The Infero-Central Mound Reduction Mammoplasty: A Single Surgeon, 20-year Experience.

BACKGROUND: Reduction mammoplasty (RM) remains one of the most common plastic surgeries worldwide. Many different techniques have been described in the literature, each with its advantages and limitations. Nipple-areolar complex necrosis remains a daunting complication, regardless of the chosen surgical approach. OBJECTIVE: We describe the senior author's (HYK) unique reduction mammoplasty technique, employing the infero-central (IC) pedicle throughout the last two decades. PATIENTS AND METHODS: A retrospective chart review of 520 patients undergoing breast reduction was performed. After exclusion criteria, 360 were included in the study. These patients underwent RM with the IC technique, with stabilization of the breast mound and plication of the inferior pole dermis to prevent bottoming out. Demographics, operative data, and complications were recorded. Pre- and postoperative photographs were evaluated by a specialists' panel. The BREAST-Q questionnaire was utilized to assess satisfaction rates. RESULTS: BREAST-Q questionnaire-satisfaction with breast score was 84.19, and outcome score was 91.67. Aesthetic outcome evaluation, reviewed by four plastic surgeons, yielded a high score in all parameters (1.64-2; range 0-2). On a per-breast basis for all patients, the following complications were analyzed: dehiscence (3.61%), infection (2.22%), hematoma (1.66%), superficial wound healing problems (1.38%), seroma (0.83%), skin flap ischemia (1.52%), hypertrophic scar (1.38%), fat necrosis (0.97%), and partial nipple ischemia (0.27%). CONCLUSION: Infero-central mound technique can be applied to breast reductions of nearly all sizes, allowing for consistently satisfactory aesthetic outcomes for most patients. Due to robust vascularity of the pedicle, complication rates are kept at a minimum. IC mound technique is an essential tool in the plastic surgeon's armamentarium. 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 .

Testing or Trusting? Urine Cotinine Levels in Plastic Surgery.

BACKGROUND: Preoperative laboratory examinations are a common practice throughout all surgical disciplines. Smoking prior to and shortly after elective aesthetic surgery is generally discouraged, but abstinence is rarely examined. Nicotine's major metabolite is cotinine, which is distributed in various body fluids, including blood, saliva, and urine. Urine cotinine levels are a useful short-term marker of nicotine exposure, whether active or passive, and correlate with daily tobacco use. Urinary levels are precise, rapid, easy to examine, and accessible. OBJECTIVES: The aim of this literature review was to describe the current body of knowledge relevant to cotinine levels in the fields of general and plastic surgery. It was hypothesized that the current available data are enough to support the judicial use of such tests in high-risk surgical candidates, especially in aesthetic surgeries. METHODS: A literature review via PubMed was conducted to identify publications that used the terms "cotinine" and "surgery," according to the PRISMA standard flowchart. RESULTS: After subtracting duplications, the search results yielded 312 papers. After a reduction process as per exclusion criteria, 61 articles were identified and fully reviewed by both authors. Fifteen full-text articles were eligible for qualitative synthesis. CONCLUSIONS: Enough data have accumulated to strongly support the judicial use of cotinine tests prior to elective surgery and specifically in aesthetic surgery.

Gender affirming surgery in non-binary patients: The importance of patient-centered care.

BACKGROUND: Gender-affirming mastectomies are a growing necessity for transgender and gender-diverse patients. The preoperative evaluation and surgical outcome must be tailored to the individual, taking into consideration previous medical history, medications, hormonal therapy, patient anatomy, and expectations. Although non-binary patients constitute a significant portion of patients referring for gender-affirming mastectomies, current literature rarely acknowledges them as a separate patient category from trans-masculine patients. METHODS: Retrospective cohort, demonstrating the single-surgeon experience with gender-affirming mastectomies over the course of 2 decades. RESULTS: A total of 208 patients were included in this cohort, patients identifying as "non-binary" in gender accounted for 30.8% of the cohort. Non-binary patients were found to be younger (P value<0.001) at the time of surgery, at the time of HRT initiation (P value<0.001), at the first feeling of gender dysphoria, coming out to society, and use of non-female pronouns (P value = 0.04,<0.001 and<0.001, accordingly). In the non-binary patient group, a shorter period of time passed from the first feeling of gender dysphoria to initiation of HRT and surgery (P value<0.001 and<0.001, accordingly). However, the average time from HRT initiation to surgery and from the first use of non-female pronouns to HRT initiation or surgery did not statistically differ (P value= 0.34, 0.06, and 0.08, accordingly). CONCLUSION: Non-binary patients demonstrate a significantly different timeline from trans-masculine patients in terms of gender development. In order to accommodate their needs, caregivers must take the information into consideration and develop appropriate guidelines and courses of action.

