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International Journal of Surgery... Dec 2014The purpose of this study was to investigate the use of antibiotic prophylaxis for plastic surgical procedures at our hospital, and to perform a systematic literature... (Review)
Review
The purpose of this study was to investigate the use of antibiotic prophylaxis for plastic surgical procedures at our hospital, and to perform a systematic literature review of randomized controlled trials evaluating the use of prophylactic antibiotics in plastic surgery. The records of patients who received plastic surgical procedures with Class I surgical incisions between 2009 and 2010 were retrospectively reviewed. A systematic literature review was conducted for studies examining the use of prophylactic antibiotics for Class I surgical wounds. A total of 13,997 cases with Class I surgical incisions were included. Prophylactic antibiotics were given in 13,865 cases (99.1%). The antibiotics used were primarily cefuroxime, clindamycin, metronidazole, cefoxitin sodium, and gentamicin. The average duration of administration was 4.84 ± 3.07 (range, 1-51) days. Antibiotics were administered postoperatively in >99% of cases while preoperative antibiotic administration was only given in 32 cases (0.23%). Wound infections occurred in 21 cases for an overall infection rate of 0.15%. Fourteen studies met the inclusion criteria of the systematic review. There was marked variation in the timing of antibiotic administration with antibiotics given pre-, peri-, and postoperatively. Of studies that compared the use of prophylactic antibiotics with placebo, a reduction in wound infections was noted in 4 trials and no difference was noted in 6 trials. No significant difference in infection rates was shown between the prophylactic and postoperative arms. In conclusion, prophylactic antibiotics are overused in plastic surgical procedures. Evidence-based guidelines for the use of prophylactic antibiotics in plastic surgical procedures are needed.
Topics: Anti-Bacterial Agents; Antibiotic Prophylaxis; Cefoxitin; Cefuroxime; China; Clindamycin; Female; Gentamicins; Humans; Male; Metronidazole; Middle Aged; Plastic Surgery Procedures; Retrospective Studies; Surgery, Plastic
PubMed: 25448649
DOI: 10.1016/j.ijsu.2014.10.029 -
Craniomaxillofacial Trauma &... Jun 2023Injuries sustained in war-zones are variable and constantly developing according to the nature of the ongoing conflict. Soft tissue involvement of the extremities, head... (Review)
Review
STUDY DESIGN
Injuries sustained in war-zones are variable and constantly developing according to the nature of the ongoing conflict. Soft tissue involvement of the extremities, head and neck often necessitates reconstructive expertise. However, current training to manage injuries in such settings is heterogenous. This study involves a systematic review.
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate interventions in place to train Plastic and Maxillofacial surgeons for war-zone environments so that limitations to current training can be addressed.
METHODS
A literature search of Medline and EMBase was performed using terms relevant to Plastic and Maxillofacial surgery training and war-zone environments. Articles that met the inclusion criteria were scored then educational interventions described in included literature were categorised according to their length, delivery style and training environment. Between-group ANOVA was performed to compare training strategies.
RESULTS
2055 citations were identified through this literature search. Thirty-three studies were included in this analysis. The highest scoring interventions were over an extended time-frame with an action-oriented training approach, using simulation or actual patients. Core competencies addressed by these strategies included technical and non-technical skills necessary when working in war-zone type settings.
CONCLUSIONS
Surgical rotations in trauma centers and areas of civil strife, together with didactic courses are valuable strategies to train surgeons for war-zones. These opportunities must be readily available globally and be targeted to the surgical needs of the local population, anticipating the types of combat injuries that often occur in these environments.
PubMed: 37222978
DOI: 10.1177/19433875221083416 -
World Journal of Plastic Surgery Jul 2022We aimed to provide a single, viable and user-friendly operative protocol for preoperative antibiotic prophylaxis that meets the needs of all plastic surgery... (Review)
Review
BACKGROUND
We aimed to provide a single, viable and user-friendly operative protocol for preoperative antibiotic prophylaxis that meets the needs of all plastic surgery practitioners.
METHODS
The research was conducted through the abstract and citation databases of peer-reviewed literature Pubmed® (National Center for Biotechnology Information), Medscape® (General Surgery) and Scopus® (Elsevier), comparing existing data from 2010 to 2020. A separated and dedicated research was accomplished for each of 8 macroareas such as: skin and soft tissue, hand, breast, aesthetics, head and neck, trauma, burns and miscellaneous.
