Trends of Autologous Free-Flap Breast Reconstruction and Safety during the Coronavirus Disease 2019 Pandemic.

BACKGROUND: Autologous free-flap breast reconstruction (ABR) is a valuable surgical option for patients following mastectomy. The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has led to a myriad of factors that have affected access to care, hospital logistics, and postoperative outcomes. This study aims to identify differences in patient selection, hospital course and severity, and postoperative outcomes for patients who underwent ABR during and prior to the COVID-19 pandemic. METHODS: Patients undergoing ABR from the American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Program 2019 to 2020 database were analyzed to compare sociodemographics, hospital course, and outcomes over the first postoperative month. Multivariable logistic regression was used to identify factors predictive of complications based on the operative year. RESULTS: In total, 3,770 breast free flaps were stratified into two groups based on the timing of reconstruction (prepandemic and pandemic groups). Patients with a diagnosis of disseminated cancer were significantly less likely to undergo ABR during the COVID-19 pandemic. On univariate analysis, there were no significant differences in postoperative complications between the two groups. When controlling for potentially confounding sociodemographic and clinical risk factors, the COVID-19 group was significantly more likely to undergo reoperation compared with the prepandemic group (p < 0.05). CONCLUSION: When comparing outcomes for patients who underwent ABR prior to and during the COVID-19 pandemic, we found a significant increase in the odds of reoperation for those who had ABR during the pandemic. Debridement procedures and exploration for postoperative hemorrhage, thrombosis, or infection increased in the prepandemic group compared to the COVID-19 group. Notably, operative times decreased.

Outpatient Prosthetic-Based Reconstruction during COVID-19 Pandemic Possible in Selected Patients without Increased Complications.

BACKGROUND: Following the reopening of elective surgery, the authors' division transitioned from inpatient admission to same-day discharge for immediate prosthetic breast reconstruction in an effort to decrease the hospital's clinical burden and minimize potential coronavirus disease of 2019 exposure. This study aims to compare complication rates following this acute transition for patients who had inpatient and outpatient mastectomy with immediate alloplastic reconstruction. METHODS: A retrospective chart review was performed on patients who underwent mastectomy with immediate prosthetic reconstruction. The outcome of interest was 30-day morbidity. Descriptive statistics were compared for patients with outpatient and inpatient operations. Odds ratios were calculated to determine whether any preoperative factors increased odds of 30-day complications. RESULTS: A total of 115 patients were included in this study. Twenty-six patients had outpatient surgery and 89 stayed inpatient postoperatively. Same-day discharge did not significantly impact the odds of having one or more 30-day complications (OR, 0.275; 95% CI, 0.047 to 1.618; P = 0.153). Patients with complications had significantly longer median operating times [5.0 hours (interquartile range, 4.0 to 6.0 hours) versus 4.0 hours (interquartile range, 3.0 to 5.0 hours; P = 0.05), and there was a statistically significant association between length of surgery and odds of complication (OR, 1.596; 95% CI, 1.039 to 2.451; P = 0.033). Age was independently associated with increased risk of 30-day complication (OR, 1.062; 95% CI, 1.010 to 1.117; P = 0.020). CONCLUSION: The authors' findings support a continuation of same-day discharge strategy, which could decrease costs for patients and hospitals without increasing complications. CLINICAL QUESTION/LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Therapeutic, III.

Public Confidence for Undergoing Elective Plastic Surgery Procedures during the COVID-19 Pandemic.

Background: The COVID-19 vaccine rollout has since been followed by a gradual resumption of elective surgery. Many individuals remain cautious about visiting a hospital or clinic to undergo surgery. As plastic surgeons are starting to resume elective surgery at this time, it is important to understand the perspectives of potential patients and the concerns they may have. Methods: A survey was distributed to participants in the United States through Amazon's Mechanical Turk (mTurk) during March of 2021. Participants were surveyed regarding their views on the severity of COVID-19, vaccination status, and how much COVID-19 has affected their interest in undergoing surgery. Results: Thirty-nine percent of respondents were either no longer willing or less willing to undergo elective plastic surgery. Seventy-three percent of respondents felt comfortable going to an office for a consultation. With regards to feeling comfortable visiting a hospital, 43.4% reported they would feel safe, 36% felt they would feel safe only if they could be discharged on the same day, and 30.6% reported not feeling safe. Fifty-two percent of respondents reported feeling comfortable undergoing surgery now or within the next year. Respondents who do not think COVID-19 is still a major health issue were more likely to still want plastic surgery. Conclusion: The results of this study highlight that the majority of patients, regardless of vaccination status, currently feel comfortable undergoing elective plastic surgery, particularly in an office setting. Plastic surgeons may expect to see a return in demand for elective procedures in the coming months.

Designing a Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery Virtual Curriculum: Assessment of Medical Student Knowledge, Surgical Skill, and Community Building.

