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Background:. The need to address inequities in global surgical care has garnered increased attention since 2015, after the Lancet Commission on Global Surgery underscored the importance of ensuring safe, accessible, affordable, and timely surgical and anesthetic care. The vast unmet global plastic surgery needs make plastic surgery care essential in reducing the global burden of disease. In the past, many nonprofit organizations undertook humanitarian activities within low- and middle-income countries that were primarily service-provision oriented. The Lancet Commission on Global Surgery report prompted a shift in focus from direct patient care models to sustainable global surgical models. The realization that 33% of deaths worldwide were due to unmet surgical needs led to a global shift of strategy toward the development of local systems, surgical capacity, and a focus on patient safety and quality of care within international global surgery partnerships. Methods:. In this report, the authors explore some of the primary components of sustainable international global surgical partnerships discussed in a recent panel at the American Society of Plastic Surgeons Plastic Surgery The Meeting 2022, titled “Safety and Sustainability Overseas: Optimizing Outcomes and Changing Paradigms in Global Health Endeavors.” A literature review elaborating the topics discussed was performed. Results:. This report focuses on cultural competence and humility, international collaboration, and the use of technology and innovation, all of which are needed to promote sustainability and patient safety, within global surgery efforts. Conclusions:. The adoption of these components into international surgical collaborations will lead to greatly enhancing the development and sustainability of mutually beneficial relationships.

Background:. The introduction of mesh for reinforcement of ventral hernia repair (VHR) led to a significant reduction in hernia recurrence rates. However, it remains controversial whether synthetic or biologic mesh leads to superior outcomes. Recently, hybrid mesh consisting of reinforced biosynthetic ovine rumen (RBOR) has been developed and aims to combine the advantages of biologic and synthetic mesh; however, outcomes after VHR with RBOR have not yet been compared with the standard of care. Methods:. We performed a retrospective analysis on 109 patients, who underwent VHR with RBOR (n = 50) or synthetic polypropylene mesh (n = 59). Demographic characteristics, comorbidities, postoperative complications, and recurrence rates were analyzed and compared between the groups. Multivariate logistic regression models were fit to assess associations of mesh type with overall complications and surgical site occurrence (SSO). Results:. Patients who underwent VHR with RBOR were older (mean age 63.7 versus 58.8 years, P = 0.02) and had a higher rate of renal disease (28.0 versus 10.2%, P = 0.01) compared with patients with synthetic mesh. Despite an unfavorable risk profile, patients with RBOR had lower rates of SSO (16.0 versus 30.5%, P = 0.12) and similar hernia recurrence rates (4.0 versus 6.78%, P = 0.68) compared with patients with synthetic mesh. The use of synthetic mesh was significantly associated with higher odds for overall complications (3.78, P < 0.05) and SSO (3.87, P < 0.05). Conclusion:. Compared with synthetic polypropylene mesh, the use of RBOR for VHR mitigates SSO while maintaining low hernia recurrence rates at 30-month follow-up.

Phalloplasty has matured considerably over the last decades in reconstructive options and technical refinements, thanks to increasing recognition of gender dysphoria. The primary goals of performing a phalloplasty are to facilitate sexual penetration, protective sensation, orgasm, standing micturition, and natural aesthetic, ideally in few stages and with minimal morbidity. Radial forearm free flap, anterolateral flap, and metoidioplasty are the most common options, each with a unique profile of complications, aesthetic, and functional outcomes. Choices for reconstruction must be tailored to the individual patient’s goals and available tissue characteristics.

Background:. The use of biologic mesh to reinforce the abdominal wall in ventral hernia repair has been proposed as a viable alternative to synthetic mesh, particularly for high-risk patients and in contaminated settings. However, a comparison of clinical outcomes between the currently available biologic mesh types has yet to be performed. Methods:. We performed a retrospective analysis of 141 patients who had undergone ventral hernia repair with biologic mesh, including noncross-linked porcine ADM (NC-PADM) (n = 51), cross-linked porcine ADM (C-PADM) (n = 17), reinforced biologic ovine rumen (RBOR) (n = 36), and bovine ADM (BADM) (n = 37) at the Stanford University Medical Center between 2002 and 2020. Postoperative donor site complications and rates of hernia recurrence were compared between patients with different biologic mesh types. Results:. Abdominal complications occurred in 47.1% of patients with NC-PADM, 52.9% of patients with C-PADM, 16.7% of patients with RBOR, and 43.2% of patients with BADM (P = 0.015). Relative risk for overall complications was higher in patients who had received NC-PADM (RR = 2.64, P = 0.0182), C-PADM (RR = 3.19, P = 0.0127), and BADM (RR = 2.11, P = 0.0773) compared with those who had received RBOR. Furthermore, relative risk for hernia recurrence was also higher in all other mesh types compared with RBOR. Conclusion:. Our data indicate that RBOR decreases abdominal complications and recurrence rates after ventral hernia repair compared with NC-PADM, C-PADM, and BADM.

