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Background/Objectives: Implant-based breast reconstruction has been essential since the 1960s, offering a faster and less invasive alternative to autologous reconstruction. Recent innovations—including direct-to-implant (DTI) reconstruction, advancements in surgical planes, synthetic meshes, and nipple-areolar complex (NAC) neurotization—have improved patient outcomes. This review explores these developments, analyzing their impact on breast reconstruction over the past two decades. Methods: A comprehensive literature review was conducted using PubMed, Google Scholar, and Cochrane Library databases, focusing on peer-reviewed studies published up to 2024. Articles were selected based on relevance, quality, and documentation of clinical outcomes and patient satisfaction. Results: Findings indicate that DTI reconstruction reduces the need for multiple surgeries, especially in cases with sufficient mastectomy flap quality. Prepectoral placement showed benefits in postoperative comfort and recovery speed compared to subpectoral placement, but had specific risks, such as implant rippling. Synthetic meshes improved implant support and reduced complication rates, while neurotization has shown potential in restoring sensation to the nipple-areolar complex (NAC), addressing quality-of-life concerns. Conclusions: Innovations like DTI, prepectoral techniques, and adjunctive mesh and neurotization strategies are advancing patient outcomes. Future research should refine these methods, aiming to expand applicability and further improve aesthetic and sensory outcomes for breast cancer survivors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: The purpose of this study is to assess cleft rhinoplasty terminology across phases of growth. Design/Setting: A systematic review was performed on cleft rhinoplasty publications over 20 years. Interventions: Studies were categorized by age at surgical intervention: infant (<1 year); immature (1 to 14 years); mature (>15 years). Main Outcome Measures: Collected data included terminology used and surgical techniques. Results: The 288 studies included demonstrated a wide range of terminology. In the infant group, 51/54 studies used the term "primary." In the immature group, 7/18 studies used the term "primary," 3/18 used "secondary." In the mature group, 2/33 studies used the term "primary," 16/33 used "secondary," 2/33 used "definitive," 5/33 used terms such as "mature," "adult," and "late," and 8/33 did not use terminology. Surgical technique assessment demonstrated: cleft rhinoplasty at infancy used nostril rim or no nasal incision, immature rhinoplasty used closed and open rhinoplasty incisions; and mature rhinoplasty used a majority of open rhinoplasty. Infant and immature cleft rhinoplasty incorporated septal harvest or spur removal in <10% of cases, whereas these procedures were common in mature rhinoplasty. No studies in infants or immature patients used osteotomies or septal grafts, common techniques in mature rhinoplasty. Conclusions: Current terminology for cleft rhinoplasty is varied and inconsistently applied across stages of facial development. However, cleft rhinoplasty performed at infancy, childhood, and facial maturity are surgically distinct procedures. The authors recommend the terminology "infant," "immature," and "mature" cleft rhinoplasty to accurately describe this procedure within the context of skeletal growth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9) is a secreted endopeptidase targeting extracellular matrix proteins, creating permissive environments for neuronal development and plasticity. Developmental dysregulation of MMP-9 may also lead to neurodevelopmental disorders (ND). Here, we test the hypothesis that chronically elevated MMP-9 activity during early neurodevelopment is responsible for neural circuit hyperconnectivity observed in Xenopus tadpoles after early exposure to valproic acid (VPA), a known teratogen associated with ND in humans. In Xenopus tadpoles, VPA exposure results in excess local synaptic connectivity, disrupted social behavior and increased seizure susceptibility. We found that overexpressing MMP-9 in the brain copies effects of VPA on synaptic connectivity, and blocking MMP-9 activity pharmacologically or genetically reverses effects of VPA on physiology and behavior. We further show that during normal neurodevelopment MMP-9 levels are tightly regulated by neuronal activity and required for structural plasticity. These studies show a critical role for MMP-9 in both normal and abnormal development.

Background:. Chronic facial paralysis can lead to significant functional and psychosocial impairment. Treatment often involves free muscle flap-based facial reanimation surgery. Although surgical techniques have advanced considerably over the years, consensus has yet to be reached for postoperative outcome evaluation. To facilitate outcome comparison between the various techniques for free muscle-flap-based reanimation, a standardized, widely accepted functional outcomes assessment tool must be adopted. Methods:. In accordance with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines, we performed a systematic review of the PubMed, Cochrane, and Embase databases to identify the reported functional outcome measurement tools used in the free muscle flap-based reanimation literature. Results:. The search yielded 219 articles, 43 of which met our inclusion and exclusion criteria. We noted an increase in publications reporting the utilization of objective measures over time, particularly software-based tools, as well as increased utilization of patient reported outcomes measures. Conclusions:. Based on the trends identified in the literature, we suggest standardization of outcome measures following facial reanimation surgery with free muscle-flap using a combination of the Facial Assessment by Computer Evaluation (FACEgram) software and the Facial Clinimetric Evaluation (FaCE) Scale.

