Evidence-based patient safety advisory: blood dyscrasias.

Rarely, patients with blood disorders may seek to undergo plastic surgery. Although plastic surgeons are not expected to diagnose or manage blood disorders, they should be able to recognize which patients are suitable for surgery and which should be referred to a hematologist before a procedure. This practice advisory provides an overview of the perioperative steps that should be completed to ensure appropriate care for patients with blood disorders.

Evidence-based patient safety advisory: malignant hyperthermia.

As more and more routine plastic surgery procedures move from the hospital to outpatient surgery facilities, plastic surgeons must be aware of the risk factors for life-threatening events that might occur in this setting. This awareness includes recognition of the signs and symptoms and the management of a rare but life-threatening condition, malignant hyperthermia. This article reviews the current understanding of the concepts pertinent to malignant hyperthermia diagnosis and treatment in the outpatient setting and current standards and recommendations for physicians and support personnel regarding malignant hyperthermia preparedness in office-based surgery and anesthesia.

Evidence-based patient safety advisory: patient assessment and prevention of pulmonary side effects in surgery. Part 2. Patient and procedural risk factors.

Several factors may increase a patient's risk for perioperative pulmonary complications. This practice advisory provides an overview of the preoperative steps that should be performed to ensure appropriate patient selection and patient safety with regard to pulmonary complications. Procedural and patient-related risk factors are discussed, as are recommendations for perioperative management and strategies for minimizing complications.

Evidence-based patient safety advisory: patient assessment and prevention of pulmonary side effects in surgery. Part 1. Obstructive sleep apnea and obstructive lung disease.

Obstructive sleep apnea and obstructive lung disease may increase a patient's risk of perioperative pulmonary complications. This practice advisory provides an overview of the preoperative steps that should be performed to ensure appropriate patient selection and the safety of patients with these conditions. Also discussed are recommendations for perioperative management and strategies for minimizing complications.

Evidence-based patient safety advisory: liposuction.

Liposuction is considered to be one of the most frequently performed plastic surgery procedures in the United States, yet despite the popularity of liposuction, there is relatively little scientific evidence available on patient safety issues. This practice advisory provides an overview of various techniques, practices, and management strategies that pertain to individuals undergoing liposuction, and recommendations are offered for each issue to ensure and enhance patient safety.

Evidence-based patient safety advisory: patient selection and procedures in ambulatory surgery.

Despite the many benefits of ambulatory surgery, there remain inherent risks associated with any surgical care environment that have the potential to jeopardize patient safety. This practice advisory provides an overview of the preoperative steps that should be completed to ensure appropriate patient selection for ambulatory surgery settings. In conjunction, this advisory identifies several physiologic stresses commonly associated with surgical procedures, in addition to potential postoperative recovery problems, and provides recommendations for how best to minimize these complications.

Benchmarking outcomes in plastic surgery: national complication rates for abdominoplasty and breast augmentation.

Background: The authors evaluated the use of national databases to track surgical complications among abdominoplasty and breast augmentation patients.

Methods: Their study population included all patients with abdominoplasty or breast augmentation in the Tracking Operations and Outcomes for Plastic Surgeons (TOPS) and CosmetAssure databases from 2003 to 2007. They evaluated the incidence of hematoma, infection, and/or deep venous thrombosis/pulmonary embolism.