Mastoid Fascia Tissue Graft as a Tip Camouflage Technique in Rhinoplasty: A Reliable Alternative to Soft Cartilage Grafts.

BACKGROUND: Traditional rhinoplasty tip grafts often lead to visibility issues, prompting patients to seek revision surgery. The mastoid fascia tissue graft (MFTG) provides a natural-looking alternative with an acceptable risk of complication. MFTG remains less visible through the skin and helps camouflage and conceal tip irregularities. This study of 193 patients examines MFTG's effectiveness in nasal tip refinement, evaluating revision and infection rates. METHODS: A retrospective analysis of MFTG use for nasal tip aesthetics during open rhinoplasty in the senior author's practice was conducted from January 2019 to June 2022. Inclusion criteria encompassed open rhinoplasty cases using mastoid tissue for tip aesthetics with at least 12 months of follow-up. Among 2003 cases, 193 met these criteria and were evaluated for subsequent revision and infection rates. RESULTS: The average patient age was 34.2 years (175 females, 18 males). Primary rhinoplasties were done on 113 patients, with 80 receiving revision surgeries. Average follow-up was 14.8 months. 6 (3.1%) patients overall needed extended antibiotics, including 1 (0.9%) primary rhinoplasty and 5 (6.3%) secondary rhinoplasty patients. Overall, 6 (3.1%) patients required revision rhinoplasty, comprising of 1 (0.9%) primary and 5 (6.3%) secondary rhinoplasty patients. CONCLUSIONS: MFTG use for nasal tip aesthetics is a safe, convenient, and effective technique in camouflaging and concealing nasal tip contour irregularities in both primary and revision rhinoplasty. Use of MTFG is associated with minimal morbidity.

Retrospective Cohort Analysis on the Use of Hydrolyzed Collagen Powder in Back Reconstruction Following Spinal Instrumentation.

Background: Nearly half a million interbody fusions are estimated to be performed in the US each year, many of which involve complex reconstruction. The ability to limit seroma formation is vital to a seamless postoperative recovery. Methods: A retrospective review was performed for patients undergoing fusion procedures along with flap reconstruction over a period of 20 months. Cohorts reflect a temporal practice shift where use of hydrolyzed collagen powder (HCP) was initiated for hypothesized seroma prevention. Outcomes and associated metrics were used for intergroup comparison. Results: The study included 76 patients, of whom 47 were treated with HCP and 29 were not. Control patients had significantly fewer postoperative seromas than experimental ones (6.9% vs 27.7%; P = .03). The cohorts had no significant differences in time until final drain removal or in number of spinal levels involved (7.8 vs 7.1 days; P = .33, 8.5 vs 8.4 levels; P = .90). Rates of wound dehiscence, hematoma, or infection did not differ significantly between control and experimental patients (3.4% vs 12.8%, P = .17; 0% vs 0%; and 6.9% vs 10.6%, P = .58, respectively). Conclusions: The use of HCP led to a 4-fold increase in postoperative seromas in patients undergoing spinal fusion with flap reconstruction. This was regardless of all analyzed demographic and procedural factors, with the exception of age, whereby control patients were found to be on average slightly younger than experimental counterparts.

Office-Based Pediatric Otoplasty Under Local Anesthesia.

BACKGROUND: Many parents seek otoplasty for their school age children but fear having to undergo general anesthesia (GA). In our experience, otoplasty can safely be performed in an office-based setting under local anesthesia (LA). There is a gap in the literature regarding pediatric otoplasty under LA. METHODS: All children aged 5 to 10 who underwent otoplasty between 2017 and 2021 were included in a retrospective review. Demographics, operative techniques, complications, recurrences, and reoperation rates were collected. Surveys were provided 3 months after treatment to assess parental satisfaction and anxiety. Results were compared between patients who received otoplasty under GA and LA. RESULTS: A total of 13 patients (6 male, 7 female), with a mean age of 7 years (ranging 5-10) underwent otoplasty under LA. Tweleve children (6 male, 6 female), with a mean age of 5 years (ranging 4-7) underwent otoplasty under GA. The only complications seen were 3 minor conchal bowl hematomas that were aspirated, each retrieving <1 mL of blood; no revisions were necessary. The LA subgroup was more likely to repeat otoplasty under identical conditions ( P =0.025). Postoperatively, mean parental anxiety scores between the LA and GA subgroups were significantly different (1.4±1.1 versus 4.8±2.7, P =0.0005). Lastly, the mean satisfaction scores between the LA and GA subgroups were marginally different (3.83±0.58 versus 3.17±1.03, P =0.063). CONCLUSION: Pediatric otoplasty under LA is a safe and feasible operation for patients between 5 and 10 years of age.

