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BACKGROUND: CT angiogram (CTA) has become the preferred method for the planning of abdominal-based microsurgical breast reconstruction to gather information about location, number, caliber and trajectory of the abdominal perforators and to decrease overall flap dissection and operating room time. However, the high-level evidence to support its utility has been limited to nonrandomized retrospective and prospective studies. METHODS: Patients undergoing deep inferior epigastric artery perforator (DIEP) flap breast reconstruction were prospectively randomized to preoperative CTA and no imaging groups. Patient demographics, operative times, selected row and number of perforators for flap harvest, agreement in perforator selection between radiologist and surgeon, and clinical outcomes data were collected. Two-way ANOVA, Fisher's exact and Student's t-tests were used for statistical analysis. RESULTS: Overall, 37 patients with 63 flaps were included in this study. Seventeen patients had CT scan prior to surgery. Mean age was 50.5 ± 9.6 years. Flap dissection time was significantly shorter in the CT group (150.8 ± 17.8 vs 184.7 ± 25.1 min and p< 0.001). Although overall odds ratio (OR) time was also shorter in the CT group, this only reached a statistical significance in bilateral surgeries (575.9 ± 70.1 vs 641.9 ± 79.6 min and p = 0.038). Hemiabdomen side, selected DIEP row, and the number of dissected perforators did not affect the overall dissection time. Complication rates were similar between the two groups. CONCLUSION: This prospective, randomized study demonstrates that preoperative CTA analysis of perforators decreases flap harvest and overall OR time with equivalent postoperative outcomes.

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BACKGROUND: More than 85 patients have received over 100 hand/arm transplants and more than 35 patients have received full or partial face transplants at institutions around the world. Given over two decades of experience in the field and in the light of successful outcomes with up to 17 years follow up time, should we still consider vascularized composite allograft (VCA) as a research/clinical investigation? We present the results of a nationwide electronic survey whose intent was to gather institutional bias with regard to this question. METHODS: An 11 question survey that was developed by VCA advisory committee of American Society of Transplantation was sent to all identified Internal Review Board chairs or directors in the United States. RESULTS: We received a total of 54 responses (25.3%) to the survey. The majority (78%) of responses came from either the chairperson, director, or someone who is administratively responsible for an IRB. CONCLUSION: Though certainly not an exhaustive investigation into each institution's preference, we present a representative sampling. The results of which favor VCA as an accepted clinical procedure given the appropriate setting. Further research is needed to fully ascertain practices at each individual institution.

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Patient safety is defined as freedom from accidental or preventable harm produced by medical care. The identification of patient- and procedure-related risk factors enables the surgical team to carry out prophylactic measures to reduce the rate of complications and adverse events.The purpose of this review is to identify the characteristics of patients, practitioners, and microvascular surgical procedures that place patients at risk for preventable harm, and to discuss evidence-based prevention practices that can potentially help to generate a culture of patient safety.

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BACKGROUND: The purpose of this study was to determine the financial impact of cleft care on the hospital and to evaluate trends in reimbursement over the past 6 years. METHODS: Medical and accounting records of 327 consecutive infants undergoing cleft repair between 2005 and 2011 were reviewed. Charges, payments, and direct cost data were analyzed to illustrate hospital revenue and margins. RESULTS: Hospital payments for all inpatient services (cleft and noncleft) during the first 24 months of life were $9,483,168. Mean hospital payment varied from $5525 (Medicaid) to $10,274 (managed care) for a cleft lip repair (p < 0.0001) and from $6573 (Medicaid) to $12,933 (managed care) for a cleft palate repair (p < 0.0001). Hospital charges for a definitive lip or palate repair to both Medicaid and managed care more than doubled between 2005 and 2011 (p < 0.0001). Overall, mean hospital margins were $3904 and $3520, respectively, for a cleft lip repair and cleft palate repair. Medicaid physician payments for cleft lip and palate were, respectively, $588 and $646. From 2005 to 2006, 2007 to 2008, and 2009 to 2010, 41 percent, 43 percent, and 63 percent of patients, respectively, were enrolled in Medicaid. CONCLUSIONS: Cleft care generates substantial revenue for the hospital. For their mutual benefit, hospitals should join with their cleft teams to provide administrative support. Bolstered reimbursement figures, based on the overall value of cleft care to the hospital system, would better attract and retain skilled clinicians dedicated to cleft care. This may become particularly important if Medicaid enrollment continues to increase.

