Effects of Marijuana Use in Patients Undergoing Abdominal Free Flap Breast Reconstruction.

Background: Marijuana use has been associated with vascular inflammation and clotting, resulting in endothelial damage and arteritis. As marijuana use rises in the United States, few studies have evaluated its impact on surgical outcomes and wound healing in free flap breast reconstruction. Methods: A retrospective cohort study of patients undergoing abdominal free flap breast reconstruction between 2016 and 2022 at a large metropolitan healthcare system was performed. Patient demographics, comorbidities, procedural details, and complications were analyzed. Minor complications were defined as skin or fat necrosis not requiring intervention, nipple loss, any wound requiring management in the clinic, hematoma, and seroma. Major complications were defined as reoperation, flap loss, cardiac or thromboembolic events, and hospital readmission. Active marijuana users were those with marijuana use within 12 weeks of surgery. Results: In total, 168 patients underwent 276 deep inferior epigastric artery-based flaps for breast reconstruction. There were 21 active marijuana users. There were no significant differences in patient demographics, cancer treatment, or minor and major complications. However, there were higher rates of active nicotine use (P = 0.001) and anxiety/depression amongst active marijuana users (P = 0.002). Active users had higher rates of bilateral breast reconstruction (P = 0.029), but no significant differences in other operative details. Conclusions: Active marijuana use of unknown frequency may be safe in patients undergoing breast free flap reconstruction. Advising marijuana abstinence preoperatively may not alter patient outcomes. Further studies of greater sample size are needed to evaluate marijuana's impact on outcomes associated with breast reconstruction using free flap.

Single-lumen and multi-lumen poly(ethylene glycol) nerve conduits fabricated by stereolithography for peripheral nerve regeneration in vivo.

BACKGROUND: The use of nerve conduits to facilitate nerve regrowth after peripheral nerve injury is limited to defects less than 3 cm. The purpose of this study is to determine the capability of novel single and multi-lumen poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) conduits manufactured by stereolithography to promote peripheral nerve regeneration. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Eight Sprague Dawley rats with sharp transection injuries of the sciatic nerve were randomly assigned to receive single-lumen or multi-lumen PEG conduits to bridge a 10-mm gap. Sciatic nerve and conduit samples were harvested after 5 weeks, and axon number, myelin thickness, fiber diameter, and g-ratio were analyzed. The contralateral intact nerve was also harvested for comparison. RESULTS: Partial nerve regeneration was observed in three out of four single-lumen conduits and one out of four multi-lumen conduits. Axon number in the single-lumen regenerated nerve approached that of the contralateral intact nerve at 4,492 ± 2,810.0 and 6,080 ± 627.9 fibers/mm(2), respectively. The percentage of small fibers was greater in the single-lumen conduit compared with the intact nerve, whereas myelin thickness and g-ratio were consistently greater in the autologous nerve. Axon regrowth through the multi-lumen conduits was severely limited. CONCLUSION: Single-lumen stereolithography-manufactured PEG nerve conduits promote nerve regeneration, with regenerating axon numbers approaching that of normal nerve. Multi-lumen conduits demonstrated significantly less nerve regeneration, possibly due to physical properties of the conduit inhibiting growth. Further studies are necessary to compare the efficacy of the two conduits for functional recovery and to elucidate the reasons underlying their differences in nerve regeneration potential.

Herpes simplex 1 stomatitis after cleft palate repair: a case report and guidelines for management.

Herpes simplex virus (HSV) primary infection and reactivation has been associated with the inflammation and transient decrease in immunocompetence after surgery and local trauma. In addition, HSV infection is known to impair wound healing, increase risk of scarring, and impede connective tissue graft transplantation. To our knowledge, this is the first case of HSV infection complicating cleft palate repair presented in literature. In this report, we present a case of primary HSV infection occurring in a healthy 26-month-old patient after repair of the secondary cleft palate with mucoperichondrial flaps and V-Y pushback. The patient developed high fever on postoperative day 1, which was followed by perioral vesicular lesions and multiple intraoral ulcerations involving the lips, palate, and posterior pharynx. Unknown to the surgeons, the patient was exposed to HSV before surgery by a sibling with orolabial HSV infection. The infective cause was ascertained via polymerase chain reaction for HSV-1 DNA, and the infection was treated with topical and intravenous acyclovir for 1 week. The patient recovered well with adequate flap healing, good aesthetic outcome, and no complications on 1-month follow-up. This report underscores the importance of prompt recognition of herpetic infections in the patient with craniofacial surgery and reviews the association and complications of HSV infection in surgical healing. Early identification with prompt antiviral therapy and meticulous wound care are essential to ameliorate the scarring and delayed wound healing associated with HSV infection.

Management of skin grafts using negative pressure therapy: the effect of varied pressure on skin graft incorporation.

INTRODUCTION: Optimal pressure settings have been suggested in the use of negative pressure wound therapy (NPWT) in wound dressings. When used as a bolster for skin grafting, an NPWT setting of 125 mm Hg was initially suggested, but not validated through studies. The objective of this study is to report findings on the effect of varied pressure settings on the incorporation of split thickness skin grafts when using an NPWT bolster. METHODS: From 2007 to 2010, 48 inpatients underwent split thickness skin grafting using a negative pressure system as a bolster under the care of 2 surgeons at 2 academic institutions. Twenty-two patients were evaluated retrospectively who were treated using NPWT bolsters at 75 mm Hg and 125 mm Hg based on the surgeon's discretion. Twenty-six patients were evaluated prospectively and were randomized to 50 mm Hg, 75 mm Hg, 100 mm Hg, and 125 mm Hg pressure settings. Graft incorporation was assessed at time of bolster removal, 2 weeks, and 4 weeks, per standard protocol. RESULTS: At each assessment point, incorporation of each skin graft was > 95% in all study subjects, at all pressure settings. CONCLUSION: Whereas initially postulated to be 125 mm Hg, ideal pressure settings for NPWT, when used as a bolster for split thickness skin grafts, may be lower. This study suggests that pressures as low as 50 mm Hg can be tolerated without compromise of skin graft incorporation. Study findings were presented at the Plastic Surgery Research Council Meeting in San Francisco, CA in April of 2010. .

Scratch Collapse Test Localizes Osborne's Band as the Point of Maximal Nerve Compression in Cubital Tunnel Syndrome.

The objective of this study is to demonstrate the utility of the scratch collapse test (SCT) in localizing the point of maximal compression in cubital tunnel syndrome. From January 1, 2004 to December 1, 2005, 64 adult patients with cubital tunnel syndrome were evaluated by a single surgeon. Cubital tunnel syndrome was diagnosed based upon symptoms of numbness, tingling, and/or pain in the ulnar nerve distribution or by the presence of weakness or wasting of the ulnar-innervated intrinsic hand muscles. All diagnoses were confirmed with electrodiagnostic studies. As part of the physical examination, the SCT was performed along three subdivided segments in the region of the cubital tunnel. Results of the SCT were recorded and correlated with intraoperative findings. Of the 64 patients evaluated, 44 had a positive SCT that was either more profound or solely present a few centimeters distal to the medial epicondyle in the region of Osborne's band. All of these patients subsequently underwent anterior submuscular transposition and were found to have a tight compression point at Osborne's band corresponding to their preoperative SCT. This study suggests that the scratch collapse test may be a reliable physical examination technique for localizing the point of maximal nerve compression in patients with cubital tunnel syndrome. That point, in this series, corresponded with Osborne's band.