Feasible Removal of Facial Hemangiomas Under Local Anesthesia in Young Children.

BACKGROUND: Facial Hemangiomas are often recommended to be removed exclusively in the operating room under general anesthesia, especially for children under the age of 4. Assumed parental and patient anxiety and possible blood loss pushes surgeons away from attempting excision under local anesthesia. METHODS: A review was conducted to assess the outcomes of children who underwent excision of facial hemangiomas under local anesthesia alone by 1 plastic surgeon with a minimum of 3 months follow-up. Complications and hemangioma recurrence were recorded. A survey was given 3 to 6 months after treatment to assess parental satisfaction, anxiety, and thought process about anesthesia. RESULTS: Eighteen children (9 males and 9 females) underwent in-office excision between 2020 and 2021. The mean age of this cohort was 12 months ( ranging 2-52 m). The average facial hemangioma size was 2.088 cm (ranging 1.0-3.2 cm). Ten patients experienced complete resolution (56%) at 12-month follow-up. There were no hospitalizations or cases of significant (>10 mL) blood loss, infection, dehiscence, hematoma, or scar hypertrophy. The average level of parental anxiety before the procedure was 3.3/10, and 1.6/10 after the procedure. Total 13/14 parents gave 4/4 ratings for satisfaction with the quality of care, team responsiveness, pain management, and management of expectations. CONCLUSIONS: Facial hemangioma removal under local anesthesia alone is a safe and feasible alternative treatment method for patients younger than 4 years of age.

Multiprocedural Facial Feminization Surgery: A Review of Complications in a Cohort of 31 Patients.

OBJECTIVE: Facial feminization surgery (FFS) is instrumental in gender affirmation for transgender patients. Multiprocedural FFS, the combination of multiple facial feminization procedures across multiple depths and planes during one surgery, crosses sterile and nonsterile planes in the oropharynx, nose, and frontal sinus. A closer look at the prevention and management of resulting complications of such reconstruction is necessary. METHODS: We performed a retrospective review of patient demographics, operative variables, and postoperative complications on 31 FFS patients. Patients who underwent FFS between January 2020 and June 2021 were eligible for inclusion. Associations between prevention methods, procedure type, and complications were assessed by the Fisher exact test. The main effect of patient age and number of procedures on complication rate was assessed via the nonparametric Kruskal-Wallis test. RESULTS: A total of 31 patients, with a mean age of 37 years (range: 19-65 y, SD: 13.3 y), underwent 257 procedures. Patients underwent a mean of 8 procedures (SD: 2.2) lasting 3.5 to 6 hours (mean: 5.0 h, SD: 0.9 h). Overall, 68% of patients experienced no complications. Six patients experienced a postoperative infection; 4 of these patients required return for a washout. Preventative measures implemented include: preoperative dental check, intraoperative antibiotic irrigation, locking sutures, and postoperative antibiotics. After measures were implemented, there were no further procedure-related infections recorded. CONCLUSIONS: Patients do not suffer from major complications after multiprocedural FFS. Factors such as age, irrigation method, and dental history may be important variables affecting FFS outcomes.

Pediatric Procedural Sedation in the Emergency Setting.

BACKGROUND: Pediatric emergency department (ED) visits are common. Many are due to injury, which require procedural treatments with sedation. There are many well researched independent predictors of adverse events for pediatric procedural sedation. The duration of sedation as a predictor of adverse events has not been well studied. This study aims to determine the complication rate and severity of procedural sedation as well as determine if the duration of sedation is correlated with an increased risk of complications. METHODS: After Institutional Review Board approval, a retrospective study was performed on all patients seen at Helen Devos Children's ED who received sedation from August 1, 2011, to August 15, 2016. Study variables included age, weight, type of procedure, American Society of Anesthesiologist (ASA) physical status class, Mallampati score, comorbidities, sedation medication, sedation time, and complication. A logistic regression was performed assessing risk factors for complications. Statistical significance was assessed at P < 0.05. RESULTS: There were 1,814 patients included in the study. Median sedation time was 20 minutes. There were 70 (3.9%) total complications. Controlling for age, weight, comorbidities, ASA class, Mallampati score, and total sedation medication, sedation time was a significant predictor of a complication (odds ratio: 1.021; 95% CI, 1.004-1.039). CONCLUSIONS: Pediatric patients can safely undergo procedural sedation in the ED. This study demonstrates a high safety profile for long procedural sedations with slight increases in risk as sedation time increases. There is no identifiable time where the duration of sedation significantly increases the risk of complication.