Background: Many cleft centers incorporate NasoAlveolar Molding (NAM) into their presurgical treatment protocols. However, there are limited data on eligible patients who do not receive or complete NAM. This study characterizes the demographics associated with non-utilization or completion of NAM. Methods: A single-institution retrospective review was performed of all patients with cleft lip and alveolus undergoing primary unilateral and bilateral cleft lip repair from 2012-2020. Patients were grouped based on utilization or non-utilization of NAM. Demographic and treatment data were collected, including documented reasons for not pursuing or completing NAM. Results: Of 230 eligible patients, 61 patients (27%) did not undergo or complete NAM (no-NAM). In this group, 37 (60.7%) received no presurgical intervention, 12 (19.7%) received presurgical nostril retainers, 3 (4.9%) received lip taping, 1 (1.6%) received a combination of taping/nostril retainers, and 8 (13.1%) discontinued NAM. The most common reasons for not receiving NAM were sufficiently aligned cleft alveolus (21.3%), medical complexity (16.4%), late presentation (16.4%), and alveolar notching (18%). Compared to the NAM group, the no-NAM group had significantly lower rates of prenatal cleft diagnosis/consult, and significantly higher proportion of non-married and non-English speaking caregivers. Multivariable analysis controlling for insurance type, primary language, prenatal consult, marital status, and age at first appointment found that age at first appointment is the only statistically significant predictor of NAM utilization (P <.001). Conclusions: Common reasons for non-utilization of NAM include well-aligned cleft alveolus, medical complexity, and late presentation. Early presentation is an important modifiable factor affecting rates of NAM utilization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Primary cleft nasal repair can include septal reconstruction. We hypothesize that primary cleft septoplasty and adult septoplasty have fundamental differences that render these procedures as distinct surgical entities. Design: Systematic review of the PubMed, Cochrane, and Embase databases performed on pediatric cleft and general adult septoplasty techniques through December 2021. (PROSPERO ID CRD42022295763) Main Outcome Measures: Collected data included information on septal dissection, septal detachment, and management of the bony and cartilaginous septum. Results: Twenty-eight pediatric cleft septoplasty and 229 adult septoplasty studies were included. Dissection in primary cleft septoplasty was limited to the anterocaudal septum, while secondary cleft septoplasty and adult septoplasty techniques entailed wide exposures of the cartilaginous septum with or without exposure of the perpendicular plate of the ethmoid. In primary cleft septoplasty, detachment of the septum was mostly limited to the nasal spine and anterior base of the cartilaginous septum, while secondary cleft septoplasty and adult septoplasty included detachment from the vomer, and ethmoid. In the few reports of cartilage excision during primary cleft septoplasty, removal was limited to the anterior inferior border of the septum, while secondary cleft septoplasty and adult septoplasty included excision of the cartilaginous and bony septum. Conclusion: Primary cleft septoplasty is distinct from septoplasty performed on facially mature patients. More specifically, septal dissection and detachment are limited to the anterior caudal area during primary lip repair, with rare removal of cartilage or bone. Given these differences, the authors suggest the term "septal reset" to describe septoplasty performed during primary cleft nasal repair. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The current standard of care for an alveolar cleft defect is an autogenous bone graft, typically from the iliac crest. Given the limitations of alveolar bone graft surgery, such as limited supply, donor site morbidity, graft failure, and need for secondary surgery, there has been growing interest in regenerative medicine strategies to supplement and replace traditional alveolar bone grafts. Though there have been preliminary clinical studies investigating bone tissue engineering methods in human subjects, lack of consistent results as well as limitations in study design make it difficult to determine the efficacy of these interventions. As the field of bone tissue engineering is rapidly advancing, reconstructive surgeons should be aware of the preclinical studies informing these regenerative strategies. We review preclinical studies investigating bone tissue engineering strategies in large animal maxillary or mandibular defects and provide an overview of scaffolds, stem cells, and osteogenic agents applicable to tissue engineering of the alveolar cleft. An electronic search conducted in the PubMed database up to December 2021 resulted in 35 studies for inclusion in our review. Most studies showed increased bone growth with a tissue engineering construct compared to negative control. However, heterogeneity in the length of follow up, method of bone growth analysis, and inconsistent use of positive control groups make comparisons across studies difficult. Future studies should incorporate a pediatric study model specific to alveolar cleft with long-term follow up to fully characterize volumetric defect filling, cellular ingrowth, bone strength, tooth movement, and implant support. