Implantable Biologics for Soft Tissue Surgery Reinforcement.

Soft tissue reinforcement focuses on medical grafts that are designed to support and regenerate soft tissue under or near suture lines. Soft tissue is defined as areas of similarly specialized cells that function to connect, support, and surround other structures and organs of the body. These tissues include skin, subcutaneous tissue, fascia, ligaments, tendons, fibrous tissues, fat, synovial membranes, and muscle. Most of the implantable devices used for this purpose are made of collagen, the most abundant protein in mammals and a key component of the extracellular matrix of soft tissues that allows for tissue repair. For suture line reinforcement, exogenous collagen from various sources is implanted under or in continuity with the suture line to allow for increased strength and better healing. First introduced in the field of breast reconstruction, this practice is now also used in hernia repair, dural repair, vaginal slings, amputation reinforcement, tendon repair reinforcement, and even dental soft tissue regeneration.

Women, Surgeons, and the Innovation Pipeline.

The paucity of gender diversity in the biotech and medical/surgical technology fields remains a persistent challenge. Over the course of history, advancements have been made; however, women remain underrepresented in these sectors from the entry level to the leadership and corporate positions. Similarly, there is a notable lack of women-led startup teams obtaining funding from venture capitalists and fewer women-led teams submitting and securing patents. We will discuss current data surrounding the lack of gender diversity in these fields, explore parallels specifically between the lack of women in surgical specialties and science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) pathways, and how this translates to the lack of women in the surgical and medical technology industry. We will also offer examples of the real-world ramifications of product development by teams not representative of the population. Lastly, we will offer recommendations and action items for companies, STEM educators, individuals, and allies that will continue to aid in improving gender diversity in the industry.

How to Decide Upon an Appropriate Post-Operative Dressing: 2022.

In the current era, there are numerous advanced postoperative dressings. The ideal postoperative dressing is one that is thought to improve patient comfort, manage postoperative drainage, potentially allow for visualization of the wound, improve postoperative healing, and possibly reduce bacterial invasion. However, many advanced surgical dressings have shown increased ease of handling and increased patient comfort, but have not shown true superiority with regard to objective criteria. To ease the overall evaluation of such products, we have categorized them as standard of care dressings, engineered dressings, antimicrobial engineered dressings, skin glues and adhesives, and closed incisional negative pressure wound therapy. Among these categories, closed incisional negative pressure wound therapy has repeatedly shown superior subjective and objective outcomes. However, due to cost constraints, this therapy is not ideal for everyone. In many cases, the postoperative dressing should be dictated by the type of surgery, the location of the surgery, and the comorbidities of the patient. The authors will review the appropriate indications for the use of all categories of postoperative dressing and identify specific items that have shown great promise. The current guidelines will also be reviewed.