Publications by authors named "Prantl Lukas"

Introduction: Secondary complex microsurgical reconstructions after amputation and severe trauma injuries are often necessary to optimize functional outcomes.

Methods And Patients: We reviewed eight patients who underwent extensive reconstruction after severe trauma. The details of secondary procedures are further described in the article.

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: Due to the high frequency of postoperative complications after body-contouring surgeries, the need for a unifying postoperative complication grading system that correlates with outcomes is of key importance. Here we therefore consider the application of the Clavien-Dindo classification to evaluate postoperative complications after body-contouring surgeries. : A retrospective study on 602 patients who underwent body-contouring surgery between 2009 and 2015 at our institution was performed.

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  • - Regulatory T cells (Tregs) are essential for immune balance and preventing autoimmune diseases, but their high levels in tumors, especially in breast cancer, correlate with worse patient outcomes due to their immunosuppressive effects.
  • - Tregs interact with cancer cells, obstructing immune system surveillance and aiding in tumor growth, making them a controversial target for new cancer therapies.
  • - Current strategies to target Tregs include immune checkpoint inhibitors and other treatments, but challenges remain due to the diverse nature of Tregs and the need for careful combination therapies to improve breast cancer treatment results.
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  • Allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (alloSCT) is a key treatment for blood disorders, but chronic graft-versus-host disease (cGvHD) can cause severe skin ulcers that traditional therapies often can't heal.
  • * A study analyzed three patients with difficult-to-treat ulcers from cGvHD who were treated with human amniotic membrane (hAM) transplantation, which has healing properties.
  • * Results showed that hAM led to complete healing in two patients, reduced pain and infections, and decreased the need for frequent dressing changes, presenting it as an effective option when standard treatments fail.
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Background: Late-stage pressure sore (PS) patients are particularly susceptible to osteomyelitis (OM), as bony prominences commonly constitute the focal point of the ulcer. There are lack of data regarding the associated factors and the clinical relevance of this diagnosis in the context of PS treatment.

Methods: This retrospective analysis investigated the clinical characteristics, blood markers indicative of infection in PS patients, and development of histologically evident OM.

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Scars may represent more than a cosmetic concern for patients; they may impose functional limitations and are frequently associated with the sensation of itching or pain, thus impacting both psychological and physical well-being. From an aesthetic perspective, scars display variances in color, thickness, texture, contour, and their homogeneity, while the functional aspect encompasses considerations of functionality, pliability, and sensory perception. Scars located in critical anatomic areas have the potential to induce profound impairments, including contracture-related mobility restrictions, thereby significantly impacting daily functioning and the quality of life.

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Large Language Models (LLMs) like ChatGPT 4 (OpenAI), Claude 2 (Anthropic), and Llama 2 (Meta AI) have emerged as novel technologies to integrate artificial intelligence (AI) into everyday work. LLMs in particular, and AI in general, carry infinite potential to streamline clinical workflows, outsource resource-intensive tasks, and disburden the healthcare system. While a plethora of trials is elucidating the untapped capabilities of this technology, the sheer pace of scientific progress also takes its toll.

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Acute kidney injury (AKI) prevalence in surgical patients is high, emphasizing the need for preventative measures. This study addresses the insufficient evidence on nephroprotective intraoperative fluid resuscitation and highlights the drawbacks of relying solely on serum creatinine/urine output to monitor kidney function. This study assessed the impact of intraoperative fluid management on AKI in female breast cancer patients undergoing autologous breast reconstruction, utilizing novel urinary biomarkers (TIMP-2 and IGFBP-7).

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Tissue adaptation is required for regulatory T (Treg) cell function within organs. Whether this program shares aspects with other tissue-localized immune populations is unclear. Here, we analyzed single-cell chromatin accessibility data, including the transposable element (TE) landscape of CD45 immune cells from colon, skin, adipose tissue, and spleen.

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: Despite its increasing incidence and prevalence throughout Western countries, lipedema continues to be a very enigmatic disease, often misunderstood or misdiagnosed by the medical community and with an intrinsic pathology that is difficult to trace. The nature of lipedemic tissue is one of hypertrophic adipocytes and poor tissue turnover. So far, there are no identified pathways responsible, and little is known about the cell populations of lipedemic fat.

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Background: Due to the declining mortality rates of breast carcinoma and the rising incidence of risk-reducing mastectomies, enhancing the quality of life after breast reconstructions has become an increasingly important goal. The advantages of lightweight breast implants (B-Lite®) may significantly contribute to achieving this objective. This study aims to investigate whether lightweight implants are suitable for patients undergoing breast reconstruction and could improve the quality of life in comparison to conventional implants.

