World Journal of Plastic Surgery
Volume:11 Issue: 3, Sep 2022

 Choosing adequate topical antimicrobial agents in burn patients still represents a challenge. Therefore, this systematic review was conducted to compile and evaluate current recommendations in international clinical practice guidelines (CPGs) to develop more consistent clinical guidance.

 A systematic search for CPGs was conducted independently by two reviewers using PubMed, EMBASE, Google Scholar, and external citations. The quality of the selected CPGs was evaluated separately using the AGREE II instrument, and intraclass correlation coefficients were calculated. Statistical analysis was performed using R V 1.4.1 statistical software.

Eleven CPGs were included in the study. Most guidelines tend to recommend silver-containing dressings over antiseptics or antibiotics, regardless of the depth of the burn. Silver sulfadiazine is the most recommended topical antimicrobial in low-resource settings. An overall mean appraisal AGREE II score of 68.2% was obtained. The global intraclass correlation coefficient was 0.62 (95% confidence intervals 0.54-0.69), which corresponds to a substantial global concordance between both appraisers.

 Great heterogeneity was found between recommendations and CPGs. The three determining factors considered to issue a recommendation were the clinical scenario, burn-wound depth, and burn severity. There is consensus among the guidelines to use topical antimicrobials as a tool to prevent infection, and most of these recommend the use of silver-containing dressings for most scenarios. However, there is currently no ideal topical antimicrobial agent that can be recommended for all clinical scenarios. The development of more consistent recommendations is warranted to standardize clinical practice.

Soft tissue coverage in the upper limb after trauma, burn injury, or tumour removal is a commonly addressed problem by the plastic surgeon. The anterolateral thigh flap (ALT) is recognized as a popular free flap option for covering various types of soft tissue defects due to its versatility. We aimed to assess the functional and aesthetic outcomes of the ALT flap for reconstruction of upper limb defects.

Four electronic databases were searched (MEDLINE (PubMed), Scopus, Web of Science, and Cochrane) from inception to Feb 2021. Two reviewers independently extracted the data and performed risk assessment using the modified Downs and Black (MDB) quality assessment tool and the modified Newcastle Ottawa Scale for case series.

This review included seven studies for quantitative assessment. The eligible studies had 67 patients. Included studies had used a varied number of validated upper extremity functional scoring systems; the most commonly used score was QuickDASH with mean of 21.24, DASH score was 15.5. In regard to aesthetic outcome, an overall satisfactory result was reported. A secondary debulking procedure was performed in 7 patients.

Further studies are recommended to ascertain the functional and aesthetic outcomes of the ALT free flap for upper limb defects, especially using standardized outcome scoring systems. This may be supplemented with a questionnaire that addresses common patient concerns (such as colour, contour, textile and hair growth) for the aesthetic outcome. Nevertheless, based on our review, the ALT flap may be a good reliable reconstructive option for upper limb defects with good functional outcome and satisfactory aesthetic results.

Bleeding during rhinoplasty surgery has a negative effect on the quality of surgery; so, it is important to reduce bleeding during rhinoplasty. We aimed to evaluate the effect of injectable tranexamic acid (TXA) and nasal spray of desmopressin (DDAVP) on reduction in intraoperative bleeding and ecchymosis after open rhinoplasty.

  In a Randomized Clinical Trial ( RCT)  prepared since 2020 to 2021 in Razi Hospital and Imam Khomeini Hospital, Tehran, Iran on 42 patients who underwent open rhinoplasty were divided into three groups. In the first group, TXA was injected one hour before surgery at a dose of 10 mg / kg with a placebo inhalation spray. In the second group, DDAVP was administered as a nasal spray at a dose of 40 mcg with a placebo injection. The third group received a placebo spray and placebo injection. All required data were gathered and analyzed.

In TXA group and DDAVP groups, the volume of bleeding during surgery significantly (P=0.022) decreased compared to placebo group, also, the quality of the surgical field and the surgeon's satisfaction significantly (P=0.007) improved compared to the placebo group but not with each other. Unlike placebo group, there were no reports of postoperative bleeding in the TXA and DDAVP groups. Duration of surgery, ecchymosis on the day after surgery and coagulation tests before and after surgery were not significantly different in three groups.

Use of DDAVP and TXA can both reduce the amount of bleeding during surgery and postoperative bleeding in rhinoplasty and improve the quality of the surgical field and the surgeon 's satisfaction during surgery.

