Female-to-Male Gender-Confirming Drainless Mastectomy May Be Safe in Obese Males.

BACKGROUND: Gender dysphoria is a medical condition associated with suicidality. Transgender men who have undergone female-to-male (FTM) chest reconstruction report higher quality of life and reduced gender dysphoria. It has been reported that transgender men are at higher risk of obesity. OBJECTIVES: The objective of this study was to compare perioperative outcomes and complications between different classes of obesity in FTM transgender patients who underwent chest masculoplasty. METHODS: A retrospective review of 145 consecutive patients who underwent mastectomy with free nipple graft was conducted. Postoperative outcomes and complications were collected. Patients were divided into nonobese (body mass index [BMI] <30 kg/m2), obese (BMI 30-39.9 kg/m2), morbidly obese (BMI 40-49.9 kg/m2), and super obese (BMI >50 kg/m2) groups. RESULTS: Sixty-six of the 145 patients were not obese, 52 were obese, 22 were morbidly obese, and 5 were super obese. There was a statistically significant increase in amount of breast tissue resected between each of the 4 groups (866.8 g vs 1672.4 g vs 3157.1 g vs 4827.6 g; P ≤ 0.0005) as BMI increased, respectively. There was a significant difference in operative time between the nonobese and obese groups (128.7 vs 134.6 vs 150.5 vs 171 minutes; P = 0.026). A significant increase in postoperative infections was observed between the morbidly obese, super obese, and the nonobese group (P = 0.048). CONCLUSIONS: Chest wall reconstruction in FTM and nonbinary transgender people is important in relieving gender dysphoria. Postoperative complications were not significantly increased in obese patients (30-39.9 kg/m2). Delaying surgery for weight loss may not be necessary unless patients are morbidly obese.

A Drain-free Technique for Female-to-Male Gender Affirmation Chest Surgery Decreases Morbidity: Outcomes From 306 Consecutive Masculoplasties.

PURPOSE: One of the most common surgical procedures for gender affirmation surgery of the chest is mastectomy. The aims of this article are to review the outcomes of a single surgeon's experience with a drainless technique, which we named "masculoplasty" and compare morbidity in this group to previously published outcomes where drains were used. METHODS: A retrospective chart review was undertaken of all patients presenting to a single surgeon for gender-affirming chest surgery. A literature review was completed, compiling data from previously published studies of mastectomy with free nipple graft for the transgender patient. Outcomes of this drain-free group were compared with historical data, where drains were known to have been used. RESULTS: One hundred fifty-three patients underwent 306 masculoplasties in a university teaching hospital. The mean age of patients was 30 years (17-66 years). Sixty-five (42%) had 1 or more chronic medical comorbidities with 17 diabetic patients (11%). The mean body mass index was 32 kg/m (18-57 kg/m), and 83 (54%) were obese. Forty-two (27%) of the patients had a history of smoking. Mean operative time was 136 minutes (74-266 minutes).Hematoma occurred in 1 patient (0.3%). Infections occurred in 7 masculoplasties (2%) with wound dehiscence in 3 (1%). Two masculoplasties (0.7%) had partial nipple necrosis. Two patients (0.7%) developed a symptomatic pneumothorax. There were 0 seromas, and no procedures were performed to drain fluid. Eight masculoplasties (3%) underwent secondary corrections. Median follow-up was 9 months.Outcomes from this drain-free technique were compared with previously published outcomes of mastectomy where drains were known to be used. When compared with previously published series (n = 1334), the drain-free group had statistically significantly lower rates of hematoma (1/306 vs 39/1334, P = 0.0036) and acute reoperation (1/306 vs 42/1334, P = 0.0024). There was a shorter length of hospital stay in the drain-free group with a statistically significantly lower revision rate (8/306 vs 116/1334, P = 0.0001). CONCLUSIONS: Gender affirmation chest surgery can be safely offered using a drain-free or "masculoplasty" technique. Compared with historical data, the use of progressive tension sutures decreases the incidence of hematoma, the need for acute reoperation, and other complications.

Scholarly activity in academic plastic surgery: the gender difference.

