Lucian Fodor

The Effect of Interleukin-8 on the Viability of Injected Adipose Tissue in Nude Mice

Adipose tissue injection as a free graft for the correction of soft-tissue defects is a widespread procedure in plastic surgery. The main problem in achieving long-term soft-tissue augmentation is partial absorption of the injected fat and hence the need for overcorrection and re-injection. The purpose of this study was to improve the viability of the injected fat by the use of interleukin-8. The rationale for the use of interleukin-8 was its abilities to accelerate angiogenesis and attract inflammatory cells and fibroblasts, providing the injected adipocytes more feeding vessels and a well-established graft bed to enhance their viability. Human adipose tissue, obtained by suction-assisted lipectomy, was re-injected into the subcutis in the scalp of nude mice. Interleukin-8 (0.25 ng) was injected subcutaneously to the scalp as a preparation of the recipient site 24 hours before the fat injection and was added to the fat graft itself (25 ng per 1 cc of injected fat). In the control group, pure fat without interleukin-8 was injected and no interleukin-8 was added for the preparation of the recipient site. One cubic centimeter of fat was injected in each animal in both the study and control groups. There were 10 animals in each group. The animals were euthanized 15 weeks after the procedure. Graft weight and volume were measured and histologic evaluation was performed. In addition, triglyceride content and adipose cell sizes were measured as parameters for fat cells viability. Histologic analysis demonstrated significantly less cyst formation in the group treated with interleukin-8. No significant differences were found between the groups with regard to graft weight and volume or the other histologic parameters investigated. No significant differences were demonstrated in adipose cell sizes and their triglyceride content. In conclusion, less cyst formation, indicating improved quality of the injected fat, can be obtained by the addition of interleukin-8. Further studies of various dosages of interleukin-8 and their long-term effect are required before these encouraging results could be applied clinically.

Is staged external fixation a valuable strategy for war injuries to the limbs

High-energy weapons or blast injuries usually result in substantial tissue damage and are serious medical and public health problems. We report our experience with staged external fixation for war injuries to the extremities. Forty-seven patients with 64 high-energy limb fractures caused by war weapons were retrospectively reviewed. The fractures were associated with severe soft tissue damage. There were 14 Gustilo-Anderson Type IIIA fractures, 40 Type IIIB fractures, and 10 Type IIIC fractures. Soft tissue débridement followed by axial realignment of the fractured bones with immediate skeletal stabilization using the AO/ASIF unilateral tubular external fixator was performed on the day of admission. The primary tubular fixators were exchanged 5 to 7 days later for Ilizarov frames. Delayed primary closure, skin grafts, or flaps were used for soft tissue coverage. The mean followup was 40 months, and the Ilizarov/hybrid external fixator was the definitive treatment in all patients. Bone union was achieved at an average of 8 months in 58 (90.6%) fractures. Three patients had nonunions and one patient required an amputation. Two patients were lost to followup. Staged external fixation is a valuable strategy for treatment of war injuries to the extremities. Level of Evidence: Therapeutic study, Level IV. See the Guidelines for Authors for a complete description of levels of evidence

The revised "reconstructive ladder" and its applications for high-energy injuries to the extremities.

In this report, we tried to evaluate the merits of the classic “reconstructive ladder” and other reconstructive tools, such as acute shortening followed by distraction osteogenesis and a vacuum-assisted closure device, for the treatment of high-energy injuries. Thirty-seven patients suffering from high-velocity injuries to the extremities caused by war weapons and blast terror attacks were treated at our institution. The fractures were initially stabilized by the Association for the Study of Internal Fixation (AO/ASIF) unilateral tubular external fixator, which was changed 2–3 days later to a circular Ilizarov frame for 19 patients. Temporary acute shortening was performed for 5 patients. Skin grafts were performed for 21 patients, local or regional flaps for 14 patients, and free flaps for 6. Vacuum-assisted closure was selected for 8 patients. The wounds were successfully closed in all the patients. Two patients with upper-limb injuries had nonunion. Motor nerve injuries recovered in 7/10 patients. Due to hypergranulating tissue, 2 patients treated with vacuum-assisted closure (VAC) had to stop treatment early. Their wounds were closed with skin graft or local flap. The classic reconstructive ladder, starting from direct closure and ending with a free flap, should be extended for limb traumas and include acute shortening with or without angulation, followed by distraction osteogenesis and the VAC system on the same step as the free flap.

