Liposuction Treatment of a Subacute Morel-Lavallée Lesion: A Case Report.

INTRODUCTION: A Morel-Lavallée lesion (MLL) is a rare and aesthetically concerning condition caused by a shearing force between subcutaneous fat and underlying fascia. Subsequent seroma formation occurs after the initial trauma of a crush injury, ligamentous sprain, or abdominal liposuction. Misdiagnosed lesions lead to inadequate treatment and are a source of chronic pain. CASE REPORT: The case of a 33-year-old woman who presented with a large, painful subacute MLL of the left thigh after being run over by a truck 3 weeks prior is reported. Physical examination revealed severe hyperesthesia and fluctuance of the left thigh. After confirmation of the fluid collection by X-ray and computed tomography angiogram, the authors performed liposuction of the cavity and seroma wall to evacuate and treat the lesion. Postoperative care consisted of a temporary drain, thigh compression, and oral antibiotics. Immediate reduction in size was appreciated intraoperatively with no reaccumulation of fluid at postoperative visits on week 1 and week 6. The pathology report confirmed seroma etiology, and all cultures of the fluid returned negative. At the end of her postoperative course, the patient reported a reduction in pain and no recurrence of her symptoms. CONCLUSIONS: This case of MLL was diagnosed early and successfully treated with liposuction, resulting in an acceptable cosmetic outcome. It is the authors' hope that this case report will lead to earlier diagnosis and proper treatment of MLLs.

Iatrogenic Symmastia: Causes and Suggested Repair Technique.

BACKGROUND: Various theories exist to explain the etiology of iatrogenic symmastia. Subglandular over-dissection of the medial breast pocket over the sternum, disruption of midline sternal fascia, oversized implant base diameter, and over-dissection of the medial pectoralis muscle attachments to the sternum are popular explanations. OBJECTIVES: The authors hypothesized that the most common risk factor for iatrogenic symmastia is subpectoral breast augmentation. METHODS: A retrospective chart review was conducted including all symmastia patients who underwent surgery from January 2008 to April 2018 by a single surgeon (C.L.M.). ASAPS members were also surveyed regarding the etiology and incidence of symmastia in their practice. RESULTS: Twenty-three patients with symmastia were included in the retrospective chart review. All had previous subpectoral breast augmentation. In the ASAPS survey, 91 plastic surgeons reported seeing an average of 2.2 consults for acquired symmastia over the preceding year; 1.9 of the 2.2 (84.9%) acquired symmastia consults previously underwent subpectoral breast augmentation. Most surgeons attributed these patients' symmastia to over-dissection of the medial pectoralis muscle attachments to the sternum. CONCLUSIONS: Symmastia is most often caused by pectoralis major sternal dehiscence during subpectoral breast augmentation. In the senior author's experience, all patients with iatrogenic symmastia previously had a submuscular breast augmentation. The ASAPS survey supports multiple causes for symmastia with retromuscular breast augmentation occurring in the majority of patients. Repair of symmastia should include securing Scarpa's fascia to the sternum, reattaching the pectoralis major to the sternum, avoiding another subpectoral implant, and using postoperative modalities to protect the repair.

Liposomal Bupivacaine May Benefit Select Reduction Mammaplasty Patients.

BACKGROUND: Postoperative pain control can be challenging in reduction mammaplasty patients. This study compares perioperative liposomal bupivacaine (Exparel; Pacira Pharmaceuticals, Inc, San Diego, Calif) with standard local anesthetics to determine if liposomal bupivacaine decreases opioid and antiemetic use, impacting length of stay and complication rates, thus improving patient outcomes. METHODS: A retrospective review of 170 reduction mammaplasty patients was performed. Patients were divided into groups based on local anesthetic used (bupivacaine only and liposomal bupivacaine) and into subgroups based on obesity classification. Length of hospital stay; pain scores immediately postoperatively, at discharge, and at follow-up; and postoperative analgesics and antiemetics were compared. Further analysis was performed after weight stratification within pre- and postmenopausal categories. RESULTS: Liposomal bupivacaine resulted in less pain than bupivacaine immediately postoperatively and at discharge in obesity class I (P = 0.021 and P = 0.018). In obesity class II, antiemetic use was lower in the liposomal bupivacaine group (P = 0.012). Length of stay was persistently lower with liposomal bupivacaine for premenopausal women, and this difference was significant in obesity class I (P = 0.038). In premenopausal women, discharge pain scores were lower in the overweight liposomal bupivacaine group (P = 0.034) and analgesic use was lower in obesity class III (P = 0.004). CONCLUSIONS: Liposomal bupivacaine decreases postoperative pain, opioid, and antiemetic use in select patients. Liposomal bupivacaine might not be equally efficacious in pain reduction in obese or postmenopausal women given the theoretical increased absorption by adipose tissue. In addition, liposomal bupivacaine may have a dose-dependent effect, and weight-based dosing should be investigated.

Raoultella planticola: A Rare Cause of Wound Infection.

