Limitations of Patient-Controlled Epidural Analgesia Following Abdominoplasty.

Background: Effective postoperative pain management is essential for patient satisfaction and an uneventful postoperative course, particularly in body contouring procedures. Systemic analgesic regimens can be supported by regional procedures, such as the transverse abdominis plane (TAP) block, but these have a limited duration of action. In contrast, thoracic epidural analgesia offers the possibility of a longer-lasting, individualized regional anesthesia administered by a patient-controlled analgesia pump.

Negative Pressure Wound Therapy in Free Muscle Flaps-Risk or Benefit?

Background:  Application of negative pressure wound therapy (NPWT) on free flaps not only reduces edema but also increases the pressure from outside. The impact of these opposite effects on flap perfusion remains elusive. This study evaluates the NPWT system's influence on macro- and microcirculation of free flaps and edema reduction to better assess the clinical value of this therapy in microsurgical reconstructions.

Expected Reduction of The Nipple-Areolar Complex Over Time After Treatment of Gynecomastia with Ultrasound-Assisted Liposuction Mastectomy Compared to Subcutaneous Mastectomy Alone.

Background: The enlarged nipple-areola-complex (NAC) is a characterizing aspect of gynecomastia.

Objective: The purpose of this study was to multidimensionally quantify the reduction of the NAC after a subcutaneous mastectomy (SCM) with or without ultrasound-assisted liposuction (UAL).

Materials And Methods: A retrospective assessment of patients who underwent SCM +/- UAL due to gynecomastia over a period of 11 years was conducted.

Radial collateral ligament repair of the thumb: long-term outcomes and predictive factors of postoperative deficits.

Background: The thumb's radial collateral ligament (RCL) plays an important role in stabilizing the first metacarpophalangeal joint (MCP-1). RCL injuries are rare and treatment recommendations are inconsistent in the current literature. The aim of this study was to report on long-term outcomes following surgical repair of thumb RCL tear and to identify prognostic risk factors for treatment failure.