RESULTS
The findings for each macroareas included the choice of the antibiotic, the route and timing of administration and the clinical applications. Finally, the review has been condensed in an operative algorithm for antibiotic use to apply in each field of plastic surgery.
CONCLUSION
We could provide plastic surgeon an effective, easy-to-use operative protocol for antibiotic prophylaxis in daily activity.
PubMed: 36117892
DOI: 10.52547/wjps.11.2.24 -
Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery.... Oct 2023Plastic and reconstructive surgery is consistently one of the most competitive medical specialties in the match. The recent United States Medical Licensing Examination...
BACKGROUND
Plastic and reconstructive surgery is consistently one of the most competitive medical specialties in the match. The recent United States Medical Licensing Examination score reporting switch to pass-fail led to a change in metrics by which applicants are evaluated by plastic surgery programs. Applicant research productivity and the demand for plastic surgery mentorship will continue to rise. Given the competitive nature of the residency match and shift in metrics emphasis after the change in STEP 1 scoring, early exposure to plastic surgery and mentoring relationships are paramount to applicant success. However, most medical students are not exposed to plastic surgery until they begin clinical rotations.
METHODS
A literature review of plastic surgery mentorship programs available during preclinical years was conducted to identify preclinical mentorship opportunities in plastic surgery. Sixty-eight references were identified, but only two studies met the inclusion criteria of addressing mentorship programs in preclinical years.
RESULTS
Examination of the included studies indicated that preclinical medical students achieve self-identified goals and generate longitudinal benefits in plastic surgery by participating in early and focused mentorship programs.
CONCLUSIONS
The limited number of studies in this review highlights a lack of available, studied preclinical mentorship programs in plastic surgery and reveals a knowledge gap concerning the creation of successful preclinical mentorship programs. Early exposure to plastic surgery, combined with the development of structured preclinical mentorship programs, can potentially replicate successful outcomes seen in other surgical subspecialties' mentorship programs while addressing the lack of formalized mentorship opportunities for preclinical students in plastic surgery.
PubMed: 37817925
DOI: 10.1097/GOX.0000000000005322 -
Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery.... Sep 2016Quality of life (QoL) is an important outcome in plastic surgery. However, authors use different scales to address this subject, making it difficult to compare the...
UNLABELLED
Quality of life (QoL) is an important outcome in plastic surgery. However, authors use different scales to address this subject, making it difficult to compare the outcomes. To address this discrepancy, the aim of this study was to perform a systematic review and a random effect meta-analysis.
METHODS
The search was made in two electronic databases (LILACS and PUBMED) using Mesh and non-Mesh terms related to aesthetic plastic surgery and QoL. We performed qualitative and quantitative analyses of the gathered data. We calculated a random effect meta-analysis with Der Simonian and Laird as variance estimator to compare pre- and postoperative QoL standardized mean difference. To check if there is difference between aesthetic surgeries, we compared reduction mammoplasty to other aesthetic surgeries.
RESULTS
Of 1,715 identified, 20 studies were included in the qualitative analysis and 16 went through quantitative analysis. The random effect of all aesthetic surgeries shows that QoL improved after surgery. Reduction mammoplasty has improved QoL more than other procedures in social functioning and physical functioning domains.
CONCLUSIONS
Aesthetic plastic surgery increases QoL. Reduction mammoplasty seems to have better improvement compared with other aesthetic surgeries.
PubMed: 27757327
DOI: 10.1097/GOX.0000000000000833 -
Transfusion Medicine and Hemotherapy :... Jun 2022Platelet-rich plasma (PRP) is gaining popularity and is applied in a variety of clinical settings. This review aims to present and evaluate available evidence regarding...
INTRODUCTION
Platelet-rich plasma (PRP) is gaining popularity and is applied in a variety of clinical settings. This review aims to present and evaluate available evidence regarding the use of PRP in various applications in plastic surgery.
METHODS
PubMed, Web of Science, Medline, and Embase were searched using predefined MeSH terms to identify studies concerning the application of PRP alone or in combination with fat grafting for plastic surgery. The search was limited to articles in English or German. Animal studies, in vitro studies, case reports, and case series were excluded.