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ChatGPT has garnered attention as a multifaceted AI chatbot with potential applications in medicine. Despite intriguing preliminary findings in areas such as clinical management and patient education, there remains a substantial knowledge gap in comprehensively understanding the chances and limitations of ChatGPT's capabilities, especially in medical test-taking and education. A total of n = 2,729 USMLE Step 1 practice questions were extracted from the Amboss question bank.

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  • - The study focuses on creating scaffolds with biophysical gradients to mimic cellular interactions in tissues like bone and skin, using a technique called Langmuir-Blodgett (LB) for depositing thin films of laminin-111.
  • - The LB technique involves a specific process of desynchronizing barrier compression and substrate withdrawal to form these gradients, which were analyzed using atomic force and confocal fluorescence microscopy.
  • - Human stem cells were tested on these gradient films to see how different protein densities affect cell attachment, revealing that the arrangement of laminin influences cell distribution and offering a method to optimize protein concentrations for desired cellular responses.
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Background: Breast lipofilling, a popular cosmetic and reconstructive procedure, involves the transplantation of autologous fat to enhance breast volume and contour. Despite its widespread use, cell processing and the aftertreatment remain controversial. This study investigates the pressure applied by a compression bra and reports in vitro stress tests of processed and unprocessed fat cells.

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The aim of this study was to review the current literature regarding the effects of intra-articularly applied, fat-derived orthobiologics (FDO) in the treatment of primary knee osteoarthritis over a mid-term follow-up period. A systematic literature search was conducted on the online databases of Scopus, PubMed, Ovid MEDLINE, and Cochrane Library. Studies investigating intra-articularly applied FDO with a minimum number of 10 knee osteoarthritis patients, a follow-up period of at least 2 years, and at least 1 reported functional parameter (pain level or Patient-Reported Outcome Measures) were included.

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: Negative pressure wound therapy (NPWT) is an intensely investigated topic, but its mechanism of action accounts for one of the least understood ones in the area of wound healing. Apart from a misleading nomenclature, by far the most used diagnostic tool to investigate NPWT, the laser Doppler, also has its weaknesses regarding the detection of changes in blood flow and velocity. The aim of the present study is to explain laser Doppler readings within the context of NPWT influence.

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Background: With the prevalence of burnout among surgeons posing a significant threat to healthcare outcomes, the mental toughness of medical professionals has come to the fore. Mental toughness is pivotal for surgical performance and patient safety, yet research into its dynamics within a global and multi-specialty context remains scarce. This study aims to elucidate the factors contributing to mental toughness among surgeons and to understand how it correlates with surgical outcomes and personal well-being.

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Background: Extracellular vesicles are pivotal mediators in intercellular communication, facilitating the exchange of biological information among healthy, pathological and tumor cells. Between the diverse subtypes of extracellular vesicles, exosomes have unique properties and clinical and therapeutical applications. Breast cancer ranks as one of the most prevalent malignancies across the globe.

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: Complex decongestive therapy (CDT) is the standard and basic therapy for lymphedema. The central component of CDT is manual lymphatic drainage (MLD). In addition to CDT, other measures such as intermittent pneumatic compression therapy (IPCT) (active compression machine therapy) are available.

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Background: Exact quantification of volumetric changes of the extremities is difficult and often error-prone. The aim of this study was to establish a standardized method based on 3-dimensional (3D) scans. Furthermore, this study tests the method in terms of reproducibility and evaluates volume changes after surgical therapy in patients suffering from lymphedema on the lower extremity.

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  • - Myocardial infarction is a serious health issue caused by a blockage in the coronary arteries, leading to reduced blood flow and damage to the heart muscle.
  • - Current treatments aim to lower the heart's oxygen needs and relieve symptoms, but achieving effective results has been challenging.
  • - Research shows that using mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) to treat myocardial infarction is both safe and effective, but there are ongoing debates about the best practices for their use, which need to be resolved for MSCs to become a standard treatment option.
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  • * Results showed that patients with lipedema had lower rates of hypertension and high blood lipids, but reported poorer overall health, higher physiotherapy usage, and greater levels of pain and disability in daily life.
  • * Mental health assessments revealed that lipedema patients had higher rates of depression and fewer close social contacts, with significant correlations between pain severity and both depressive symptoms and impaired quality of life.
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Lipofilling is an option for breast reconstruction after tumor resection to avoid the complications of an implant-based reconstruction. Although some concerns exist regarding the oncological safety of tissue rich in mesenchymal stem cells with their proangiogenic and proliferation-supportive properties, there are also reports that adipose-tissue-derived stem cells can exhibit antitumoral properties. We isolated primary adipose-tissue-derived stem cells.

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Background: The utilization of three-dimensional (3D) surface imaging for facial anthropometry is a significant asset for patients undergoing maxillofacial surgery. Notably, there have been recent advancements in smartphone technology that enable 3D surface imaging.In this study, anthropometric assessments of the face were performed using a smartphone and a sophisticated 3D surface imaging system.

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