Brachial plexus injury (BPI) is a severe peripheral nerve injury resulting in physical disability. Few studies have investigated the postoperative functional status. We aimed to evaluate the satisfaction with surgical treatment in patients with BPI referred to the Panzdah-e Khordad Hospital, Tehran, Iran from 2011 to 2021.

In this descriptive-analytical retrospective comparative study, physical examination, along with BrAT, and DASH questionnaires were used to evaluate the patients’ status. Then the collected data on the patients’ functional status and movements were collected. To compare the mean of quantitative variables before and after the surgery, the dependent t-student was used.

Generally, the patients stated that they still had considerable difficulty doing most of the items of the questionnaires. Nevertheless, there was a significant difference between the following variables before and after surgery; shoulder abduction goniometry (0-150) and force (M0:M5), shoulder external rotation goniometry (0-90) and force (M0:M5)), shoulder forward flexion goniometry (0-180) and force (M0:M5)), elbow flexion goniometry (0- 150), elbow extension force (M0:M5), and wrist and finger muscle force (M0:M5) (P<0.001).

Posterior approach in BPI surgery was associated with good outcomes in terms of shoulder external rotation and abduction. However, patients still suffered from difficulties in daily activities.

A reverse sural flap is an available surgical technique because it provides robust axial blood circulation to flaps with a substantially larger surface area. We aimed to assess Ilizarov frames outcome after reverse sural flaps among patients with traumatic injuries to the distal portion of the leg.

Patients with traumatic distal injury of leg in Shoha-e Tajrish Hospital in 2022-2021 were recruited and treated with reverse sural flaps. Interventional group was followed by Ilizarov frames application (group A). For the second group, just conventional dressings and proper positioning were done after surgery (group B).  Between the two groups, the duration of surgery, the degree of flap swelling, the time from surgery to discharge and flap failure, surgical site infection, deep vein thrombosis (DVT), and other complications were compared using SPSS 25 software.

Of 26 recruited patients, twenty consented to participate in this study. The average time from initial injury to reconstruction surgery, the mean duration of surgery, the mean time from surgery to discharge and the degree of swelling of the flap was compared between these two groups. The results showed better outcome in Ilizarov group, but the flap swelling grade was the only statistically significant factor between groups (P value= 0.03).

  The use of "offloading Ilizarov frames" to protect reverse sural flaps resulted in a considerable reduction in the flap swelling. It is a safe, quick, easy, and effective technique.

Fingertip injuries are common in plastic surgery practice, with multiple options for the treatment. Dorsal flag flap has been one of the options for the treatment and it has been explained as a proximally based flap. We have tried to understand the reliability of the distally based dorsal flag flap for the finger defects. 

This work was a retrospective study of consecutive patients with fingertip injuries who had undergone the distally based dorsal flag flap for reconstruction.

Among 19 patients who underwent reconstruction with the flag flap, 16 hetero-digital flap reconstructions, while 4 homo-digital flap reconstructions were done. We lost one flap, which was used for the same fingertip reconstruction. We had four patients with fingertip ulceration on the flap by 2 months which healed by regular dressings.

Distally based dorsal flag flap robust flap, which has a narrow base thus, improves maneuverability and helps in bringing the fingers to a comfortable position

Burns are among the major health challenges of all societies and more than any other trauma incur physical, mental, social, and economic burdens on the patient and society. This study was conducted to assess whether Recove® burn ointment is capable of alleviating the pain, preventing the formation of new blisters and controlling the microbial contamination of the wound.

We, therefore, compared its efficacy to ​​nitrofurazone 0.2% cream. This randomized clinical trial was conducted on individuals who had two burn injuries in their body at the same time in the Motahari Burn Hospital, Tehran Province, from June to October 2016. Sampling was carried out with a non-random method using available samples. The intervention in experimental and control groups was Recove® and nitrofurazone, respectively. The effect of interventions on pain relief, the formation of new blisters and prevention of infection at the burn wound were evaluated. In our double-blind study, blindness was applied to the patients and the person evaluating the outcomes.

Both Recove® and nitrofurazone interventions significantly alleviated pain (P < 0.01), but Recove ®showed more effectiveness (P=0.01). Similarly, in terms of new blister formation, the experimental group receiving Recove® showed less new blister formation over 24 hours after treatment compared to nitrofurazone group (P=0.03) and with respect to antimicrobial activity, there was no significant difference between Recove® and nitrofurazone (P=0.12).  

