A Nipple-Areola Stencil for Three-Dimensional Tattooing: Nipple by Number.

Medical tattooing is a critical reconstructive component in women following mastectomy. Recently, novel three-dimensional tattooing techniques mimicking depth by using light and shadow principles have allowed for aesthetically superior results. However, results are variable between providers, and professionals skilled in tattooing are often inaccessible to patients.

A Survey of the Prevalence and Practice Patterns of Human Acellular Nerve Allograft Use.

Background: There have been many technical and scientific advances over the last decade in peripheral nerve surgery. Human acellular nerve graft (HANA) has become increasingly popular but current practice patterns among hand surgeons have yet to be defined. Coding practices may not have kept up with this innovation.

Managing barriers to recycling in the operating room.

Background: Among hospital staff, little is known concerning barriers to recycling and perception of waste in the operating room (OR), despite continued improvement in recycling programs. This study sought to identify barriers to OR recycling and implement a recycling improvement educational program.

Methods: A survey was administered within Mayo Clinic at four campuses.

Lower-limb reconstruction with chimeric flaps: The quad flap.

Early soft-tissue coverage is critical for treating traumatic open lower-extremity wounds. As free-flap reconstruction evolves, injuries once thought to be nonreconstructable are being salvaged. Free-tissue transfer is imperative when there is extensive dead space or exposure of vital structures such as bone, tendon, nerves, or blood vessels.

Feedback in Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery Education: Past, Present, and Future.

Education is to be provided efficiently and effectively according to guidelines in the United States by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education as core competencies and in Canada by the Royal College according to the CanMEDS framework. This article defines formative feedback, reviews the currently available validated feedback tools, and describes the future use of technology to enhance feedback in plastic surgery education.

Postoperative electrolyte management: Current practice patterns of surgeons and residents.

Background: Managing postoperative electrolyte imbalances often is driven by dogma. To identify areas of improvement, we assessed the practice pattern of postoperative electrolyte management among surgeons and residents.

Study Design: An online survey was distributed among attending surgeons and surgical residents at the University of Toronto.

Living donor hepatectomy: the importance of the residual liver volume.

Living liver donation is a successful treatment for patients with end-stage liver disease. Most adults are provided with a right lobe graft to ensure a generous recipient liver volume. Some centers are re-exploring the use of smaller left lobe grafts to potentially reduce the donor risk.

Graft type in pediatric liver transplantation.

Purpose Of Review: To review the literature on graft type in pediatric liver transplantation, with a specific focus on publications since 2010.

Recent Findings: Due to the limited availability of whole livers for transplantation, the majority of pediatric patients will receive a technical variant graft (live donor, reduced, split). Although the outcomes of these grafts may be inferior to whole organs, the detrimental impact needs to be balanced with the impact of technical variants on improved access and survival to transplantation.

Prevention of local tumor growth with paclitaxel-loaded microspheres.

Objectives: Lung cancer is associated with a significant rate of locoregional recurrence after surgical resection, particularly when nonanatomic wedge resections are performed. The primary aim of this study was to assess the feasibility of a microsphere drug delivery system to locally deliver chemotherapy and prevent the establishment and growth of lung cancer cells and establish proof of concept for a potential future approach to target occult microscopic disease remaining at the surgical resection margin.

Methods: Poly-(D,L-lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA) microspheres loaded with the antineoplastic agent paclitaxel were prepared and tested for antitumor efficacy in an in vitro cell proliferation assay for tumor inhibition and induction of apoptosis.