Value-based plastic surgery.

This editorial explores value in relation to plastic surgery and strategies that have been suggested to deliver value-based healthcare. We consider how value is measured, accounting for patient outcomes and experiences, costs and equity, and describe strategies that might improve value, such as outcome-based reimbursement, reporting transparency and high volume specialist centres.

The relationship between protease/anti-protease profile, angiogenesis and re-epithelialisation in acute burn wounds.

In the management of partial thickness burns, it is difficult to balance between conservative management and surgical intervention. Our hypothesis was that a triangular relationship exists between protease/anti-protease profile at the burn wound surface, angiogenesis and re-epithelialisation. By manipulation of the biochemical profile at the wound level, we determined to affect the nature and extent of angiogenesis and resulting re-epithelialisation.

Scarring occurs at a critical depth of skin injury: precise measurement in a graduated dermal scratch in human volunteers.

Background: The association between scarring and the depth of dermal injury or burn is clinically recognized but not quantified. The authors tested the hypothesis that there is a critical depth beyond which a fibrous scar develops.

Methods: A novel jig produced a wound that was deep dermal at one end and superficial dermal at the other.