Recove® was effective on pain reduction, prevention of new blisters formation as well as infection. Therefore, it seems that Recove® could be considered as a new and efficient treatment for burn.

Reconstructing abdominal wall defects has been a difficult task for surgeons. The abdominal wall defects range from defects of only soft tissue to full thickness defects including all the three layers of the abdomen. Only soft tissue defects are commonly caused by peritonitis and laparotomies, and full thickness defects can occur from en bloc resection of tumours as well as trauma. Treatment options available include component separation, partition technique, flap coverage, and more recently acellular dermal matrix.

This retrospective study done between 2016 and 2020 where 20 patients were operated for abdominal wall defect using Pedicled ALT flap in the Department of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Sawai Man Singh Hospital, Jaipur, Rajasthan, India.

The study consisted of total 20 patients, 14 males and 6 females. Eight patients were post electric burn, 5 patients had suffered trauma, 4 patients underwent resection of abdominal wall tumour and 3 patients were post laparotomy for peritonitis. Mean age of patients was 48 years (range from 36 to 62 years). Mean fascia defect size was 14.2 cm (range 12.2 to 16.4 cm). Mean operative time was 170 minutes (range from 140 minutes to 220 minutes). Postoperative hospital stay ranged from 8 days to 24 days (mean- 12 days).

Pedicled ALT flap has expanded the armamentarium of plastic surgeons for reconstruction of abdominal wall defects.

Breast cancer is the most common cancer in women and surgery is necessary for its treatment. We aimed to determine the oncologic outcomes, satisfaction with breasts, and psychosocial well-being in the patients with breast cancer, after oncoplastic and conventional breast conserving surgery (BCS).

The patients with breast cancer from Shahid Motahari Clinic affiliated to Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran from December 2020 to December 2021 were allocated to two groups, one who had undergone BCS alone and the patients who had undergone oncoplastic BCS. For all the patients, demographic data, data about surgery, oncologic outcomes, wound complications, and BREAST-Q© questionnaire score were collected and compared between two groups.

The mean age of the patients in the oncoplastic BCS and BCS group was 48.13±9.73 (median=48), and 50.01±8.47 (median=50) years, respectively. The mean score of psychosocial well-being was higher in the oncoplastic BCS group in comparison with BCS alone. (P-value< 0.0001). Also, the mean score of satisfaction with breast was higher among the oncoplastic BCS group in comparison with the BCS group (P-value< 0.0001).

Replacing traditional BCS with oncoplastic BCS does not adversely affect the oncologic results of surgery but improves the consequent psychosocial well-being and satisfaction in the patients.

Episiotomy dehiscence because of infection is a cause of major physical, psychological and social problems. Management depends on the degree of injury. The loco-regional flap can be considered in recurrent dehiscence with loss of tissue. We report a case of a 26-year-old female who presented with a post episiotomy wound in the perineal region extending from the posterior fourchette to the anal opening. She gave the history of resuturing of dehiscence twice but the result was the same. On examination, there was a loss of skin and subcutaneous tissue between vaginal and anal opening with pouting of the anal and vaginal mucosa. Per rectal examination, the anal tone was normal. Her wound was covered with bilateral inferiorly based labia majora flaps with a good outcome. So, an inferiorly based labia majora flap can be a useful option in coverage of recurrent perineal dehiscence.

The auricular composite graft consists of a free tissue graft containing part of the auricular cartilage attached to its overlying skin. The survival of the auricular composite graft depends primarily on its size, and a graft diameter of 1- 2 cm has been previously reported as the critical cut-off size. The auricular composite graft is a reliable option for the reconstruction of skin defects of the nasal sidewall and the nasal ala, and its survival rates can be enhanced with the utilization of specific surgical techniques. These include increasing the contact surface with skin de-epithelization/ perichondrial underlay in the surgical bed, injection of autologous platelet-rich plasma, and non-strangulating nasal sidewall splinting. Here, we report a 64-year-old man with a skin lesion in the right nasal ala who underwent Mohs micrographic surgery. The lesion was reconstructed with the use of composite auricular skin graft.

