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Evaluates the long-term results of subintimal angioplasty in improving critical limb ischemia. Utilization of the technique as an alternative to surgical bypass in patients with multisystem co-morbidity; Assessment of subintimal angioplasty performed in legs for critical ischemia; Rate of limb salvage; Usefulness of the technique as the first-line intervention in the treatment of leg ischemia.

Background: Therapeutic mammaplasty (TM) may be an alternative to mastectomy, but few well designed studies have evaluated the success of this approach or compared the short‐term outcomes of TM with mastectomy with or without immediate breast reconstruction (IBR). Data from the national iBRA‐2 and TeaM studies were combined to compare the safety and short‐term outcomes of TM and mastectomy with or without IBR. Methods: The subgroup of patients in the TeaM study who underwent TM to avoid mastectomy were identified, and data on demographics, complications, oncology and adjuvant treatment were compared with those of patients undergoing mastectomy with or without IBR in the iBRA‐2 study. The primary outcome was the percentage of successful breast‐conserving procedures in the TM group. Secondary outcomes included postoperative complications and time to adjuvant therapy. Results: A total of 2916 patients (TM 376; mastectomy 1532; mastectomy and IBR 1008) were included in the analysis. Patients undergoing TM were more likely to be obese and to have undergone bilateral surgery than those having IBR. However, patients undergoing mastectomy with or without IBR were more likely to experience complications than the TM group (TM: 79, 21·0 per cent; mastectomy: 570, 37·2 per cent; mastectomy and IBR: 359, 35·6 per cent; P < 0·001). Breast conservation was possible in 87·0 per cent of patients who had TM, and TM did not delay adjuvant treatment. Conclusion: TM may allow high‐risk patients who would not be candidates for IBR to avoid mastectomy safely. Further work is needed to explore the comparative patient‐reported and cosmetic outcomes of the different approaches, and to establish long‐term oncological safety. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents a study designed to examine the practice and short-term outcomes of therapeutic mammaplasty as a treatment method for breast cancer. The authors conclude that therapeutic mammaplasty is a safe and effective treatment method compared to mastectomy or breast-conserving surgery.

The article provides information on a study which examined the increasing trend for British National Health Service (NHS) employers to request specialist breast skills with a diminishing requirement for general surgery (GS) elective and on-call duties. Topics covered include an assessment of the required level of specialization as advertised by NHS employers and the identification of the amount of GS carried out by members of the Association of Breast Surgery (ABS).