Implications of testosterone therapy on wound healing and operative outcomes of gender-affirming chest masculinization surgery.

The increased awareness of the transgender population and their medical needs has given rise to a wide array of gender-affirming surgeries and hormonal therapies. To better understand the implication of testosterone therapy on female-to-male gender-affirming mastectomies, we conducted a retrospective cohort study based on the medical histories of 170 transgender males operated on by a single surgeon over 18 years. One hundred and one (59.4%) patients received hormonal therapy. The average age of patients in the testosterone treatment group was 20.6 ± 5.3 (range 14-49) years. The median weight of resected breast tissue was 318 g (IQR 221-515) and 311.5 g (IQR 223-480) in patients treated with testosterone, compared to 380 g (IQR 225-735) and 370 g (IQR 240-700) in patients without testosterone treatment (for the right and left breast, respectively). Supplementary liposuction was performed in 35 patients, of whom 23 (64%) were treated with testosterone. Fifty-four patients (31.7%) experienced surgical complications, and 55.6% of complications were recorded in the group treated with testosterone. Forty-nine patients (28.8%) recorded their satisfaction using the Likert satisfaction scale; the average satisfaction was 4.86 ± 0.35 in the non-testosterone group and 4.63 ± 0.69 in the testosterone group. Opposing previous cohorts, we did not find a statistically significant association between testosterone and increased surgical complications in gender-affirming mastectomies. Possible explanations include our practice of avoiding testosterone therapy several weeks before the operation and vigorous hemostasis methods.

A single surgeon's experience with Motiva Ergonomix round SilkSurface silicone implants in breast reconstruction over a 5-year period.

BACKGROUND: Numerous breast implants are used for breast reconstruction. Each has its advantages and disadvantages. Recent data regarding the link between BIA-ALCL and implant texture caused a significant paradigm shift toward the use of smooth round implants. Motiva Ergonomix, a silk-surface breast implant, is classified as a smooth implant. To date, there is little data regarding the use of this specific implant in breast reconstruction. OBJECTIVE: Describe a single surgeon's experience with Motiva Ergonomix, silk-textured, round implant for breast reconstruction. PATIENTS AND METHODS: A retrospective chart review of all patients undergoing primary or revisionary breast reconstruction procedures, using Motiva Ergonomix, from January 2017 to January 2022. Patient demographics and medical status were extracted. Surgical data, including reconstructive technique, implant size, plane, use of acellular dermal matrix, and complications, were recorded. BREAST-Q questionnaires were completed. RESULTS: A total of 156 consecutive patients were retrieved (269 breasts). A total of 257 were direct-to-implant reconstructions and 12 expander-to-implant. Complications were described per breast. Capsular contraction, Baker grade 3-4, was seen in four breasts (1.49%) in the nonirradiated group and six (2.24%) in the irradiated group. Rippling was seen in 11 breast (4.08%), skin ischemia in 17 (6.31%), hematoma in 4 (1.49%), and seroma in 6 (2.23%). BREAST-Q: satisfaction with breast increased by a mean of 9.175 (60.7 points preoperatively to 69.875 postoperatively). Satisfaction with the implant was 6.52 out of 8. DISCUSSION: This cohort describes the current most extensive experience with Motiva Ergonomix implant used for reconstructive surgeries. Motiva Ergonomix breast implant endows a unique set of technologies to provide good results with a low complication rate.

Age-related Outcomes of Chest Masculinization Surgery: A Single-surgeon Retrospective Cohort Study.

Many transmasculine individuals face chest dysphoria, an emotional distress associated with breast development. The definitive management for reduction of existing breast tissue and alleviation of chest dysphoria comes in the form of chest masculinization surgery. Over the years, a substantial increase in the number of youth seeking gender-affirming chest masculinization surgery was observed globally. The study was hypothesized to answer the question as to whether the age limit of chest masculinization surgery should be lowered to include adolescents. Methods: A retrospective cohort study was conducted, based on the experience of a single surgeon over a period of 20 years. Results: Two-hundred eight patients were included in this cohort. Patients were divided into two equal groups based on their age. No statistically significant differences between the groups were observed in terms of resected breast tissue (P = 0.62 and 0.30, for the right and left breast, accordingly), auxiliary liposuction (P = 0.30), liposuction volume (P = 0.20), procedure (P = 0.15), postoperative drains (P = 0.79), and surgery duration (P = 0.72). Statistically significant differences were found in the 18 years or younger group, with lower rates of complication (P < 0.001), lower rates of revision surgery (P = 0.025), and higher satisfaction rankings (P < 0.001). Apart from age, no other factors were found to potentially explain the different rates of complications between the age groups. Conclusion: Patients aged 18 or younger opting for chest masculinization surgery experience fewer complications and revision procedures while having higher satisfaction rates with the surgical outcome.

