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Dyhr Hjelm posted an update 1 day, 16 hours ago
In this article, we presented 2 cases of rare clinical presentation of 3-point lap-diagonal seat belt injuries and provided a brief overview of the spectrum of the associated deformity and morbidity. Both of our patients presented in a delayed fashion during the subacute period at 12 and 4 months, respectively, following their traumatic seat belt injuries, which improved with surgical intervention. Ideally, these injuries should be repaired during the subacute period once any life-threatening injuries have been addressed, because seat belt-restraint injuries may otherwise lead to chronic pain, functional loss, and physical deformity.With the academic culture of “publish or perish,” authors must ensure that they are delivering high-quality data with a meaningful impact on clinical practice. Even for physician-scientists at the top of their fields, establishing the relevance of a study to clinical practice is a challenge. Thus, it is essential that research proposals ask questions that are clinically important, use appropriate methodologies, and examine outcomes that are relevant to both the physicians and the patients. The question of “so, what?” or in other words, “who cares?” is one that can make or break a study’s impact on clinical practice. Researchers should use models such as PICOS (Population, Intervention, Comparison, Outcomes, and Study design) and FINER (Feasible, Interesting, Novel, Ethical, Relevant) and ask why readers will care about their study’s findings before the study is conducted. By doing so, researchers can ensure the successful execution of their study and a meaningful impact of their findings, in both academia and clinical practice. This Special Topic article aims to guide researchers in producing relevant, impactful conclusions of their studies by providing input and resources from the Michigan Center for Hand Outcomes and Innovation (M-CHOIR) group.Can good functional and cosmetic result be achieved in syndactyly separation using a straight midline incision with a hexagonal dorsal skin flap?
We performed 39 web reconstructions at a median of 20 months of age (11-43 months) to 26 consecutive children (21 male) with 30 simple, 4 complex, and 5 complicated syndactylies. Eighteen of the simple syndactylies were incomplete, ending at the proximal interphalangeal joint in 15 and at the distal interphalangeal joint in 3. Inguinal skin grafts were used in 2 children with either complex or complicated syndactyly. Operation time was recorded. Complications were registered. Height of the new web spaces was calculated. Parents’ satisfaction on both functional and cosmetic outcome was assessed using a Visual Analog Scale from 0 to 100.
Duration of one web reconstruction ranged from 50 to 95 minutes in simple incomplete, 56 to 135 in simple complete, 116 to 151 in complex, and 72 to 123 in complicated syndactylies. One child had a self-induced bilateral postoperative infection that lead to web creep. Two patients developed hypertrophic scars, which responded well to silicone treatment. Mean cosmetic and functional Visual Analog Scale scores were 87 (45-100) and 92 (63-100), respectively, at a mean follow-up of 1.3 years (range, 0.5-3.7).
Web reconstruction using a hexagonal dorsal skin flap and straight midline incisions with closure at mid-lateral lines is safe, with good cosmetic and functional outcome in our short-term follow-up.
Web reconstruction using a hexagonal dorsal skin flap and straight midline incisions with closure at mid-lateral lines is safe, with good cosmetic and functional outcome in our short-term follow-up.Both the American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Program (NSQIP) and the American Society of Plastic Surgeons Tracking Operations and Outcomes for Plastic Surgeons (TOPS) databases track 30-day outcomes.
Using the 2008-2016 TOPS and NSQIP databases, we compared patient characteristics and postoperative outcomes for 5 common plastic surgery procedures. A weighted TOPS population was used to mirror the NSQIP population in clinical and demographic characteristics to compare postoperative outcomes.
We identified 154,181 cases. Compared with NSQIP patients, TOPS patients were more likely to be younger (47.9 versus 50.0 years), have American Society of Anesthesiologists class I-II (92.1% versus 74.6%), be outpatient (66.0% versus 49.3%), and be smokers (18.7% versus 11.7%). TOPS had extensive missing data body mass index (40.6%), American Society of Anesthesiologists class (34.9%), diabetes (39.3%), and smoking status (37.2%). NSQIP was missing <1% of all shared categories except race (15.6%). The entire TOPS cohort versus only TOPS patients without missing data had higher rates of dehiscence (5.1% versus 3.5%) and infection (2.1% versus 1.7%). TOPS versus NSQIP patients had higher dehiscence rates (5.1% versus 1.0%) but lower rates of return to the operating room (3.1% versus 6.6%), infection (2.1% versus 3.0%), and medical complications (0.3% versus 2.2%). Nonweighted and weighted TOPS cohorts had similar 30-day outcomes.
NSQIP and TOPS populations are different in characteristics and outcomes, likely due to differences in collection methodology and the types physicians using the databases. The strengths of each dataset can be used together for research and quality improvement.
NSQIP and TOPS populations are different in characteristics and outcomes, likely due to differences in collection methodology and the types physicians using the databases. The strengths of each dataset can be used together for research and quality improvement.An autologous homologous skin construct (AHSC) has been developed for the repair and replacement of skin. It is created from a small, full-thickness harvest of healthy skin, which contains endogenous regenerative populations involved in native skin repair. A multicenter retrospective review of 15 wounds in 15 patients treated with AHSC was performed to evaluate the hypothesis that a single application could result in wound closure in a variety of wound types and that the resulting tissue would resemble native skin. check details Patients and wounds were selected and managed per provider’s discretion with no predefined inclusion, exclusion, or follow-up criteria. Dressings were changed weekly. Graft take and wound closure were documented during follow-up visits and imaged with a digital camera. Wound etiologies included 5 acute and chronic burn, 4 acute traumatic, and 6 chronic wounds. All wounds were closed with a single application of AHSC manufactured from a single tissue harvest. Median wound, harvest, and defect-to-harvest size ratio were 120 cm2 (range, 27-4800 cm2), 14 cm2 (range, 3-20 cm2), and 111 (range, 21-3431), respectively.