BACKGROUND: The number of women in medicine has grown rapidly in recent years. Women constitute over 50% of medical school graduates and hold 38% of faculty positions at United States medical schools. Despite this, gender disparities remain prevalent in most surgical subspecialties, including plastic surgery. The purpose of this study was to analyze gender authorship trends. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A cross-sectional study of academic plastic surgeons was performed. Data were collected from departmental websites and online resources. National Institute of Health (NIH) funding was determined using the Research Portfolio Online Reporting Tools database. Number of published articles and h-index were obtained from Scopus (Elsevier Inc, New York, NY). Statistical analysis was performed in SPSS (SPSS Inc, Chicago, IL). RESULTS: A total of 814 plastic surgeons were identified in the United States. Compared to men, women had significantly fewer years in practice (P <0.001), lower academic ranks (P <0.001), and published less (P <0.001). There was no difference in the number of PhD degrees between genders; women with PhDs published less than men with PhDs (P = 0.04). 5.1% of women and 6.9% of men received NIH funding during their career (P = 0.57). There was no gender difference in scholarly output among NIH-funded surgeons. Overall, years in practice, academic rank, chief/program director title, advanced degrees, and NIH funding all positively correlated with academic productivity. CONCLUSIONS: This study identifies significant gender disparities in scholarly productivity among plastic surgeons in academia. Future efforts should focus on improving gender equality and eliminating barriers to academic development.

Safety and Utility of the Drainless Abdominoplasty in the Post-Bariatric Surgery Patient.

INTRODUCTION: Surgical drains are used in abdominoplasty patients to combat wound closure disruption by hematoma or seroma formation. Several recent publications have described techniques that allow abdominoplasty to be performed safely without the need for surgical drains. This has not, however, been described in the case of the bariatric patient, who is often considered to be of higher postoperative complication risk. Here, we describe our experience of the drainless abdominoplasty in patients who have undergone massive weight loss (MWL) after a bariatric procedure. METHODS: A retrospective review was conducted of 172 patients who had undergone drainless abdominoplasty using the progressive tension suture technique from 2011 to 2014. Thirty-five patients who had undergone MWL after bariatric surgery were assigned to group A. One hundred thirty-seven patients who had not undergone MWL with no history of bariatric surgery were assigned to group B. Demographics, intraoperative outcomes, and postoperative outcomes were compared. RESULTS: Patients in group A were older (mean age, 48.7 vs 42.7 years; P = 0.003) and had a higher body mass index (26.6 vs 24.6 kg/m, P = 0.01), a significantly larger tissue resection (2379 vs 1228 g, P = 0.0001), and a higher estimated blood loss (100 vs 120 mL, P = 0.049). There was also a significant group-to-group difference in the American Society of Anesthesiologists Physical Status Classification distribution, with a higher percentage of MWL patients having higher scores. Despite these differences, group A did not have a statistically higher incidence of complications. There was no statistically significant difference in the rate of seroma formation (11% vs 2%, P = 0.055), wound infection (2.9% vs 4.4%, P = 0.68), wound dehiscence (8.6% vs 8.0%, P = 0.91), meralgia paresthetica (2.8% vs 1.5%, P = 0.51), or rate of reoperation (11.4% vs 13.9%, P = 0.7) between the 2 groups. CONCLUSION: Despite post-bariatric surgery patients being considered higher risk for postoperative complications, drainless abdominoplasty can be safely offered to this population by using a progressive tension suture technique.

Utility of Tongue Stitch and Nasal Trumpet in the Immediate Postoperative Outcome of Cleft Palatoplasty.

BACKGROUND: Postoperative airway obstruction is a feared complication following cleft palate repair. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of tongue stitches and nasal trumpets that have been used in an attempt to prevent this complication. METHODS: An 8-year (2005 to 2013) retrospective review of palatoplasties performed at a tertiary care center was conducted. Patients were divided into three groups: those with no airway protective measure, those with a tongue stitch only, and a group with nasal trumpet and tongue stitch. Recorded variables included sex, age, Veau classification, and comorbidities. Primary outcomes measured were postoperative respiratory distress, readmission, and reoperation rates. RESULTS: Fifty-eight patients underwent palatoplasties with no airway protective measure, 252 patients had tongue stitch only, and 87 had tongue stitch and nasal trumpet. There were no significant differences between groups with respect to comorbidities except that cleft lip was more prevalent in the no-airway protection group than in the other two groups (p = 0.04). There was no significant difference in the incidence of reintubation, intensive care unit transfer, surgery-related readmissions, or reoperation. Respiratory complications were significantly increased in the nasal trumpet group even after adjusting for age and weight. Length of stay was also significantly (p < 0.01) shortened when comparing no airway protection to those who underwent both nasal trumpet and tongue suture placement. CONCLUSIONS: The use of a tongue stitch, with or without nasal trumpet, did not correlate with improved safety and outcomes. Patients without these airway protective measures had a shorter hospital stay. CLINICAL QUESTION/LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Therapeutic, III.

Reliability of venous couplers for microanastomosis of the venae comitantes in free radial forearm flaps for head and neck reconstruction.

