Autologous fat transfer with in-situ mediation (AIM): a novel and compliant method of adult mesenchymal stem cell therapy.

BACKGROUND: In an attempt to engineer a regulatory compliant form of cell assisted lipotransfer in the U.S., the authors developed Autologous Fat Transfer with In-situ Mediation (AIM) for reconstruction of a refractory surgical scar. METHODS: This method incorporates use of accepted standard procedures like autologous fat grafting and intradermal injection of NB6 collagenase to release adipose stem cells from a naturally occurring high concentration stromal vascular fraction (SVF) fat graft. To prevent off-target effects of collagenase, a hyaluronic acid and serum deactivation barrier is placed circumferentially around the operative site. FINDINGS: This novel protocol was well tolerated by the patient and improved scar appearance, mobility and texture. Deepest scar contour defect correction was 80% and 77% at 4 and 12 weeks respectively. CONCLUSION: AIM appears to be a practical and viable option for scar reconstruction requiring small to moderate volume correction.

Isolated neck-lifting procedure: isolated stork lift.

BACKGROUND: Many patients desire cosmetic improvement of neck laxity when consulting with a plastic surgeon about their face. Neck laxity and loss of the cervicomental angle can be due to multiple components of aging such as skin quality/elasticity, loss of platysma muscle tone, and submental fat accumulation. Traditionally, the procedure of choice for patients with an aging lower face and neck is a cervicofacial rhytidectomy. However, occasionally, a patient wishes to have no other facial surgery than an improvement of their excessive skin of the anterior, lateral, and/or posterior neck. In other instances, a patient may present with having had a face/neck-lifting procedure that left objectionable vertical/diagonal lines at the lateral neck. In both these instances, a surgeon should consider an isolated stork lift (ISL) procedure. An ISL procedure avoids and/or corrects problematic vertical/diagonal lateral neck folds by "walking" the excess skin flaps around the posterior inferior occipital hairline bilaterally, bringing the flaps together at the lateral and posterior neck, which sometimes involves a midline posterior dart excision of the dog ear. A patient presenting with excessive skin of the neck (anterior, lateral, and/or posterior) and/or residual vertical/diagonal skin folds is an excellent candidate for the ISL. METHODS: The ISL procedure was performed on 273 patients over a 2-year period at The Morrow Institute. Patients were included if they had excessive skin of the anterior, lateral, and/or posterior neck and/or diagonal/vertical lateral bands and did not desire a full face-lifting procedure. Patients were excluded from this study if they would not accept having longer hair in order to cover the scar along the posterior inferior occipital hairline or a midline T-flap skin closure scar at the base of the posterior midline neck. Under a combination of local anesthesia and IV sedation, a postauricular face-lift incision was made that was extended in a circumoccipital fashion along the mastoid and posterior hairline to the midline nape of the neck. Long skin flaps were developed by dissecting the anterior neck from the mentum to the anterior clavicles, the lateral neck from the mastoid to the lateral clavicles, and the posterior neck from the hairline to the base of the nape of the neck, all with a combination of sharp and blunt dissection. Suspension sutures of the SMAS were placed at various strategic locations along the lateral neck in a superior posterior vector. The dog ears were walked posteriorly around the hairline, with final trimming at the midline nape using an A-to-T flap closure. The skin closure was affected by a combination of deep and superficial sutures as well as staples. No drains were used on any of the cases. RESULTS: Of the 273 patients (59 males and 214 females) who had the ISL, 240 rated their satisfaction with the results as very high, 21 rated it as high, and 12 rated it as some what satisfied. The average age of the patients was 58.7 years (range=45-79 years). There were two patients who needed a minimal amount of submental liposuction after the procedure. No patients had vertical/diagonal skin folds after this procedure. Five patients reported being slightly bothered by the appearance of the midline posterior scar for the first 6 months. Three of these cases involved hypertrophic scarring and were treated with intralesional triamcinolone suspension 40 mg per cc dilution; doses ranged from 20 to 40 mg per session and no more than two sessions were required. All five cases rated their scar appearance after 6 months to be acceptable. All of the remaining 268 patients reported that the final posterior scar was virtually undetectable. Ten patients needed scar revision for secondary widening of the scar at various locations of the lateral, posterior, and or nape of the neck. There were no other significant complications. Most patients were satisfied with their cosmetic result 2 years after their operation. CONCLUSION: An ISL procedure provides excellent lifting of the anterior, lateral, and posterior neck without the resulting postoperative sequelae of vertical/diagonal lines, and it is especially indicated for the patient who has markedly excessive skin in those areas and does not want to undergo a lower face-lift procedure at the same time. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE IV: This journal requires that authors assign a level of evidence to each article. For a full description of these Evidence-Based Medicine ratings, please refer to the Table of Contents or the online Instructions to Authors www.springer.com/00266 .