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: Cleft lip repair has traditionally been performed as an inpatient procedure. There has been an interest toward outpatient cleft lip repair to reduce healthcare costs and avoid unnecessary hospital stay. We report surgical outcomes following implementation of an ambulatory cleft lip repair protocol and hypothesize that an ambulatory repair results in comparable safety outcomes to inpatient repair. Design/Setting: This is a single-institution, retrospective study. Patients/Participants: Patients undergoing primary unilateral (UCL) and bilateral (BCL) cleft lip repair from 2012 to 2021 with a minimum 30-day follow-up. A total of 226 patients with UCL and 58 patients with BCL were included. Intervention: Ambulatory surgery protocol in 2016. Outcome Measures: Variables include demographics and surgical data including 30-day readmission, 30-day reoperation, and postoperative complications. Results: There were no differences in rates of 30-day readmission, reoperation, wound complications, or postoperative complications between the pre- and post-protocol groups. Following ambulatory protocol implementation, 80% of the UCL group and 56% of the BCL group received ambulatory surgery. Average length of stay dropped from 24 h pre-protocol to 8 h post-protocol. The 20% of the UCL group and 44% of the BCL group chosen for overnight stay had a significantly higher proportion of congenital abnormalities and higher American Society of Anesthesiology (ASA) class. Reasons for overnight stay included cardiac/airway monitoring, prematurity, and monitoring of comorbidities. There were no differences in surgical outcomes between the ambulatory and overnight stay groups. Conclusions: An ambulatory cleft lip repair protocol can significantly reduce average length of stay without adversely affecting surgical outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Résumé: Parmi les différents thèmes priorisés dans le programme régional de télémédecine, le soin en établissements d’hébergement pour personnes âgées dépendantes (EHPAD) a été choisi pour cette expérimentation. Le projet cible le parcours de la personne âgée, de plus de 75 ans, posant le problème d’une plaie chronique dans un contexte de dépendance et de polypathologie. Objectif: L’objectif de cette expérimentation est d’améliorer à la fois l’accès aux soins des personnes âgées et la continuité des soins ville/hôpital et de favoriser la formation des soignants. Méthodes: Cette expérimentation (septembre 2012 à septembre 2013) est basée sur la téléconsultation lors de laquelle l’équipe d’experts (gériatre, infirmière, ergothérapeute, diététicienne et secrétaire) intervient deux demi-journées par semaine au sein du pôle de gérontologie clinique (CHU Bordeaux, France). Après avoir obtenu le consentement du patient, le médecin traitant et l’équipe de l’EHPAD se connectent dans une salle virtuelle avec l’équipe du centre expert. Pour la structure demandeuse, cette connexion s’établit soit dans la chambre du patient à l’aide d’un chariot de télémédecine (EHPAD avec Wifi), soit depuis une salle dédiée (EHPAD sans Wifi). Suite à la téléconsultation, un compte rendu est écrit puis envoyé via une messagerie sécurisée à la structure demandeuse. Résultats: Au total, six EHPAD (en Gironde et Dordogne) ont été inclus dans ce projet. Les résultats préliminaires rapportent un total de 51 téléconsultations avec la prise en soins et le suivi d’escarres (57,9 %), d’ulcères trophiques vasculaires (26,3 %) et de plaies d’origine traumatique (15,8 %). Ces premiers résultats montrent que la télémédecine améliore de manière significative la cicatrisation des plaies et diminue les dépenses en pansements en réduisant le rythme des changements de pansements (p =0,005). Sans ces téléconsultations, les médecins généralistes auraient adressé leurs patients en consultation spécialisée dans 31,6 % des cas et en hospitalisation de jour dans 47,4 % des cas. Conclusion: Les enjeux de la télémédecine sont importants en gériatrie, notamment dans le suivi des personnes âgées avec des pathologies chroniques nécessitant des allers et retours répétés à l’hôpital. Une des perspectives est d’élargir les téléconsultations à tous les syndromes gériatriques (chutes, confusion, dénutrition, etc.) et d’assurer la formation continue aux professionnels de santé. L’outil peut également permettre le suivi des patients âgés par d’autres spécialistes afin d’assurer au mieux la continuité des soins. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Objective: to explore muscle mitochondria function with respect to age, functional status and nutrition in community-living and recovering hospitalized older subjects. Measurements: subjects were assessed for nutrition, hand-grip strength, 10-meter gait time, a modified timed get-up-and-go test and activities of daily living score (ADL). 