Augmentation mammaplasty Using saline filled implant: Clinical experience in 368 cases

The perfect breasts are supposed to be symmetrically balanced and proportionate to the rest of the body with softness, good-position, and mobility to respond to gravity and postural change. But saline filled implants have some disadvantages compared to silicone gel implant. Their low viscosity creates an unnatural feeling and suboptimal aesthetic result, their deflation offers the most important complication such as rippling or size reduction of breast. Therefore precise preoperative design, exact procedure and appropriate postoperative care are essential to optimal result. In past 5 years, we have performed the transaxillary subpectoral augmentation mammaplasty using saline filled implants on 183 female patients whose breasts were hypoplastic and followed up 58 months maximally. All patients were assisted with endoscopy. We employed round, textured type implant with the size ranging from 120cc to 270 cc and overinflated them 10 to 20% beyond its original volume. The overall result was satisfactory but some cases of capsular contracture, deflation, implant displacement and infection were found. On the basis of our experience, we suggest some critical points so as to obtain the best result: what conforms to the patients anatomy and satisfies her goal at the same time. First of all, preoperative design in accordance with the dimension is very important. The best dimension for each patient depends on the definition of the ideal base width of the breast. Secondly, exact subpectoral dissection using endoscopy, no-touch technique for the implant is essential to achieve excellent results. Finally, postoperative self management must not be ignored.

Sural Vessels as Recipient Vessels for Free Flap Transfer to the Single Vessel Leg

Free flaps have been widely used in lower leg reconstruction. However, in cases with extensive injury to the vessels as well as to the bone and soft tissues, and having only one intact major vessel in the lower leg(single vessel leg), careful selection of recipient vessels for the free flap transfer is mandatory for preventing further vascular compromise of the distal lower leg. The sural artery and its vena comitantes are frequently protected form externally harmful forces by the bulky surrounding gastrocnemius muscle and can be used as recipient vessles for free flaps without any detrimental influence on the vascularity of the distal lower leg. In our department, three latissimus dorsi muscle free flap were transferred with sural vessels as recipient vessels in the reconstruction of the single vessel legs. Except for one case of flap failure due to serious infection at the microvascular anastomoses site, all the other cases were successfully reconstructed without any necrosis of the gastrocnemius muscle or the distal leg. In addition, the sural vessels were easily accessed in any patient position and their caliber was similar to that of the vascular pedicles of the donor muscle flaps. In conclusion, the sural vessels can be another useful option in selecting recipient vessels for free flap transfer in the reconstruction of the single vessel leg.