[The early correction of the hand deformities in Apert's syndrome. A preliminary report].

The correction of cranial and limb malformations of the Apert's syndrome requires efforts of a multidisciplinary team. The esthetic and functional repercussions that this syndrome brings to their carriers are severe and so the treatment should aim tom improve the function of the hands in order to integrate these patients in a more normal social live. In our Service, in the period from 1989 to 1992 five patients carrying this syndrome had their hand correction completed before the age of three years.

[The personality and motivational aspects of patients for mastoplasty].

Among the conscious or unconscious reasons that lead a woman to ask for an esthetic procedure are the need to improve his self-appreciation and the desire to receive more love and approval from other people. We have found no article in the Brazilian literature regarding the psychological aspects of patients submitted to mastoplasty. Fifty-three patients awaiting mastoplasty were studied in the period between September 1990 and january 1992 as for their motivation, as well as for characteristics of their personality.

[The correction of cryptotia with tissue expanders].

Cryptotia is a congenital abnormality represented by the absence of the retroauricular sulcus in its superior portion. As the physiopathology of the problem involves the lack of skin tissue in the superior part of the ear sulcus, Mulliken suggested for the first time in 1988, the use of skin expanders as a method to obtain the extra skin necessary to correct this deformity. We bring forward our experience in the use of skin expanders in the treatment of three patients with cryptotia, bilateral in one of them.

[The treatment of residual exophthalmos by resection of the orbital fat].

The possibility of treatment of endocrine exophthalmos by resection of orbital fat has been discussed by Olivari. The orbital fat is located in two spaces: the outer space which surrounds the extraocular muscles the anterior extensions of which form the palpebral bags, and the inner space which surrounds the optic nerve, being crossed by the oculomotor, abducens and trochlear nerves. The surgical anatomy of orbital fat is discussed and the preliminary results of the resection of orbital fat for treatment of the residual exophthalmos are presented.

Abdominoplasty combined with other intraabdominal procedures.

One hundred three patients underwent abdominoplasty combined with other intraabdominal procedures including 67 tubal ligations, 34 total abdominal hysterectomies and 2 cholecystectomies, from January 1983 to July 1991. The patients were divided into two groups, those undergoing the standard or total abdominoplasty and those undergoing limited abdominoplasty with or without liposuction in delimited areas. In this series of 103 patients, we found only two minor complications and only three patients were transfused with autologous units of blood.