Background Various surgical management methods have been proposed for ischial sore reconstruction, yet it has the highest recurrence rate of all pressure ulcer types. A novel approach combining the advantages of a perforator-based fasciocutaneous flap and a muscle flap is expected to resolve the disadvantages of previously introduced surgical methods.

Background Prosthetic hands with a myoelectric interface have recently received interest within the broader category of hand prostheses, but their high cost is a major barrier to use. Modern three-dimensional (3D) printing technology has enabled more widespread development and cost-effectiveness in the field of prostheses. The objective of the present study was to evaluate the clinical impact of a low-cost 3D-printed myoelectric-interface prosthetic hand on patients’ daily life. Methods A prospective review of all upper-arm transradial amputation amputees who used 3D-printed myoelectric interface prostheses (Mark V) between January 2016 and August 2017 was conducted. The functional outcomes of prosthesis usage over a 3-month follow-up period were measured using a validated method (Orthotics Prosthetics User Survey–Upper Extremity Functional Status [OPUS-UEFS]). In addition, the correlation between the length of the amputated radius and changes in OPUS-UEFS scores was analyzed. Results Ten patients were included in the study. After use of the 3D-printed myoelectric single electromyography channel prosthesis for 3 months, the average OPUS-UEFS score significantly increased from 45.50 to 60.10. The Spearman correlation coefficient (r) of the correlation between radius length and OPUS-UEFS at the 3rd month of prosthetic use was 0.815. Conclusions This low-cost 3D-printed myoelectric-interface prosthetic hand with a single reliable myoelectrical signal shows the potential to positively impact amputees’ quality of life through daily usage. The emergence of a low-cost 3D-printed myoelectric prosthesis could lead to new market trends, with such a device gaining popularity via reduced production costs and increased market demand.

Summary. The COVID-19 pandemic has had significant implications for citizens globally and for the healthcare system, including plastic surgeons. Operations of the upper aerodigestive tract, including head and neck reconstruction and craniomaxillofacial procedures, are of particularly high risk because they may aerosolize the virus and lead to severe surgeon and surgical team illness. Until the virus is eradicated or widespread vaccination occurs, we recommend certain precautions to safely perform these operations. We propose evolving algorithms for head and neck reconstruction and facial trauma surgeries to maintain provider safety. Central to these guidelines are preoperative COVID-19 testing, appropriate personal protective equipment, and operative techniques/principles that minimize operative time and aerosolization of the virus. We aim to provide efficient care to our patients throughout this pandemic, while maintaining the safety of plastic surgeons and other healthcare providers.

Skeletal muscle is ideal for passive vaccine administration as it is easily accessible by intramuscular injection. Recombinant adeno-associated virus (rAAV) vectors are in consideration for passive vaccination clinical trials for HIV and influenza. However, greater human skeletal muscle transduction is needed for therapeutic efficacy than is possible with existing serotypes. To bioengineer capsids with therapeutic levels of transduction, we utilized a directed evolution approach to screen libraries of shuffled AAV capsids in pools of surgically resected human skeletal muscle cells from five patients. Six rounds of evolution were performed in various muscle cell types, and evolved variants were validated against existing muscle-tropic serotypes rAAV1, 6, and 8. We found that evolved variants NP22 and NP66 had significantly increased primary human and rhesus skeletal muscle fiber transduction from surgical explants ex vivo and in various primary and immortalized myogenic lines in vitro. Importantly, we demonstrated reduced seroreactivity compared to existing serotypes against normal human serum from 50 adult donors. These capsids represent powerful tools for human skeletal muscle expression and secretion of antibodies from passive vaccines. Keywords: AAV, passive vaccine, directed evolution, skeletal muscle, human, screen, functional transduction