The post-adjustable gastric band abdominoplasty.

Serious complications associated with post-laparoscopic adjustable gastric band (LAGB) abdominoplasty have been reported in the medical literature. Furthermore, others have noted aesthetic problems with closure of the umbilicus due to apparatus port proximity. Currently, no clinical protocol or formal industry guidance for LAGB apparatus management during abdominoplasty is available in the medical literature. In this article, the authors describe their procedure for safe LAGB apparatus management during abdominoplasty and illustrate key surgical principles by presenting unique cases from their series of 20 patients treated with this technique.

Clinical use of Dieletrophoresis separation for live Adipose derived stem cells.

BACKGROUND: Microelectrode dieletrophoresis capture of live cells has been explored in animal and cellular models ex-vivo. Currently, there is no clinical data available regarding the safety and efficacy of dielectrophoresis (DEP) buffers and microcurrent manipulation in humans, despite copious pre-clinical studies suggesting its safety. The purpose of this study was to determine if DEP isolation of SVF using minimal manipulation methods is safe and efficacious for use in humans using the hand lipotransfer model. METHODS: Autologous stromal vascular fraction cells (SVF) were obtained from lipoaspirate by collagenase digestion and centrifugation. The final mixture of live and dead cells was further processed using a custom DEP microelectrode array and microcurrent generator to isolate only live nucleated cells. Lipotransfer was completed using fat graft enhanced with either standard processed SVF (control) versus DEP filtered SVF (experimental). Spectral photography, ultrasound and biometric measurements were obtained at post operatively days 1, 4, 7, 14, 30, 60 and 90. RESULTS: The DEP filter was capable of increasing SVF viability counts from 74.3 ± 2.0% to 94.7 ± 2.1%. Surrogate markers of inflammation (temperature, soft tissue swelling, pain and diminished range of motion) were more profound on the control hand. Clinical improvement in hand appearance was appreciated in both hands, though the control hand exclusively sustained late phase erosive skin breaks on post operative day 7. No skin breaks were appreciated on the DEP-SVF treated hand. Early fat engraftment failure was noted on the control hand thenar web space at 3 months post surgery. DISCUSSION: No immediate hypersensitivity or adverse reaction was appreciated with the DEP-SVF treated hand. In fact, the control hand experienced skin disruption and mild superficial cellulitis, whereas the experimental hand did not experience this complication, suggesting a possible "protective" effect with DEP filtered SVF. Late ultrasound survey revealed larger and more frequent formation of oil cysts in the control hand, also suggesting greater risk of engraftment failure with standard lipotransfer. CONCLUSION: Clinical DEP appears safe and efficacious for human use. The DEP microelectrode array was found to be versatile and robust in efficiently isolating live SVF cells from dead cells and cellular debris in a time sensitive clinical setting.

Small incision preperiosteal midface lift for correction of lower eyelid retraction.

PURPOSE: Postblepharoplasty lower eyelid retraction is often due to scarring of the middle lamellae and/or vertical shortening of the anterior lamellae. Traditional reconstructive techniques involve a transconjunctival incision combined with a spacer graft. Other techniques involve a subperiosteal midface dissection or limited preperiosteal dissection. Elevation of the midface reduces the gravitational effect of the cheek on the eyelid and recruits skin for the anterior lamella. This study evaluates a technique for correction of lower eyelid retraction using a preperiosteal midface lift via a lateral canthal incision in a series of patients. METHODS: Twenty-eight patients (56 eyes) with postblepharoplasty lower eyelid retraction were evaluated. Preoperative evaluations for inferior scleral show, corneal staining, and epiphora were documented. The patients underwent bilateral preperiosteal midface lift and canthoplasty via a lateral canthal incision. Follow-up ranged from 12 to 18 months. RESULTS: Average preoperative inferior scleral show was 1.96 mm (range, 1-3 mm). Seventy-eight percent of patients had epiphora, and 54% had corneal staining. Average postoperative lower eyelid position was +0.07 mm (range, 0 to +1 mm) above the inferior limbus. Average change in lower eyelid position relative to the inferior limbus was 2.04 mm. In all eyes, the final lower eyelid position was either at the inferior limbus or above it. All eyes had resolution of epiphora and corneal staining. Two patients required revision of lateral canthus on one side to improve symmetry. CONCLUSION: Mobilizing the midface in the preperiosteal plane through a lateral canthal incision provides excellent elevation and support of the eyelid. The small incision allows easy access to adhesions along the inferior orbital rim and to the preperiosteal plane beneath the entire midface. Preperiosteal midface lift combined with canthoplasty provides significant improvement of postblepharoplasty lower eyelid retraction.