RESULTS
Of 50 studies included in this review, eleven studies used PRP for reconstruction or wound treatment, eleven for cosmetic procedures, four for hand surgery, two for burn injuries, five for craniofacial disorders, and 17 as an adjuvant to fat grafting. Individual study characteristics were summarized. Considerable variation in preparation protocols and treatment strategies were observed. Even though several beneficial effects of PRP therapy were described, significance was not always demonstrated, and some studies yielded conflicting results. Efficacy of PRP was not universally proven in every field of application.
CONCLUSION
This study presents an overview of current PRP treatment options and outcomes in plastic surgery. PRP may be beneficial for some indications explored in this review; however, currently available data are insufficient and systematic evaluation is limited due to high heterogeneity in PRP preparation and treatment regimens. Further randomized controlled trials employing standardized protocols are warranted.
PubMed: 35813605
DOI: 10.1159/000524353 -
Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery Apr 2016Nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drugs such as ibuprofen are common medications with multiple useful effects, including pain relief and reduction of inflammation. However,... (Meta-Analysis)
Meta-Analysis Review
BACKGROUND
Nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drugs such as ibuprofen are common medications with multiple useful effects, including pain relief and reduction of inflammation. However, surgeons commonly withhold all nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drugs perioperatively because of bleeding concerns. However, not all nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drugs irreversibly block platelet function. The authors hypothesized that the use of ibuprofen would have no effect on postoperative bleeding in plastic surgery patients.
METHODS
A literature review was performed using MEDLINE (PubMed), EMBASE, and the Cochrane Collaboration Library for primary research articles on ibuprofen and bleeding. Inclusion criteria were primary journal articles examining treatment of acute postoperative pain based on any modality. Data related to pain assessment, postoperative recovery, and complications were extracted. Bias assessment and meta-analysis were performed.
RESULTS
A total of 881 publications were reviewed. Four primary randomized controlled trials were selected for full analysis. Articles were of high quality by bias assessment. No significant difference was noted regarding bleeding events (p = 0.32), and pain control was noted to be equivalent.
CONCLUSIONS
Ibuprofen is a useful medication in the setting of surgery, with multiple beneficial effects. This meta-analysis represents a small set of high-quality studies suggesting that ibuprofen provides pain control equivalent to narcotics. Importantly, ibuprofen was not associated with an increased risk of bleeding. Further large studies will be necessary to elucidate this issue further, but ibuprofen is a safe postoperative analgesic in patients undergoing common plastic surgery soft-tissue procedures.
CLINICAL QUESTION/LEVEL OF EVIDENCE
Therapeutic, II.
Topics: Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal; Humans; Ibuprofen; Models, Statistical; Pain, Postoperative; Postoperative Hemorrhage; Plastic Surgery Procedures
PubMed: 27018685
DOI: 10.1097/PRS.0000000000002027 -
European Journal of Vascular and... Nov 2023Free tissue transfer is a powerful reconstructive method for patients with substantial diabetic foot ulcers. This study aimed to perform an updated systematic review and... (Meta-Analysis)
Meta-Analysis Review
OBJECTIVE
Free tissue transfer is a powerful reconstructive method for patients with substantial diabetic foot ulcers. This study aimed to perform an updated systematic review and meta-analysis investigating the flap characteristics, concurrent revascularisation rates, complications, and outcomes associated with free tissue transfer in diabetic foot ulcers.
METHODS
Two reviewers performed a systematic review of various databases since their inception, with no language restriction. Only data for free tissue transfer in non-traumatic diabetic foot ulcer patients were extracted from included studies where a heterogeneous population was studied. Outcome data were pooled using random effects meta-analysis for binomial data.
RESULTS
Of 632 studies identified, 67 studies encompassing 1 846 patients and 1 871 free flaps were included. A median of 18 patients [IQR 9, 37] per study, with a median age of 58.5 years [56, 63], were followed up for a median of 15 months [7, 25]. Most studies had serious risk of bias (n = 47 studies, 70%); sixteen (24%) had moderate risk of bias; and four (6%) had low risk of bias. The proportion of patients who underwent revascularisation was 75% (95% CI 60 - 87%; n = 36 studies) with a median time of 8 days between procedures. The pooled complete flap survival, major amputation, and ambulation rates were 88% (85 - 92%, n = 49 studies), 10% (7 - 14%, n = 50 studies), and 87% (80 - 92%, n = 36 studies), respectively. Death at individual study follow up was 6% (3 - 10%, n = 26 studies). The overall certainty of evidence was very low.