Background Carpal tunnel release is one of the most common surgical procedures performed by hand surgeons. The authors created a surgical simulation of open carpal tunnel release utilizing a mobile and rehearsal platform app. This study was performed in order to validate the simulator as an effective training platform for carpal tunnel release. Methods The simulator was evaluated using a number of metrics: construct validity (the ability to identify variability in skill levels), face validity (the perceived ability of the simulator to teach the intended material), content validity (that the simulator was an accurate representation of the intended operation), and acceptability validity (willingness of the desired user group to adopt this method of training). Novices and experts were recruited. Each group was tested, and all participants were assigned an objective score, which served as construct validation. A Likert-scale questionnaire was administered to gauge face, content, and acceptability validity. Results Twenty novices and 10 experts were recruited for this study. The objective performance scores from the expert group were significantly higher than those of the novice group, with surgeons scoring a median of 74% and medical students scoring a median of 45%. The questionnaire responses indicated face, content, and acceptability validation. Conclusions This mobile-based surgical simulation platform provides step-by-step instruction for a variety of surgical procedures. The findings of this study help to demonstrate its utility as a learning tool, as we confirmed construct, face, content, and acceptability validity for carpal tunnel release. This easy-to-use educational tool may help bring surgical education to a new—and highly mobile—level.

Background Comprehensive aesthetic surgery training continues to be a challenge for residency programs. Our residency program developed a rhinoplasty-based objective structured clinical examination (OSCE) based upon validated methods as part of the residency education curriculum. We report our experience with the rhinoplasty-based OSCE and offer guidance to its incorporation within residency programs. Methods The encounter involved resident evaluation and operative planning for a standardized patient desiring a rhinoplasty procedure. Validated OSCE methods currently used at our medical school were implemented. Residents were evaluated on appropriate history taking, physical examination, and explanation to the patient of treatment options. Examination results were evaluated using analysis of variance (statistical significance P

Adult skeletal muscle stem cells, or satellite cells (SCs), regenerate functional muscle following transplantation into injured or diseased tissue. To gain insight into human SC (huSC) biology, we analyzed transcriptome dynamics by RNA sequencing of prospectively isolated quiescent and activated huSCs. This analysis indicated that huSCs differentiate and lose proliferative potential when maintained in high-mitogen conditions ex vivo. Further analysis of gene expression revealed that p38 MAPK acts in a transcriptional network underlying huSC self-renewal. Activation of p38 signaling correlated with huSC differentiation, while inhibition of p38 reversibly prevented differentiation, enabling expansion of huSCs. When transplanted, expanded huSCs differentiated to generate chimeric muscle and engrafted as SCs in the sublaminar niche with a greater frequency than freshly isolated cells or cells cultured without p38 inhibition. These studies indicate characteristics of the huSC transcriptome that promote expansion ex vivo to allow enhanced functional engraftment of a defined population of self-renewing huSCs.

Background:. Infection is a dreaded complication following 2-stage implant-based breast reconstruction that can prolong the reconstructive process and lead to loss of implant. This study aimed to characterize outcomes of reconstructions complicated by infection, identify patient and surgical factors associated with infection, and use these to develop an infection management algorithm. Methods:. We performed a retrospective review of all consecutive implant-based breast reconstructions performed by the senior author (2006–2015) and collected data regarding patient demographics, medical history, operative variables, presence of other complications (necrosis, seroma, hematoma), and infection characteristics. Univariate and multivariate binomial logistic regression analyses were performed to identify independent predictors of infection. Results:. We captured 292 patients who underwent 469 breast reconstructions. In total, 14.1% (n = 66) of breasts were complicated by infection, 87.9% (n = 58) of those were admitted and given intravenous antibiotics, 80.3% (n = 53) of all infections were cleared after the first attempt, whereas the remaining recurred at least once. The most common outcome was explantation (40.9%; n = 27), followed by secondary implant insertion (21.2%; n = 14) and operative salvage (18.2%; n = 12). Logistic regression analysis demonstrated that body mass index (P = 0.01), preoperative radiation (P = 0.02), necrosis (P < 0.001), seroma (P < 0.001), and hematoma (P = 0.03) were independent predictors of infection. Conclusions:. We observed an overall infectious complication rate of 14.1%. Heavier patients and patients who received preoperative radiation were more likely to develop infectious complications, suggesting that closer monitoring of high risk patients can potentially minimize infectious complications. Further, more aggressive management may be warranted for patients whose operations are complicated by necrosis, seroma, or hematoma.