"The stork lift": a circumoccipital extended neck-lift.

BACKGROUND: The goal of the lower face- and neck-lift is restoration of a sharp cervicomental angle. However, standard cervical rhytidectomy for the patient with extensive excess skin of the neck often leaves the patient with objectionable vertical or diagonal skin folds of the lateral neck, a large hair-step deformity, or both. To remove extensive excess skin of the neck and to avoid vertical/diagonal folds and a stepped hairline, the authors "walk" the excess skin posteriorly along the hairline, often from ear to ear along the inferior posterior hairline. METHODS: Patients with extensive excess skin of the neck underwent neck-lift procedures using the circumocciput incision technique during a 1-year period. With the patient in a sitting position, a postauricular face-lift incision is extended along the inferior hairline from ear to ear. The flap is "walked" posteriorly to and along the occiput on either side of the midline. It is closed using a divide and close technique. Flaps are created, and the wound is closed in a multilayered fashion with a posterior midline A-to-T flap. RESULTS: During a 1-year period, 25 patients (22 women and 3 men) underwent a cheek/neck-lift, and 2 patients (1 man and 1 woman) underwent isolated neck-lift procedures using the circumocciput incision technique. The average patient age was 64.8 years (range, 49-79 years). There were no instances of obvious lateral neck folds. Complications included hematoma (1 patient), Candida wound infection (1 patient), and a widened scar revised secondarily (1 patient). All the patients were satisfied with their cosmetic result 6 months after the operation. None of the patients stated that their final scar was noticeable or objectionable. CONCLUSIONS: The patients in this study who presented with excessive redundant skin of the neck were treated with the "stork lift," which provided excellent lifting of the anterior, lateral, and posterior neck as well as excellent cervicomental angles without postoperative sequelae of lateral neck folds or stepped hairlines.

Biplanar temple lift for lateral brow ptosis: comparison with uniplanar dissection technique.

BACKGROUND: The amount of lift achievable in the temple region has been limited by traditional uniplanar dissection techniques. A biplanar temple-lifting technique (BTL), involving a biplanar dissection both deep and superficial to the superficial musculoaponeurotic system (SMAS) of the temporal region, is described. This study compares the amount of temporal lifting that can be achieved using a uniplanar dissection with that achieved using a biplanar dissection. METHODS: Thirty-seven patients underwent bilateral temple lifting. Deep dissection was performed on the surface of the deep temporalis fascia. The skin flap was pulled in a superolateral direction and the skin overlap at the wound edge was measured. A SMAS flap was then dissected beneath the dermis from the anterior wound edge to the temporal hairline. The SMAS flap was suspended superolaterally and fixated to the deep temporalis fascia. The skin flap was again pulled in a superolateral direction and the amount of skin overlap was measured and compared. RESULTS: The average potential temple skin that could be excised using the traditional dissection technique was 15.1 mm (range, 7-24 mm). The average temple skin that was excised using the biplanar dissection technique was 21.8 mm (range, 14-30 mm). The biplanar technique was shown to offer, on average, a 48% increase in lift relative to the skin-only approach. There were no cases of wound dehiscence, necrosis, or overcorrection. CONCLUSION: Using the BTL technique to create a temporal SMAS flap, dissected free from overlying dermis as well as from deep temporal fascia, provides a more secure suspension of the temporal flap and significantly greater temple lift than a uniplanar dissection. The deep layering absorbs the tension of the lift, allowing for tensionless skin closure, thus decreasing the potential for scarring, hair loss, and necrosis. The increased mobility and higher suspension of the temporal flap allows for more skin excision and therefore a more pleasing lateral brow height.