Single block costal cartilage graft in rhinoplasty / Enxerto de cartilagem costal em monobloco na rinoplastia

INTRODUCTION: It is often necessary to use inclusion materials in rhinoplasty for nose restructuring. The costal cartilage graft is one of the inclusion material options, and its use is indicated when septal cartilage is not available or is not sufficient to provide necessary remodeling of the nose. METHODS: Four patients who, for diverse reasons, had saddle nose or poor projection of the nasal dorsum underwent rhinoplasty. All received a costal cartilage graft carved in an "L" shape. The long branch of the "L" was used to reconstruct the dorsum and the short branch was used to support the new dorsum and the columella, repositioning the nasal tip. RESULTS: All patients had a good postoperative evolution and had no significant complications. There was a clear reconstruction of the dorsum and harmonization of the nasal tip. The results were as expected and were long-lasting. CONCLUSIONS: The use of a costal cartilage graft carved in a single block in rhinoplasty provides enhancement of the nasal dorsum and tip projection, promoting appropriate nasal remodeling.

INTRODUÇÃO: Na rinoplastia frequentemente é necessário o uso de materiais de inclusão para que se obtenha a reestruturação nasal. O enxerto de cartilagem costal é uma das opções e tem seu uso indicado quando a cartilagem septal não está disponível ou não é suficiente para promover o necessário remodelamento nasal. MÉTODO: Quatro pacientes que, por motivos diversos, apresentavam nariz em sela ou dorso nasal pouco projetado foram submetidos a rinoplastia. Todos receberam enxerto de cartilagem costal esculpido em formato de "L". O ramo longo do "L" teve como objetivo reconstituir o dorso e o ramo curto, dar suporte ao novo dorso e à columela, reposicionando a ponta nasal. RESULTADOS: Todos os pacientes evoluíram bem no pós-operatório e não apresentaram complicação significativa. Houve nítida reconstituição do dorso e harmonização da ponta do nariz. Os resultados mostraram-se previsíveis e duradouros. CONCLUSÕES: O emprego de enxerto de cartilagem costal esculpido em monobloco na rinoplastia proporciona ganho de projeção do dorso e da ponta nasais, promovendo adequado remodelamento nasal.

Effects of buflomedil and pentoxifylline on hamster skin-flap microcirculation: prediction of flap viability using orthogonal polarization spectral imaging

OBJECTIVE: This study investigated the effects of buflomedil and pentoxifylline, both of which are used in reconstructive surgery of hamster skin flap microcirculation, and evaluated the skin flap survival rate by orthogonal polarization spectral imaging. METHOD: Twenty-four adult male Syrian golden hamsters were divided into three groups: a control (C, 0.1 ml 0.9 percent saline), buflomedil (B, 3 mg/kg/day), and pentoxifylline group (P, 14.5 mg/kg/day). Treatments administered intraperitoneally were initiated 1 hour before skin flap preparation and continued for 7 days post-operatively at 12-hour intervals. Preparations (skin flaps) were divided into 12 fields, which were organized into six bands. Functional capillary density (FCD, in mm/mm²), distance from the skin flap base to blood flow cessation (Dist with flow, in cm), percentage of viable skin (VA, in percent), and qualitative analysis of blood flow by orthogonal polarization spectral imaging were performed at 1 and 24 hours and on the seventh post-operative day. RESULT: Bands IV, V, and VI presented no flow independent of time. The functional capillary density group B was higher than that of groups C and P, primarily after 24 hours. All groups showed an increase in D with time but reached similar final distances (C = 2.73, B = 2.78 and P = 2.70 cm). Moreover, the percentage of viable areas remained at approximately 50 percent. The orthogonal polarization spectral imaging was useful to assess viability by counting fields with and without blood flow. CONCLUSIONS: Functional capillary density values were higher in the buflomedil group compared to the control and pentoxifylline groups in this model. Functional capillary density did not influence D or the percentage of VA, and the technique showed favorable potential to assess/predict the viability of skin flaps within 1 h after surgery.