences, Inc, Pittsburgh, PA) promotes the evolution of granulation tissue and permits subsequent skin grafting without need for burring, drilling, or other manipulation of the outer table of the calvaria.

The Architecture of Fat Grafting: What Lies beneath the Surface.

Background: Fat grafting is a powerful procedure limited by unpredictable volume loss. Grafted tissue survives via plasmatic imbibition until neovascularization occurs; therefore, fat that is deposited more than 0.2 cm from capillaries will undergo central necrosis.

Analysis of the vertical mammaplasty design in skin-sparing mastectomy and immediate autologous reconstruction.

Background: Skin-sparing mastectomy designs for immediate autologous breast reconstruction include racquet, Wise, and vertical mammaplasty incisions. The vertical design addresses ptosis while maintaining viable skin flaps. This study compares the racquet to the vertical incision.