A Side-by-side Prospective Study of Intense Pulsed Light and Nd:yag Laser Treatment for Vascular Lesions

Recently, lasers and light systems are used more for the treatment of vascular lesions due to their noninvasiveness, ease of use, and short recovery time. This side-by-side prospective study compares results, satisfaction, and complications after intense pulsed light (IPL) and Nd:Yag laser treatment of small vascular lesions. Twenty-five patients with telangiectases, leg veins, or cherry angiomas underwent treatment of the same category of lesion in the same area. One year after completing treatment, patients were asked to report their satisfaction level after comparing digital photos before and after treatment; 72% felt they had good to excellent results after Nd:Yag treatment, while only 48% felt the same after IPL. The most common side effect after Nd:Yag was hyperpigmentation. Satisfaction level was significantly higher after Nd:Yag than after IPL. Patients with telangiectases, cherry angiomas, or leg veins <1 mm were more satisfied after IPL, while those with leg veins >1 mm were more satisfied after Nd:Yag. Overall, satisfaction with treatment of vascular lesions was greater with Nd:Yag although this method was more painful.

Multimodality gynecomastia repair by cross-chest power-assisted superficial liposuction combined with endoscopic-assisted pull-through excision.

Numerous methods of gynecomastia repair have been described to accomplish removal of breast tissue. Our multimodality surgical approach for the treatment of gynecomastia combines the use of power-assisted superficial cross-chest liposuction with direct pull-through excision of the breast parenchyma under endoscopic supervision. Seventeen patients, aging 17–39, underwent this multimodality approach. According to Simons grading, 3 patients had grade 1, 5 had grade 2a, 6 had grade 2b, and 3 had grade 3 gynecomastia. Power-assisted liposuction was performed with a 3- or 4-mm triple-hole cannula inserted through the contralateral periareolar medial incision to suction the contralateral prepectoral fatty breast. At the end of the liposuction, the fibrous tissue was easily pulled through the ipsilateral stab wound and excised under endoscopic control. Follow-up time ranged from 6 to 34 months. The amount of fat removed by liposuction varied from 100–800 mL per breast, and the amount of breast parenchyma removed by excision varied from 20–110 g. All patients recovered remarkably well. No complications were recorded. All patients were satisfied with their results. This technique enables an effective treatment of both the fatty and fibrous tissue of the male breast and avoids skin redundancy due to skin contraction. A smooth masculine breast contour is consistently achieved without the stigma of this type of surgery.

Preliminary Experiences with Bio-Alcamid in HIV Facial Lipoatrophy

Background: Highly active antiretroviral therapy for HIV-infected patients causes metabolic changes known as the lipodystrophy syndrome. Autologous fat injections, dermal fat grafts, malar implants and injected fillers have been reported as treatment options. Objective: To evaluate the results of HIV-infected patients treated with Bio-Alcamid for facial lipoatrophy. Methods and Materials: Over a 3-year period, 13 HIV-infected patients with facial lipoatrophy had Bio-Alcamid injections for aesthetic purposes. The procedure was done under local anesthesia, and the amount of the injected material varied from 5 to 13 ml. Results were independently evaluated by patients and physicians. Results: Most of the patients felt they had good to excellent results. Touch-ups were necessary for 2 patients; the added volume was 2–3 ml for each. No major complications were recorded. A small hematoma was noted in 1 patient. Overcorrection was attained in 2 cases, and some of the filler was removed at the patient’s request. Conclusion: One of the greatest advantages of this filler is that, although permanent, it can be removed easily. We consider Bio-Alcamid to be a safe and useful correcting tool for patients suffering from drug-induced facial lipoatrophy.

Hair removal using intense pulsed light (EpiLight): patient satisfaction, our experience, and literature review.