Raoultella planticola is a gram-negative, aerobic, rod bacterium commonly found in the environment, particularly in water, soil, and fish. This organism has been found to cause a variety of infections, such as necrotizing fasciitis, cystitis, cholecystitis, pancreatitis, hepatic disease, and soft tissue infections. The authors report the case of a 73-year-old-woman who presented with a R planticola wound infection of her left lower extremity after a dog scratch. She was treated successfully with local wound care using dehydrated human amnion/chorion and oral levofloxacin. Her wound healed completely in 4 months but may have been delayed due to her comorbidities. Her chronic proton pump inhibitor use and trial of antibiotics prior to diagnosis of this infection may have selected for this particular organism. Although not commonly reported as a cause of wound infections, practitioners should consider R planticola as a differential diagnosis for a nonhealing wound as prompt identification can allow for timely treatment and decreased morbidity of this serious pathogen.

Assessment of hereditary angioedema treatment risks.

Therapies used for hereditary angioedema (HAE) have been associated with adverse events to include thrombosis, emboli, hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), exacerbation of attacks, and anaphylaxis. It is difficult to determine incidence of these adverse events from the literature. For this reason we surveyed multiple HAE physicians to determine the risk associated with therapies used in HAE. This study was designed to determine by survey the risk of thrombosis associated with C1-inhibitor (C1-INH), worsening attacks with fresh frozen plasma (FFP), and carcinoma secondary to androgens (mainly danazol). An Internet-based survey was sent to physicians internationally who treat patients with HAE. The survey queried physicians about their observations while treating HAE. Of the 66 physicians who participated in the survey, 37 had patients (856 patients) who were on C1-INH but only 4 (total of 5 patients) had patients on C1-INH who experienced an thromboembolic episode. Of the 17 patients on C1 esterase inhibitor and an indwelling catheter, 3 experienced an embolic, thrombosis, or thromboembolic event. The likelihood of an abnormal event when a patient is on a C1-INH is 5/856 (0.6%), compared with 3/17 (18%) with a central catheter. The incidence of HCC is rare. The incidence of adverse effects to FFP is greater than the literature suggests. Patients with HAE should avoid indwelling catheters, use FFP only when other therapies are unavailable, and use androgens with caution. Most importantly, adverse events to drugs should be reported so that the true incidence of adverse events can be determined.

The relationship of external and internal sidewall dimensions in the adult Caucasian nose.

OBJECTIVES/HYPOTHESES: Nasal bone length is commonly referenced in the rhinoplasty literature. It has been suggested that short nasal bone length may predispose one to a greater risk of middle vault collapse after rhinoplasty. However, there are limited data available on what constitutes the normal dimensions of these pertinent structures of the nasal sidewall. In addition, no data exist on the gender and ethnic variability of such dimensions. This article reports on measurements of nasal bones and associated structures in adult Caucasian cadavers and their relationships to the nasal sidewall. Furthermore, this study assesses the validity of using surface measurements to approximate the true dimensions of the nasal sidewall structures. METHODS: Using 37 adult cadavers, stable, external, nasal landmarks were identified and measured to approximate the dimensions of the nasal bones and upper lateral cartilages. These clinically relevant surface landmarks were then evaluated relative to the direct measurements of dissected nasal bones and upper lateral cartilages in a subgroup of 14 cadavers. RESULTS: For the subgroup, the average length Ainternal (nasal bone) was 24.57 mm; the average measured length Binternal (upper lateral cartilage) was 12.43 mm. Measurements for the subgroup obtained via external landmarks were 20.21 mm (Aexternal) and 15.67 mm (Bexternal), respectively. The relationship of the nasal bone internal length to the external measurement (A) was a ratio of 1.22:1, whereas the internal length of the upper lateral cartilage to the corresponding external measurement (B) was 0.79:1. Average external measurements for the total group were 20.43 mm for the nasal bone and 14.30 mm for the upper lateral cartilage. CONCLUSIONS: These data provide useful information to guide the surgeon in avoiding middle vault collapse postoperatively and when evaluating those patients with presurgical middle vault concerns. With less ability to support the upper lateral cartilages, short nasal bones can predispose an individual to middle vault collapse postoperatively.

Pain mediators and wound healing--establishing the connection.

Pain accompanies every disruption of the skin surface in a normal sensate individual. The intensity and duration of the pain varies depending on the nature of trauma, the healing trajectory and various host factors. Pain mediator release is the mechanism for pain perception following peripheral stimulus and central interpretation. The various mediators may have promoting effects on wound healing in the short term, but it appears that protracted release of these mediators may well have detrimental effects on wound healing. The exaggerated release of pain mediators may result in nociceptor hypersensitization, hyperinflammatory cellular and extracellular matrix (ECM) changes, and in some cases, the potential for a fibrotic healing pattern. This relates to an imbalance between mediators with differing healing characteristics arising in certain pathological conditions. In this respect, it may be worth examining pain mediator agonists or antagonists, not only on compassionate grounds of pain control, but relating to the potential effects on overall wound healing.