The radial forearm free flap has gained popularity in head and neck reconstruction after oncologic resection because of its versatility. This popularity has only intensified with the advances in technique and instrumentation. Although debated in the past, the success of using the deep venae comitantes system for flap drainage is well documented. Although the use of couplers in a variety of flap anastomoses has been described in the literature, to our knowledge this is the first series presented on the use of couplers in small, deep system venae comitantes. We retrospectively examined our experience in 61 patients who underwent radial forearm free flaps for head and neck reconstruction. Of the 61 patients, 22 anastomoses were hand sewn, and 39 anastomoses were performed using venous couplers. No flap losses occurred in the group in whom venous couplers were used. In addition, no intraoperative thromboses, arterial or venous, were noted with coupler use. Our series demonstrates that the venous coupler is a safe and effective alternative to the hand-sewn anastomosis of the radial forearm free flap venous comitantes in head and neck reconstruction.

In-hospital and 6-month mortality rates after open elective vs open emergent colectomy in patients older than 80 years.

BACKGROUND: There are few reports of long-term outcomes in elderly patients after open colectomy. OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to determine the in-hospital and 6-month outcomes and identify the variables associated with mortality after colectomy in patients ≥ 80 years of age. DESIGN: The charts of patients ≥ 80 years of age, who underwent open colectomy, were analyzed. Data included indications for operation, underlying diagnoses, preoperative functional status, type of procedure, length of procedure, length of stay, ASA grade, complications, and in-hospital and 6-month mortality rates. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were conducted to ascertain risk factors for mortality. P values of < .05 were considered significant. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: The main outcome measures were in-hospital and 6-month mortality. RESULTS: One hundred sixty-two patients ≥ 80 years of age underwent colectomy: 99 patients emergently; 63, electively. Postoperative acute renal failure (3% vs 19%, P = .0032) and in-hospital deaths were significantly higher (4.7% vs 28%, P = .0002) among the patients undergoing emergent colectomies. The mortality rate among emergent cases rose from 28% in-hospital to 52% at 6 months. Mortality among the elective cases increased similarly from 4.7% to 28.5%. Admission from a nursing facility was associated with higher in-hospital mortality (47.6% vs 14.9%, P = .0005). Discharge to a skilled nursing facility was associated with a higher 6-month mortality rate compared with discharge to home (40% vs 17%). Length of procedure, postoperative complications, perioperative blood transfusion, and emergent indications for operation independently predicted in-hospital mortality. Postoperative complications and emergent diagnosis independently predicted 6-month mortality. The 6-month mortality rate varied according to the underlying diagnosis as follows: fulminant Clostridium difficile colitis (86%); ischemic colitis (60%); gastrointestinal bleeding (37%), and volvulus (40%). LIMITATIONS: This study was limited by its retrospective nature. CONCLUSIONS: Emergent open colectomy in elderly patients is associated with a high morbidity and mortality rate. The mortality rate rises by >20% in both elective and emergent cases at discharge to 6 months. Length of procedure, postoperative complications, and colectomy for emergent indications predicted mortality.

Predictors of in-hospital length of stay after laparoscopic ventral hernia repair: results of multivariate logistic regression analysis.

AIM: To identify variables that predict in-hospital length of stay (LOS) after laparoscopic ventral hernia repair (LVHR). METHODS: Univariate analysis of patient and intraoperative variables was conducted on an operating room database of LVHRs performed from April 2001 to April 2009. Analysis was performed using either chi-square or linear trend analysis, as appropriate. A multivariate logistic regression model was created manually, to determine independent variables that predict LOS. p Value <0.05 was considered significant. RESULTS: A total of 221 patients, with mean age of 56 years (range 25-88 years) underwent LVHR, for a total of 121 incisional and 100 primary ventral hernias. Of patients, 40% had incarcerated hernias and 25% had complex hernias (defined as multiple points of weakness on the anterior abdominal wall). The overall conversion rate to open operation was 6%. Mean LOS was 1.54 days (range 0-22 days). Eighty-six patients (39%) were discharged on the day of the procedure. Variables associated with significantly longer LOS on univariate analysis were incisional hernia (p = 0.000009), mesh size (p = 0.00007), complex hernia (p = 0.00009), incarcerated hernia (p = 0.0004), patient age (p = 0.0006), need for lysis of adhesions (p = 0.001), and female gender (p = 0.01). American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) grade >2, conversion to open procedure, and recurrent hernia were not associated with longer LOS. Four factors were independently associated with significant longer length of stay on multivariate logistic regression analysis (p < 0.05): mesh size (p = 0.00005), incarcerated hernia (p = 0.002), patient age (p = 0.018), and complex hernia (p = 0.035). CONCLUSIONS: Mesh size, incarcerated hernia, patient age, and complex hernia predict longer length of stay after laparoscopic ventral hernia repair.