Breaking the Binary: The Approach to Chest Masculinizing Gender-Affirming Surgery in Trangender Men.

BACKGROUND: The purpose of mastectomy for the transgender patient is to produce a masculine appearance of the chest. A number of algorithms have been proposed for selecting the surgical technique. A holistic and surgical approach to transgender men includes our experience-based classification system for selecting the correct surgical technique. OBJECTIVES: To present and discuss the Transgender Standard of Care and our personal experience. METHODS: Data were collected from the files of female-to-male transgender persons who underwent surgery during 2003-2019. Pictures of the patients were also analyzed. RESULTS: Until May 2021, 342 mastectomies were performed by the senior author on 171 patients. The 220 mastectomies performed on 110 patients until November 2019 were included in our cohort. Patient age was 13.5 to 50 years (mean 22.5 ± 6.1). The excision averaged 443 grams per breast (range 85-2550). A periareolar approach was performed in 14 (12.7%), omega-shaped resection (nipple-areola complex on scar) in 2 (1.8%), spindle-shaped mastectomy with a dermal nipple-areola complex flap approach in 38 (34.5%), and a complete mastectomy with a free nipple-areola complex graft in 56 (50.9%). Complications included two hypertrophic scars, six hematomas requiring revision surgery, three wound dehiscences, and three cases of partial nipple necrosis. CONCLUSIONS: A holistic approach to transgender healthcare is presented based on the World Professional Association for Transgender Health standard of care. Analysis of the data led to Wolf's classification for female-to-male transgender mastectomy based on skin excess and the distance between the original and the planned position of the nipple-areola complex.

Myiasis in Neglected Cutaneous Squamous Cell Carcinoma of the Head and Neck: Review of Management and Current Protocol Recommendations.

OBJECTIVE: To propose a first-aid management protocol for myiasis in neglected cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) in the ED based on a recent literature review. DATA SOURCES: PubMed. STUDY SELECTION: Inclusion criteria were all series and case reports of primary/secondary cutaneous SCC with myiasis of the head and neck, including orbital SCC cases, published after 2005. DATA EXTRACTION: A total of 14 articles including 15 patients were included. DATA SYNTHESIS: Demographics, socioeconomic situation, site of the lesion, larvae species with bacterial suprainfection, and first-aid treatment options were discussed. Two representative cases are described. CONCLUSIONS: Large, ulcerated, necrotic, myiasis-burdened SCC lesions in the head and neck area present a challenge for treatment, and to date, no consensus regarding first-aid management exists. The authors' proposed four-pillar first-aid management scheme may be a valid option to rapidly improve wound condition through disinfection, pain relief, and malodor and discharge eradication as a bridge to surgery.

Facilitated Umbilical Positioning in Abdominoplasty Using the 15/10 Rule and the "Flap Flipping" Technique.

First described by Gaudet and Morestin, abdominoplasty with umbilical preservation dates as far back as 1905. Navel position was described on the transverse axis by Rohrich, and on the median longitudinal axis, by Vernon, Baroudi and Pitanguy. The aim of this article is to validate the 15/10 rule of umbilical positioning in abdominoplasty with the "flap flipping" technique, as an intraoperative aid to simplify umbilical repositioning. Between October 2019 and March 2020, 18 consecutive patients underwent full abdominoplasty, using the 15/10 rule for umbilical positioning. Patients' average age was 47.9, with body mass index 27.5 kg/m2 and height 1.63 m. An "expected zone" of umbilical position was delineated by 2 horizontal lines, 15 cm from the bra line and 10 cm from the pubic level. The umbilicus was accurately positioned by using the flap flipping technique before closure of the inferior abdominal incision line. It was then examined to determine whether the umbilicus was situated in the expected zone. In 14 of 18 patients, intraoperative and postoperative measurements of umbilical position were in the expected zone. An average 15.19 cm was measured between the bra line and the new umbilical positioning, and 12.02 cm from the new umbilicus to the pubic inferior suture line. We find that the 15/10 rule of umbilical positioning with the flap flipping technique is an important, intuitive, and easy-to-use guide for precise umbilical positioning in abdominoplasty.