31P magnetic resonance spectroscopy (31P MRS) was used to assess the initial rate of post-exercise phosphocreatine recovery (ViPCr) for mitochondrial function evaluation in 25 hospitalized older subjects (86.1 + 5.3 y) and in 25 community-living younger ones (74.5 + 6.2 y). Results: in multiple linear regression, longer time on the get-up-and-go test was independently associated with lower values of ViPCr (p = 0.008). For all subjects and in the 8 patients unable to perform this test, ViPCr was negatively correlated with the ADL score (respectively p < 0.001 and p = 0.025). Conclusion: particularly in hospitalized and frail older subjects, muscle mitochondrial function was related to the global physical functional assessment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To assess the effects of delirium on the institutionalization rate, taking into account geriatric syndromes and nutritional status.Methods: This population-based study took place in an acute care unit and included participants older than 75 years, arriving from home and later discharged. Confusion Assessment Method (CAM) symptoms were recorded by the nurses within 24 hours after admission and every 3 days. Delirium was defined using the CAM algorithm, and subsyndromal delirium responded to symptoms not fulfilling the CAM algorithm. These delirium categories were either present at admission (prevalent) or occurred during the hospital stay (incident). Participants were classified as having a low dietary intake when energy intake was at any time lower than 600 kcal/d. Age, sex, known cognitive impairment, weight, functional dependency, and laboratory testing as well as diagnoses were also recorded. Step-by-step backward logistic regression was used to identify predictors of institutionalization.Results: Among 427 patients, 310 (72.6%) were discharged and were compared with 117 (27.4%) participants admitted to an institution. Female sex (odds ratio [OR]: OR 2.15, 95% confidence interval [CI]: CI 1.22-3.78), prevalent delirium (OR 3.19, 95% CI 1.33-7.64), subsyndromal delirium (OR 2.72, 95% CI 1.48-5.01), incident subsyndromal delirium (OR 4.27, 95% CI 2.17-8.39), low dietary intake (OR 2.50, 95% CI 1.35-4.63), and a fall (OR 2.16, 95% CI 1.22-3.84) or a diagnosis of stroke (OR 2.03, 95% CI 1.04-3.94) were independent predictors of institutionalization.Conclusions: Symptoms of delirium and severe nutritional impairment led patients to geriatric institutions. Therefore, these institutions need to implement policies that address both of these issues. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Six patients with early sonographic diagnosis of invasive placenta previa increta/percreta before fetal viability were offered hysterectomy to terminate the pregnancy with prophylactic internal iliac artery embolization (IIAE). The mean gestational age at treatment was 19.7 weeks (range, 14–23). Among these six patients undergoing hysterectomy, the mean estimated blood loss was 1,767 mL ± 1,213 (range, 300–3000), and the mean transfusion requirements were 4.33 U ± 4.08. With this limited experience, we are encouraged by the apparent reduction in operative blood loss and fewer transfusion requirements after the use of prophylactic IIAE compared with historical controls. These preliminary findings are based on a small number of patients, and therefore further investigation is needed to determine the effectiveness of this procedure. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The aim of this study was to investigate the second trimester concentrations of maternal urine human chorionic gonadotrophin beta-core fragment (HCGbetacf) in Asian pregnanci2es with fetal chromosomal abnormalities. HCGbetacf concentrations were analysed from 34 urine samples in chromosomally abnormal pregnancies, including 28 cases of Down's syndrome, one case of trisomy 18, and five cases of other chromosomal abnormalities (one mosaic deletion and four translocations), and in a cohort of 268 normal pregnancies receiving second trimester amniocentesis. Results were normalized to urine creatinine (Cr) concentration and converted to the multiple of the median (MOM) concentration for the appropriate gestation. The median HCGbetacf MOM concentrations of Down's syndrome pregnancies (12.89) was significantly higher than that of normal pregnancies (1. 06) (P < 0.00001). Wide variations of HCGbetacf concentrations were observed in other chromosomally abnormal pregnancies. There were 18 of 28 (64%) Down's syndrome cases but one of five (20%) other chromosomally abnormal cases with HCGbetacf concentrations above the 95th centile of the control values (8.22 MOM cut-off). These findings suggest that HCGbetacf could be a potential marker in urine screening for fetal Down's syndrome in Asians. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Presents a letter to the editor in response to the article describing the transvaginal sonographic detection of placenta accreta in the second and third trimesters of pregnancy.