Applications for intense pulsed light (IPL) for hair removal are gaining favor among other methods, including lasers, because of its noninvasive nature, versatility regarding different skin and hair types, safety, and ease of use. Hair removal using IPL was performed from January 2002 to December 2003 on 108 consecutive patients. Eighty of these patients answered a questionnaire and were enrolled in the study group. The investigated parameters were hair and skin type, number of pulses, fluence, pulse duration, pulse delay, the filters used, and the treated area. The patient assessment of improvement (satisfaction) rate was graded from 1 to 5 points: 1, worse; 2, no improvement; 3, mild improvement; 4, good result; and 5, excellent result. The patients had between 1 and 13 treatments most of them during 2 to 6 sessions. Sixty-seven percent of the patients reported no complications. Prolonged erythema for more than 7 days was reported by 16.25%, blisters by 6.25%, temporary hyperpigmentation by 8.75%, leukotrichia was present in 1 case, and 1 case of persistent hypopigmentation was noted in a young girl. An increased number of complications and a decreased satisfaction rate were noted with higher skin types, but it was not statistically significant. Patients who underwent fewer treatments (1–3 treatments) were more satisfied compared with those who had more than 7 treatments (P < 0.02). Sixty percent of the patients rated their satisfaction to be good to excellent and 65% would ill recommend this treatment to their friends. To minimize the complication rate the authors found that the preset parameters should be adjusted at every treatment session according to the skin response at the previous one. Permanent hair removal cannot be guaranteed and it is not possible to predict the improvement rate. Nevertheless, based on patient satisfaction rate in this study, the authors recommend using IPL for hair removal.

Extreme Bone Lengthening Using Distraction Osteogenesis After Trauma: A Case Report

We are reporting herein the result of a 22 cm tibial lengthening after using an acute shortening technique with acute temporary angulation for salvage of a posttraumatic lower limb injury. The patient was referred to our center 2 weeks after a Gustilo IIIB open complex injury to the lower limb that included bone and soft-tissue loss. After surgical debridement, the tibial gap was 22 cm and the soft-tissue defect on the anterior aspect of the calf measured 12 × 20 cm. An acute shortening using a 50° angulation (apex posteriorly) of the tibia in an Ilizarov frame was done after a full assessment of all reconstructive surgical options. After complete wound healing, a progressive correction of the angulation was done. Bilevel tibial distraction at a rate of 1.75 mm/day restored the original lower limb length. The 22 cm tibial elongation included 17 cm proximal lengthening and 5 cm distal lengthening. The fractures consolidated after 371 days, all wounds had closed, and no signs of osteomyelitis were present. Good aesthetic and functional results were obtained. The patient had no leg discrepancy compared to his normal limb and he returned to his previous occupation as a garage mechanic and to his favorite sport, boxing. To our knowledge, this is the first report in the English literature of tibial lengthening of this magnitude following acute trauma.

Intense pulsed light for skin rejuvenation, hair removal, and vascular lesions: a patient satisfaction study and review of the literature.

There are very few studies in the English literature that evaluate the patient satisfaction after treatment using intense pulsed light (IPL) and there is no reported study comparing the results of the three major IPL applications: rejuvenation, hair removal, and treatment of small vascular lesions. This study was designed to compare results after IPL treatment for skin rejuvenation, hair removal, and vascular lesions. Three groups of 30 consecutive patients having skin rejuvenation, hair removal, and small vascular lesions were selected and treated with the same IPL system. The evaluation was performed 1 year after the last treatment for the following parameters: age, sex, skin type, satisfaction, willingness to continue the treatment, willingness to recommend the treatment, and complications. Most of the minor complications occurred in the rejuvenation group (86.6%). No complications were recorded for 67% of patients having hair removal and for 75% having vascular lesion treatment. There was no significant difference in the level of satisfaction between the 3 groups (Kruskal Wallis test; P = 0.257). No difference regarding satisfaction was recorded in this study, but complications were more frequently encountered after rejuvenation. The findings of this study are useful when discussing IPL treatments with patients considering IPL procedures.

Breast augmentation under general anesthesia versus monitored anesthesia care: a retrospective comparative study.

Breast augmentation is one of the leading esthetic surgeries, enjoying high satisfaction rates. Pain, nausea, and vomiting are frequent shortcomings of the immediate postoperative period. The aim of this study was to compare breast augmentation from the anesthetic point of view: general anesthesia (GA) versus monitored anesthesia care (MAC). The charts of 115 patients were reviewed in this retrospective study performed over a period of 2 years. Sixty-nine women chose to have the surgery done under MAC, and 46 under GA. Statistically significant differences were noted in both postoperative hospital stay (16.1 ± 6.78 hours vs. 11.7 ± 6.10 hours) and frequency of vomiting (mean, 0.5 vs. 0.22 times per patient) after GA and MAC, respectively (Mann-Whitney, P < 0.01). Postoperative pain, assessed using the visual analog scale, was significantly higher (mean visual analog scale, 5 vs. 3.27) when the prosthesis was placed in the submuscular plane compared with the subglandular plane (Mann-Whitney, P = 0.043). When offered a choice, more women preferred MAC over GA for their breast augmentation procedure. Less vomiting and shorter postoperative hospitalization were prominent in the MAC group.