Marta Fijałkowska

Tattooing and Body Piercing - What Motivates You To Do It?

Background: Body ornamentation is becoming more and more popular, especially among young people. Aims: To establish the sociodemographic characteristics of people with tattoos or body piercing and to analyze the motivations for body ornamentation. Methods: The questionnaire studies were undertaken in Lodz — one of the largest cities in Poland. The data was collected from a group of 968 people, 476 of whom had a piercing and 492 a permanent tattoo. Results: Statistical analysis revealed that in the group of people with a tattoo, 36.8% were female and 63.2% were male. Contrary proportions were noted among people with a piercing: 78.8% female and 21.2% male. Conclusions: Body piercing is significantly more popular among women while tattooing is more popular in men. Among adolescents, body piercing is performed considerably earlier than tattooing. The main reasons for body ornamenting in the Polish population are the desire to enhance one’s individuality and the need to increase sexual attractiveness.

Are we aware of all complications following body piercing procedures

Background  The popularity of body piercing procedures is increasing around the world. Body piercing, depending on the age and social group, is believed to involve up to 51% of the general population. Complications following piercing procedures are variable.

Variety of complications after auricle piercing

Body piercing is a known and popular method of body ornamentation. Modern body piercing includes wearing jewelry in such body areas as the helix (ear), eyebrows, nose, lips, tongue, chin, nipples, navel, and genitals. The current piercing definition does not comprise piercing of the earlobe; however, this body area is still the most common on which jewelry is worn. The aim of this research is to present a spectrum of complications after auricle piercing and to consider including earlobe piercing in the modern definition of body piercing.

Family physicians' perception of plastic surgery and its influence on referral. A survey from Poland.

Abstract Background: Inadequate family physicians’ knowledge of plastic surgery might be a barrier for patients to benefit from plastic surgery treatments reimbursed by the Polish National Health Service (NHS). Objectives: The aim of this study was to assess family physicians’ awareness of the indications for plastic surgery, and their knowledge of conditions that are treated without extra costs for the patient in plastic surgery outpatient clinics (OCs). Methods: An e-mail survey was carried out in a group of 100 out of 378 randomly selected primary care doctors currently practicing in Lodz, central Poland. Respondents were asked to fill in a questionnaire, which contained questions about conditions with reimbursed treatments in plastic surgery OCs. We also provided them with a list of diseases and asked them to which OC they would refer a patient in such case. Results: 58 primary care physicians responded: 30 specialists in family medicine and 28 residents in the final year of their specialization in family medicine. Respondents had good knowledge of the range of conditions managed in plastic surgery OCs. They were also aware of most of the medical procedures not being reimbursed by the Polish NHS. However, some indications for plastic surgery as well as the free availability of relevant medical procedures were known by less than half of the respondents (e.g. lipoma 47%, gynaecomastia 28%, and xanthelasma palpebrarum 16%). Conclusion: To improve collaboration between plastic surgeons and family physicians basic information regarding plastic surgery might be included in residency programmes in family medicine.

Surgical treatment of patients with Poland's syndrome--own experience.

UNLABELLED Polands syndrome is characterized by variable clinical picture. Classic deformity consists of unilateral hypoplasia or aplasia of the sternocostal head of the pectoralis major muscle and ipsilateral hand malformations. Additionally on the affected side hypoplasia or aplasia of the breast in women is observed. Variable malformations in Polands syndrome cause that there is no uniform treatment schedule. THE AIM OF THE STUDY was to analyze surgical treatment conducted in patients with Polands syndrome in Plastic, Reconstructive and Aesthetic Surgery Clinic. MATERIAL AND METHODS A retrospective analysis of surgical treatment was carried out in the group of 66 patients with Polands syndrome on the basis of their medical documentation. RESULTS The most common operation performed in women was breast reconstruction with silicone implant. Two men had their chest symmetrized by fat grafting. Syndactyly observed in patients with complete Polands syndrome was surgically removed in early childhood. CONCLUSIONS Treatment of patients with Polands syndrome, mainly due to variable clinical picture, is individual and depends on age, sex and degree of deformity. In children with complete Polands syndrome operations include surgical removing of syndactyly. Breast reconstruction in women with Polands syndrome with silicone implants is known and safe method. Such procedures are performed after 18 years of age.

