Trends of Medicare Reimbursement Rates for Gender-Affirming Surgery Procedures.

Background: Awareness of Medicare reimbursement is important for gender-affirming surgeons who treat transgender patients with Medicare. In 2014, Medicare began to provide coverage for medically necessary transition-related surgery. The purpose of this study was to analyze trends in Medicare reimbursement rates for gender-affirming surgery procedures from 2014 to 2022.

Defining Preferred Esthetics of the Ideal Phallus via Crowdsource Survey.

Objective: To describe phalloplasty subunits and determine the preferred crowdsourced esthetics. Esthetic ideals are often used to guide reconstruction, and there has been an increase in the number of gender-affirming surgeries and reconstructive phalloplasties performed. However, there is a paucity of literature describing ideal phalloplasty esthetics.

Randomized controlled trial of fractionated laser resurfacing on aged skin as prophylaxis against actinic neoplasia.

BACKGROUNDThe loss of insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1) expression in senescent dermal fibroblasts during aging is associated with an increased risk of nonmelanoma skin cancer (NMSC). We tested how IGF-1 signaling can influence photocarcinogenesis during chronic UVB exposure to determine if fractionated laser resurfacing (FLR) of aged skin, which upregulates dermal IGF-1 levels, can prevent the occurrence of actinic keratosis (AK) and NMSC.METHODSA human skin/immunodeficient mouse xenografting model was used to test the effects of a small molecule inhibitor of the IGF-1 receptor on chronic UVB radiation.

Evidence-Based Clinical Practice Guideline: Reconstruction after Skin Cancer Resection.

A multi-disciplinary work group involving stakeholders from various backgrounds and societies was convened to develop guidelines for the management of reconstruction after skin cancer resection. The goal was to identify areas of common ground and provide evidence-based recommendations to improve patient care. Given the heterogeneity of reconstructive techniques and clinical scenarios, investigation centered around common elements in the process.

Evidence-based clinical practice guideline: Reconstruction after skin cancer resection.

A multi-disciplinary work group involving stakeholders from various backgrounds and societies was convened to develop guidelines for the management of reconstruction after skin cancer resection. The goal was to identify areas of common ground and provide evidence-based recommendations to improve patient care. Given the heterogeneity of reconstructive techniques and clinical scenarios, investigation centered around common elements in the process.

Evidence-Based Clinical Practice Guideline: Reconstruction after Skin Cancer Resection.

A multi-disciplinary work group involving stakeholders from various backgrounds and societies was convened to develop guidelines for the management of reconstruction after skin cancer resection. The goal was to identify areas of common ground and provide evidence-based recommendations to improve patient care. Given the heterogeneity of reconstructive techniques and clinical scenarios, investigation centered around common elements in the process.

Tranexamic Acid in Infantile Craniosynostosis Surgery: Friend or Foe?

Background: Recent studies support the prophylactic use of tranexamic acid during craniosynostosis surgery to reduce blood loss. The study aims to assess national trends and outcomes of tranexamic acid administration.

Methods: The Pediatric Health Information System database was used to identify patients who underwent craniosynostosis surgery over a 9-year period (2010 to 2018).

Design and biofabrication of dermal regeneration scaffolds: role of oligomeric collagen fibril density and architecture.

To evaluate dermal regeneration scaffolds custom-fabricated from fibril-forming oligomeric collagen where the total content and spatial gradient of collagen fibrils was specified. Microstructural and mechanical features were verified by electron microscopy and tensile testing. The ability of dermal scaffolds to induce regeneration of rat full-thickness skin wounds was determined and compared with no fill control, autograft skin and a commercial collagen dressing.

An Epidemiological Analysis of Pediatric Dog Bite Injuries Over a Decade.

Background: An estimated 800,000 dog bites require medical attention every year. The purpose of this study is to review the characteristics of dog bite injuries in children and examine temporal trends.

Methods: The Kids' Inpatient Database was used to identify pediatric patients with dog bite injuries over a 10-y period.

Reshapable hydrogel tissue expander for ridge augmentation: Results of a series of successive insertions at the same intraoral site.

Background: Oral mucosa expansion before ridge augmentation is a procedure to reduce soft tissue exposure and to improve bone graft density and volume after augmentation. This study explored a novel, shapeable hydrogel tissue expander (HTE) in intraoral sites that had undergone previous expansion and surgery.

Methods: Nine beagle dogs had all premolar teeth extracted and adjacent alveolar bone reduced.

Patient-Reported Outcomes and Factors Associated With Patient Satisfaction After Surgical Treatment of Facial Nonmelanoma Skin Cancer.

This study measures patient-reported outcomes and identifies factors associated with patient satisfaction after excision of facial nonmelanoma skin cancer in the veteran population.

Tourniquet Use in Wide-Awake Carpal Tunnel Release.

Carpal tunnel syndrome is a common cause of upper extremity discomfort. Surgical release of the median nerve can be performed under general or local anesthetic, with or without a tourniquet. Wide-awake carpal tunnel release (CTR) (local anesthesia, no sedation) is gaining popularity.

Scholarly activity in academic plastic surgery: the gender difference.

Background: The number of women in medicine has grown rapidly in recent years. Women constitute over 50% of medical school graduates and hold 38% of faculty positions at United States medical schools. Despite this, gender disparities remain prevalent in most surgical subspecialties, including plastic surgery.

Enamel Hypomineralization in Children With Clefts and the Relationship to Treatment: A Cross-sectional Retrospective Study.

Objective: The aim of this study was to determine whether molar incisor hypomineralization (MIH) is greater in patients with cleft lip and palate (CLP) who underwent primary alveolar grafting (PAG) as compared with CLP waiting for secondary alveolar grafting (SAG) and with controls.

Design: A retrospective analysis of intraoral photographs of 13 CLP patients who underwent a PAG, 28 CLP prior to SAG, and 60 controls without CLP was performed. Mantel-Haenszel χ tests were used to compare the 3 groups for differences in MIH scores, and Wilcoxon rank sum tests were used to compare the groups for differences in average MIH scores.

Psychometric findings and normative values for the CLEFT-Q based on 2434 children and young adult patients with cleft lip and/or palate from 12 countries.

Background: Patients with cleft lip and/or palate can undergo numerous procedures to improve appearance, speech, dentition and hearing. We developed a cleft-specific patient-reported outcome instrument to facilitate rigorous international measurement and benchmarking.

Methods: Data were collected from patients aged 8-29 years with cleft lip and/or palate at 30 hospitals in 12 countries between October 2014 and November 2016.

Omental Vascularized Lymph Node Flap: A Radiographic Analysis.

Background:  Vascularized lymph node transfer is an increasingly popular option for the treatment of lymphedema. The omental donor site is advantageous for its copious soft tissue, well-defined collateral circulation, and large number of available nodes, without the risk of iatrogenic lymphedema. The purpose of this study is to define the anatomy of the omental flap in the context of vascularized lymph node harvest.

Pyoderma gangrenosum demographics, treatments, and outcomes: an analysis of 2,273 cases.

Objective: Pyoderma gangrenosum is a rare, neutrophil-mediated, auto-inflammatory dermatosis. This condition has clinical features analogous to infectious processes and must be quickly diagnosed to be properly treated. The purpose of this study was to characterise relevant clinical features associated with pyoderma gangrenosum based on a large inpatient cohort.

Age at Diagnosis as a Relative Contraindication for Intervention in Facial Nonmelanoma Skin Cancer.

This study examines the utility of excising facial nonmelanoma skin cancer in very elderly patients.