Pleomorphic adenoma is the most common salivary gland tumor. This tumor mostly involves the parotid gland; however, if it occurs in the minor salivary glands, the palate would be the most common site. This lesion is more prevalent in patients with 40 to 60 years of age. Regarding the literature, the incidence of giant pleomorphic adenoma of the palate in young patients is considered a rare finding. Hereby, we present a rare case of pleomorphic adenoma of the palate, with an astonishing size, found in a 27-year-old patient. Furthermore, the surgical treatment of this lesion is described. This case was effectively treated with surgical curettage and tumor resection, emphasizing the significance of early detection in order to minimize complications. Surgical treatment, was beneficial to help the patient resume to normal life. Additionally, the clinical, radiological, and histopathological aspects and potential surgical treatments are discussed.

Congenital clinodactyly is a rare pediatric hand deformity presented in familial, syndromic, or sporadic forms. Its association with bilateral Delta phalanx is very rare. A ten-year old boy presented with symmetric bilateral clinodactyly and brachydactyly of his index and middle fingers. This case report is a unique occurrence of congenital clinodactyly which a few of such case has been previously reported.

A 29-year-old female patient was referred to the Department of Oral And Maxillofacial Surgery in Taleghani Hospital of Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Science, Tehran, Iran, in 2019, complaining of increased volume and pain in the posterior mandibular region. Cone-beam computed tomography and multislice computed tomography were performed, and an incisional biopsy was done. The histopathologic examination confirmed the diagnosis of Odontogenic Keratocyst (OKC). Surgical treatment was performed with marsupialization. After a year of follow-up, the resultant small-sized cyst was curetted, and Leukocyte-Platelet‑Rich Fibrin (LPRF) was placed in the bony depression. The significant healing of the lesion was noted on regular follow-up visits with complete resolution at 15 months. This report showed that the application of LPRF might accelerate the healing of soft tissues and bone regeneration with no inhibitory effect on the natural healing process.

Complete or total arhinia, in which nasal soft tissue is absent, is an extremely rare disease. The embryological origin of the defect is thought to be the maldevelopment of paired nasal placodes. In this article, we introduce nasal reconstruction with two forehead flaps. The reconstruction was done with two forehead flaps in a 20-year-old male patient with arhinia. Using one frontal flap of the forehead as the inner layer and the other one as the outer layer. The postoperative care was uneventful. He was able to breathe through the nose. No chest pain or any difficulty was mentioned in daily activities. The principal advantage of this technique over previous techniques is that the operation is performed in two stages and at the end of the procedure the patient has the final shape of the nose and is able to breathe normally. Furthermore, this technique could be performed for all age groups.

Adult previously operated alveolar cleft palate presents a pronounced challenge for optimal surgical reconstruction. This optimal reconstruction dictates the restoration of soft tissues in addition to hard tissues to achieve prime functional results. Regional flaps usually used for the reconstruction of such defects were considered as either bulky or none bone bearing flaps. Furthermore, using free flaps for reconstruction can rise the concerns of increased intraoperative complications and greater suspected donor site morbidities. Here we present three unfavorably previously operated patients with current huge alveolar cleft palates, planned for the reconstruction with reverse facial-submental artery osteomyocutaneous flap. Besides, detailed flap harvesting technique, results, prosthetic restoration post to flap surgery, and follow up are presented in this article. We found the reverse facial- submental osteomyocutaneous flap as a novel and reliable choice for functional reconstruction of challenging huge alveolar cleft palates. The reverse facial-submental flap has not been yet mentioned in the medical literature for the reconstruction of alveolar clefts.

Brachial plexus injury (BPI) is a severe peripheral nerve injury resulting in physical disability. Few studies have investigated the postoperative functional status. We aimed to evaluate the satisfaction with surgical treatment in patients with BPI referred to the Panzdah-e Khordad Hospital, Tehran, Iran from 2011 to 2021.

In this descriptive-analytical retrospective comparative study, physical examination, along with BrAT, and DASH questionnaires were used to evaluate the patients’ status. Then the collected data on the patients’ functional status and movements were collected. To compare the mean of quantitative variables before and after the surgery, the dependent t-student was used.

Generally, the patients stated that they still had considerable difficulty doing most of the items of the questionnaires. Nevertheless, there was a significant difference between the following variables before and after surgery; shoulder abduction goniometry (0-150) and force (M0:M5), shoulder external rotation goniometry (0-90) and force (M0:M5)), shoulder forward flexion goniometry (0-180) and force (M0:M5)), elbow flexion goniometry (0- 150), elbow extension force (M0:M5), and wrist and finger muscle force (M0:M5) (P<0.001).

Posterior approach in BPI surgery was associated with good outcomes in terms of shoulder external rotation and abduction. However, patients still suffered from difficulties in daily activities.