Massimiliano Calabro

Octyl-2-Cyanoacrylate Adhesive for Skin Closure and Prevention of Infection in Plastic Surgery

No complete scientific study has yet investigated the incidence of surgical-site infections in plastic surgery operations. However, it has been noted that in the case of wound infection, the aesthetic and sometimes the functional results become invalidated by delay and an alteration of the healing processes, thus necessitating surgical correction. This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of applying tissue adhesive on surgical wounds in plastic surgery as a protection capable of reducing the onset of infection, and to verify the existence of a statistically significant difference between treated and untreated wounds, and to determine patients’ satisfaction with their cicatricial results.

Abdominoplasty as a reconstructive surgical treatment of necrotising fasciitis of the abdominal wall

OBJECTIVES Necrotising fasciitis (NF) is a potentially fatal, uncommon infection of the soft tissue with rapid progression. This article presents one case of NF of the abdomen wall, describing the presentation, diagnosis and long-term successful treatment. METHODS The defect of the abdominal wall was treated with medical support (antibiotics broad-spectrum coverage), V.A.C. therapy and plastic surgery procedures. RESULTS The coverage of the abdominal wall defect has been achieved by abdominoplasty-type advancement flaps in one step with the preservation of the umbilicus. One month after the surgical procedure, the patient returned to a normal lifestyle with a good quality of life. CONCLUSION The success of this case should be attributed to an early diagnosis, aggressive debridement and a good intensive medical management; these elements are essential to a better prognosis for NF.

Selective capsulotomies of the expanded breast as a remodelling method in two-stage breast reconstruction

Abstract The two-stage breast reconstruction with tissue expander and prosthesis is nowadays a common method for achieving a satisfactory appearance in selected patients who had a mastectomy, but its most common aesthetic drawback is represented by an excessive volumetric increment of the superior half of the reconstructed breast, with a convexity of the profile in that area. A possible solution to limit this effect, and to fulfil the inferior pole, may be obtained by reducing the inferior tissue resistance by means of capsulotomies. This study reports the effects of various types of capsulotomies, performed in 72 patients after removal of the mammary expander, with the aim of emphasising the convexity of the inferior mammary aspect in the expanded breast. According to each kind of desired modification, possible solutions are described. On the basis of subjective and objective evaluations, an overall high degree of satisfaction has been evidenced. The described selective capsulotomies, when properly carried out, may significantly improve the aesthetic results in two-stage reconstructed breasts, with no additional scars, with minimal risks, and with little lengthening of the surgical time.