[Assessing tendencies and motivations of female volunteers for cosmetic surgery]

Today, plastic surgeries are among the most popular types of surgeries worldwide, and Iran is placed as one of the tops on the list of plastic surgeries. Considering these facts, this study was designed to evaluate the volunteers' motivations, their attitudes and informational sources performed in Panzdah Khordad Educational Hospital, in Tehran, during 2005-2006. The study was conducted on a crosssectional basis. All patients undergoing plastic surgeries, and referred to this center during that time, were evaluated and necessary information was recorded. All the findings were evaluated statistically and the results were presented by descriptive and analytical statistics. 75 patients were studied in this research. The average age of the participants was 33 +/- 13 [minimum of 17 and maximum of 63 years old]. Rhinoplasty [52%] and abdominoplasty [8%], were the most and less common surgeries done. The major motivators were friends, relatives and classmates [40%] and the least important ones were magazines and journals [4%]. 10.7 percent of the participants described the posture and function of their target organs perfect, but they planned to improve it by the aesthetic surgeries. No relation was found between the motivations and type of the surgeries and educational stand, but the motivations were dependent on patients' occupation, marital status and attitude towards the target organ

[Efficacy of temporal myoplasty in correcting the facial deformity of patients suffering from hemi-facial palsy]

Facial nerve palsy can occur due to several causes and accordingly, several treatments have been proposed by plastic surgeons. This study is to determine the efficacy of temporal myoplasty in correcting the facial deformity of patients suffering from hemi-facial palsy whom were referred to "15 Khordad" hospital between 1381- 1385. Participants were 6 patients with hemi-facial palsy who referred continuously and were neither candidated for microscopic surgery, nor can tolerate free muscle transposition surgery. We conducted a clinical case study to compare pre and post-operation stages. In these patients, the new one-stage method of temporal tendon transposition to lip's commissure [without any grafting] was performed. They were followed for an average of 2 years. Assessments were made in terms of their age, sex, facial palsy cause, palsy duration, complications, and lip's commissure range of motion. Pre and post-operation photos were taken and physical examination was documented and analyzed for each case. Two cases [out of six ones] were men and the others were women. Their age range was 38.2 +/- 14 years old. In three cases, facial palsy was a post-traumatic result. One patient had congenital form. In another one it was due to tumor resection complications. The last patient was a tympanoplasty case. Palsy duration range was 28.7 +/- 11 months. No complication was seen after the operation. In early post-operation stage, 50% of patients had good static facial position and in remained 50% the result was excellent. However, in delayed stages, the percentages for excellent, good and moderate outcomes were 66, 17 and 17, respectively. Despite the well dynamic facial position in early post-operation stages among all the cases, in delayed stages the percentages for excellent, good and moderate results were reduced to 50, 33 and 17, respectively. It seems that for those who can not tolerate long operations nor like to do so, temporal myoplasty might be an acceptable method as an alternative for the standard surgical methods applied for hemi-facial palsy [i.e. the microscopy procedure]. It is recommended to conduct an absolute experimental study in this regard

One-year efficacy of expanded polytetrafluoroethylene vascular graft in eighty-three hemodialysis patients

To evaluate the patency and efficacy of expanded Polytetrafluoroethylene [ePTFE] vascular graft in hemodialysis patients. In a prospective study from January 1999 to January 2001 at Sina hospital 41 patients underwent implantation of 6-mm vascular grafts and 42 underwent implantation of 8-mm grafts in order to make vascular assess for hemodialysis. They were followed up to 12 months, observing the complications. Mean patients' age was 52.2 years. Thirty-seven of them were females and 46 were males. Over a 12 months period of follow-up, 12 cases of graft infection [14.5%], 21 cases of thrombosis [25.3%], 7 cases with both complications [8.4%], and 1 case of pseudoaneurism [1.2%] were observed. One-year patency rate was 34.9%. Diabetes was the only factor associated with lower patency rate [27% versus 57%, p<0.05]. ePTFE vascular graft seems to be an appropriate substitute for arteriovenous fistula as a vascular assess in hemodialysis patients. Educating patients and good care can decrease the rate of infection, thrombosis, and other complications, resulting in a better patency and lower morbidity rate