CONCLUSION
Free tissue transfer may be a useful treatment modality for recalcitrant diabetic foot ulcers in selected patients. Future studies should investigate long term functional outcomes and aim to develop patient selection algorithms to select the most suitable candidates for this procedure.
Topics: Humans; Middle Aged; Diabetic Foot; Plastic Surgery Procedures; Free Tissue Flaps; Vascular Surgical Procedures; Amputation, Surgical; Diabetes Mellitus
PubMed: 37500000
DOI: 10.1016/j.ejvs.2023.07.031 -
Aesthetic Surgery Journal. Open Forum 2023Social media has been demonstrated to serve as a critical tool for plastic surgeons, facilitating patient engagement, peer-to-peer education and learning, and outreach... (Review)
Review
Social media has been demonstrated to serve as a critical tool for plastic surgeons, facilitating patient engagement, peer-to-peer education and learning, and outreach to the broader public community. This study aims to perform a meta-analysis of data to determine the most valuable and useful social media platforms for practicing plastic surgeons developing their practice by assessing the perceived value to the practice and quantifying return on investment. A systematic review was performed using PubMed (National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD). The initial search yielded 3592 articles. Sixteen articles met inclusion and exclusion criteria. It was found that patients are more likely to engage with aesthetic content rather than scientific content. Younger generations are more likely to utilize Instagram (Meta, Menlo Park, CA), Snapchat (Santa Monica, CA), and TikTok (Culver City, CA), while older generations may be more likely to utilize Facebook (Meta, Menlo Park, CA) and YouTube (San Bruno, CA). Age-specific recommendations include utilizing Instagram, Snapchat, and TikTok with emphasis on breast augmentation for patients aged 17 and 35 given this is the most common procedure performed for this age group. Patients between the ages of 36 and 70 are most likely to be engaged on Facebook, Instagram, and Facebook with liposuction being the most common procedure in this age group. For ages 70+, patients are most likely to utilize Facebook with the most common procedure performed as blepharoplasty. Effective social media marketing for the plastic surgeon considers delivering the right content and choosing the right platform. The right content and platform are critically dependent on the specific age of the audience.
PubMed: 37033450
DOI: 10.1093/asjof/ojad024 -
Annals of the Royal College of Surgeons... Feb 2024Plastic surgery is an important specialty that involves widespread medical knowledge, some of which is taught in undergraduate curricula. The General Medical Council...
INTRODUCTION
Plastic surgery is an important specialty that involves widespread medical knowledge, some of which is taught in undergraduate curricula. The General Medical Council provides a well-defined plastic surgery curriculum for postgraduate training. However, there is no consensus on the provision for undergraduates in this specialty, potentially giving rise to a deficit in undergraduate medical education and a suboptimal basis for plastic surgery postgraduate training. Our aim was to identify the gap in undergraduate plastic surgery teaching and to understand student perceptions of the specialty as well as any trialled interventions.
METHODS
A prospectively registered systematic review was conducted following the PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses) guidelines. The MEDLINE, Embase™, PubMed and Google Scholar™ databases were searched for literature relating to undergraduate exposure to plastic surgery and relevant teaching interventions. Ten studies were included in this review, categorised into three main themes: exposure during medical school, determining factors and perceptions for pursuing a plastic surgery career, and teaching interventions.
RESULTS
Surveys assessing medical student perceptions indicate a significant deficit in exposure to plastic surgery in the undergraduate curriculum. Medical students' interest in the specialty is affected by multiple factors, including the amount of surgical exposure in medical school. Interventions to address the deficit mostly involve one-day courses.
CONCLUSIONS
Although the literature is currently limited, studies are needed to effectively assess the outcomes of plastic surgery teaching methods in undergraduate training. Moreover, there is a need for consensus around the provision of undergraduate teaching in plastic surgery. This should be reflected in the latest undergraduate curricula in medical education.
PubMed: 38362746
DOI: 10.1308/rcsann.2023.0099