Biometric Characteristics of the Pelvis in Female-to-Male Transsexuals

The objective of the study was to evaluate the metric features of pelvises of 24 female-to-male (FtM) transsexuals as compared to control groups of 24 healthy males and 24 healthy females. The participants had their pelvises X-rayed with the same X-ray apparatus and in the same position. Seventeen measurements were taken on the basis of X-ray pictures of FtM transsexuals’ pelvises and both comparison groups. Additionally, their body height was compared. The results showed that FtM transsexuals having female body height represent an intermediate size of three pelvic features and male values of five variables. In order to develop a model based on metric variables of the pelvis that would best discriminate the FtM transsexuals, the control females, and the control males, a discriminant analysis was applied. The model included four variables out of 17 metric features: the height of the pubic symphysis, the greatest pelvic breadth, the interischial distance, and the acetabular diameter. The model was found to be the best in discriminating males from females and FtM transsexuals, but considerably less effective in discriminating transsexuals from the two control groups. The results demonstrate that a number of FtM transsexuals’ pelvic measurements reveal “masculinization,” which confirms current results demonstrating a shift in the somatometric traits of transsexual females towards male traits. A discriminant analysis based only on pelvic metric features shows some differences between the size of the pelvis and chromosomal sex in FtM transsexuals, which might indicate a biological basis for gender identity disorder.

Prevalence of cleft lip and/or palate in children from Lodz between years 1981-2010.

Congenital malformations constitute a serious problem of both medical and social nature. Cleft lip and/or palate represent the most common congenital anomaly of the face that is why it is essential to know the real frequency of the described phenomenon. The aim of this paper is to determine the frequency of cleft lip and/or palate and the types of malformations that occurred in Lodz city between the years 1981–2010. Our clinic has been carrying on the studies concerning the incidence of cleft lip and/or palate since 1981. The Polish Registry of Congenital Malformations has been operating in Poland since 1 April 1997. The team has managed to obtain data, from the Registry, concerning the total number of all live born infants and the number of children with cleft lip and/or palate, who were born in Lodz, between 1998 and 2010. In years 1981–2010, 319 children, in 210 952 live born infants, were born with cleft lip and/or palate in Lodz. The isolated cleft palate was observed more frequently in girls and the unilateral cleft of lip and palate in boys. In all three decades palate clefts are more common whereas bilateral lip, alveolus and palate clefts are more infrequent. A small tendency to decrease in actual cleft lip and/or palate frequency among children, in the period of 30 years, is observed in Lodz. Over the years it has still been observed that the isolated cleft palate is the most common type of defect.

Rare Facial Clefts.

UNLABELLED In 1976 Dr. Paul Tessier described numeric classification for rare craniofacial clefts. He first emphasized that a fissure of the soft tissue corresponds, as a general rule, to a cleft of the bony structure. The classification, easy to understand, became widely accepted because the recording of the malformations was simple and facilitated communication between observers. The aim of this study was to present our own experience with treatment of patients with rare facial clefts. MATERIAL AND METHODS Our Department has 11 patients with rare craniofacial clefts under its care. This group includes 8 boys and 3 girls. The patients aged from 2 months to 18 years at the time of the first consultation. RESULTS In two patients the cleft was median, in seven patients it was one-sided and in two--bilateral. The most common type of cleft was number 6, and the rarest were 2, 3, and 7. All patients underwent surgical treatment. CONCLUSIONS Atypical facial clefts are rare congenital anomalies, however because of functional and aesthetic disturbances they constitute a serious medical and therapeutic problem. Facial clefts are characterized by variable clinical presentation and require individualized treatment plan.

The prevalence of cleft lip and/or palate in children from Lodz between years 1981‐2010

Congenital malformations constitute a serious problem of both medical and social nature. Cleft lip and/or palate represent the most common congenital anomaly of the face that is why it is essential to know the real frequency of the described phenomenon. The aim of this paper is to determine the frequency of cleft lip and/or palate and the types of malformations that occurred in Lodz city between the years 1981–2010. Our clinic has been carrying on the studies concerning the incidence of cleft lip and/or palate since 1981. The Polish Registry of Congenital Malformations has been operating in Poland since 1 April 1997. The team has managed to obtain data, from the Registry, concerning the total number of all live born infants and the number of children with cleft lip and/or palate, who were born in Lodz, between 1998 and 2010. In years 1981–2010, 319 children, in 210 952 live born infants, were born with cleft lip and/or palate in Lodz. The isolated cleft palate was observed more frequently in girls and the unilateral cleft of lip and palate in boys. In all three decades palate clefts are more common whereas bilateral lip, alveolus and palate clefts are more infrequent. A small tendency to decrease in actual cleft lip and/or palate frequency among children, in the period of 30 years, is observed in Lodz. Over the years it has still been observed that the isolated cleft palate is the most common type of defect.

Should we say NO to body piercing in children? Complications after ear piercing in children.

Background  The popularity of body piercing procedures is increasing around the world. The trend for body ornamentation is not free from risks. The percentage of various complications following such procedures is growing. The aim of this paper is to present a rare complication after earlobe piercing, which happened to a child.