BACKGROUND: The COVID-19 pandemic displaced medical students from their rotations and into virtual classrooms. The authors aimed to develop a virtual curriculum with the goals for students to gain knowledge in plastic surgery, to acquire technical skills, and to be able to promote community. METHODS: The authors developed a 4-week educational curriculum of topics in plastic surgery using the American Society of Plastic Surgeons Resident Education Curriculum and an online plastic surgery curriculum. Virtual flipped classroom case discussions and weekly surgical skills workshops were offered. Precourse and postcourse surveys were administered, and results were analyzed using IBM SPSS Statistics version 25.0. RESULTS: Three hundred three medical students and recent graduates enrolled in the course in June of 2020. One hundred eighty-two students completed the precourse survey (60 percent response rate), and of those, 50.0 percent ( n = 91) completed the postcourse survey for paired comparison. Students reported significant improvement in confidence discussing the relevant anatomy, workup, and surgical approaches to clinical cases, in addition to confidence in knowledge of all topic areas ( p < 0.001). Confidence in suturing and knot-tying techniques improved significantly among workshop participants ( p < 0.001). Students applying to residency programs this cycle felt significantly more prepared for subinternships ( p < 0.001) and significantly more connected to the community of applicants ( p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: The Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery Virtual Curriculum improved knowledge, surgical skills, and community in the field among medical student participants. This course may serve to provide a framework for structured virtual learning activities for students interested in plastic surgery and may have significant long-lasting utility for students interested in the field.

Sec61 Inhibitor Apratoxin S4 Potently Inhibits SARS-CoV-2 and Exhibits Broad-Spectrum Antiviral Activity.

There is a pressing need for host-directed therapeutics that elicit broad-spectrum antiviral activities to potentially address current and future viral pandemics. Apratoxin S4 (Apra S4) is a potent Sec61 inhibitor that prevents cotranslational translocation of secretory proteins into the endoplasmic reticulum (ER), leading to anticancer and antiangiogenic activity both in vitro and in vivo. Since Sec61 has been shown to be an essential host factor for viral proteostasis, we tested Apra S4 in cellular models of viral infection, including SARS-CoV-2, influenza A virus, and flaviviruses (Zika, West Nile, and Dengue virus). Apra S4 inhibited viral replication in a concentration-dependent manner and had high potency particularly against SARS-CoV-2 and influenza A virus, with subnanomolar activity in human cells. Characterization studies focused on SARS-CoV-2 revealed that Apra S4 impacted a post-entry stage of the viral life-cycle. Transmission electron microscopy revealed that Apra S4 blocked formation of stacked double-membrane vesicles, the sites of viral replication. Apra S4 reduced dsRNA formation and prevented viral protein production and trafficking of secretory proteins, especially the spike protein. Given the potent and broad-spectrum activity of Apra S4, further preclinical evaluation of Apra S4 and other Sec61 inhibitors as antivirals is warranted.

Evaluation of Social Media Utilization by Academic Plastic Surgery Programs during the COVID-19 Pandemic.

BACKGROUND: In response to the cancellation of away rotations and the shift to virtual interviews due to the coronavirus disease of 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, residency programs have pursued other methods of sharing program details, most notably with the use of social media. This study aimed to evaluate the extent of social media utilization in the setting of the COVID-19 pandemic by plastic surgery residency programs. METHODS: Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook accounts of plastic surgery programs, program directors, and chiefs were identified. Number of followers, total posts, and posts since March 1, 2020, were extracted. Account content was categorized as informational, social, operative, research, self-promotional, guest lecture, education, or other. Spearman's coefficient was used to determine correlations among account data. Differences among regions and program pathways were evaluated using the Kruskal-Wallis test. RESULTS: Since March 1, 2020, 17 Instagram, five Twitter, and three Facebook accounts have been created. Instagram was most widely used and followed (1720 posts, 1235.7 ± 735.9 followers) compared with Twitter (722 tweets, 325.6 ± 451.0 followers) and Facebook (430 posts, 338.3 ± 363.3 followers). Although the majority of content was informational (45.1 percent), Instagram contained more social content (21 percent), Twitter contained more research (21 percent), and Facebook contained more self-promotional content (25 percent). Integrated-only programs on average posted more on Instagram (21.5 ± 15.1 posts) than did independent-only programs (9.4 ± 8.5 posts), and post volume moderately correlated with number of followers. There were no statistically significant differences among regional means. CONCLUSION: Plastic surgery residency programs have incorporated social media into their recruitment strategies and will likely continue to increase and diversify their posts to effectively engage with future applicants.

A Multidisciplinary Approach and Review of Safety Recommendations for Plastic Surgeons during the COVID-19 Pandemic: Are N95 Masks Enough?

SUMMARY: The novel coronavirus disease of 2019 pandemic presents a unique challenge to the field of plastic and reconstructive surgery. Although plastic surgeons may be postponing elective operations, there are still a number of emergent or urgent procedures that may need to be performed, and surgeons may be facing the reality of returning to a new normalcy of operating with coronavirus disease of 2019. These procedures, consisting of those such as head and neck reconstruction or maxillofacial trauma, largely require a multidisciplinary approach and may be considered of higher risk to health care workers because of the involvement of areas of the body identified as sources for viral transmission. Moreover, viral transmission may potentially extend beyond respiratory secretions, which has been the main focus of most safety precautions. The authors aim to present the scope of these procedures and the means of viral transmission, and to provide safety precaution recommendations for plastic surgery and its related disciplines.