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BACKGROUND: We conducted a retrospective survey of American Society of Plastic Surgeons to ascertain the current trends in breast reconstruction (BR). METHODS: Surveys were sent to 2250 active American Society of Plastic Surgeons members by e-mail with a cover letter including the link using Survey Monkey for the year 2010. In all, 489 surveys (a response rate of 21.7%) were returned. Three hundred fifty-eight surveys from respondents performing BR in their practices were included in the study. The survey included questions on surgeon demographics, practice characteristics, BR after mastectomy, number of BR per year, type and timing of BR, use of acellular dermal matrix, reconstructive choices in the setting of previous irradiation and in patients requiring postmastectomy radiation therapy, timing of contralateral breast surgery, fat grafting, techniques used for nipple-areola reconstruction, the complications, and physician satisfaction and physician reported patient satisfaction. Returned responses were tabulated and assessed. RESULTS: After prophylactic mastectomy, 16% of BRs were performed. In all, 81.2% of plastic surgeons predominantly performed immediate BR. In patients requiring postmastectomy radiation therapy, 81% did not perform immediate BR. Regardless of practice setting and laterality of reconstruction, 82.7% of respondents predominantly performed implant-based BR. Half of the plastic surgeons performing prosthetic BR used acellular dermal matrix. Only 14% of plastic surgeons predominantly performed autologous BR. Surgeons in solo, plastic surgery group practices, and multispecialty group practices preferred implant-based BR for both unilateral and bilateral cases more frequently than those in academic practices (P < 0.05). Overall, plastic surgeons in academic settings preferred autologous BR more frequently than those in other practice locations (P < 0.05). Of total respondents, 64.8% did not perform microsurgical BR at all; 28% reported performing deep inferior epigastric perforator flap BR. Pedicled transverse rectus abdominis myocutaneous flap was the most often used option for unilateral autologous reconstruction, whereas deep inferior epigastric perforator flap was the most commonly used technique for bilateral BR. The overall complication rate reported by respondents was 11%. CONCLUSION: The survey provides an insight to the current trends in BR practice with respect to surgeon and practice setting characteristics. Although not necessarily the correct best practices, the survey does demonstrate a likely portrayal of what is being practiced in the United States in the area of BR.

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OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to assess the cardiac evaluation of cleft lip and/or palate patients, characterize their cardiovascular malformations, and determine the impact of cardiovascular malformations on surgical management. DESIGN: A single-institution retrospective study of 329 consecutive cleft patients was performed. Cardiovascular malformations were categorized according to involvement of cardiac septa, vasculature, and valves. Their impact on the need for cardiac surgery, timing of cleft repair, need for subacute bacterial endocarditis (SBE) prophylaxis, and the perioperative experience was evaluated. RESULTS: Ten percent (33/329) of cleft patients had a cardiovascular malformation, and 3% underwent cardiac surgery prior to cleft repair. Malformations of the septa, vasculature, and valves were present in 9%, 6%, and 2% of cleft infants, respectively. Murmur as a sign of structural cardiovascular disease was 79% sensitive and 97% specific. Cleft palate repair was delayed by 2 months in patients with a cardiovascular malformation (P = .001). Subacute bacterial endocarditis prophylaxis was recommended, not recommended, or not specified by cardiology in 18%, 33%, and 48% of cleft patients with a cardiovascular malformation, respectively. Postoperative stay and surgical complications were not associated with cardiovascular malformation. CONCLUSIONS: Even in the absence of a murmur, echocardiographic screening should be considered in infants with nonspecific signs of cardiovascular disease. Greater awareness of the guidelines for SBE prophylaxis is needed. Most cleft patients with a cardiovascular malformation do not require cardiac surgery and do not experience an increased rate of complications associated with cleft surgery.

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BACKGROUND: Recent data indicate comparable efficacy and safety for levetiracetam (LEV) when compared with phenytoin (PHT) for prophylaxis of early seizures after traumatic brain injury. The purpose of this study was to conduct a cost-minimization analysis, from the perspective of both the acute care institution (cost) and patient (charges), comparing these two strategies. METHODS: A decision tree was constructed to include baseline event probabilities obtained from detailed literature review, costs, and charges. Monte Carlo simulation was used to derive the mean costs and charges per patient treated with the LEV when compared with the PHT strategy. Adverse event probabilities, costs, charges, and frequency of laboratory determination for the PHT group were varied in sensitivity analyses. RESULTS: Literature review indicated equal efficacy of PHT versus LEV for early seizure prevention. The PHT strategy was superior to the LEV strategy from both the institutional (mean cost per patient $151.24 vs. $411.85, respectively) and patient (mean charge per patient $2,302.58 vs. $3,498.40, respectively) perspectives. Varying both baseline adverse event probabilities and frequency of laboratory testing did not alter the superiority of the PHT strategy. LEV replaced PHT as the dominant strategy only when the cost/charge of treating mental status deterioration was increased markedly above baseline. CONCLUSIONS: From both institutional and patient perspectives, PHT is less expensive than LEV for routine pharmacoprophylaxis of early seizures among traumatic brain injury patients. Pending compelling efficacy data, LEV should not replace PHT as a first-line agent for this indication.

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Lung airway morphogenesis is simulated in a simplified diffusing environment that simulates the mesenchyme to explore the role of morphogens in airway architecture development. Simple rules govern local branching morphogenesis. Morphogen gradients are modeled by four pairs of sources and their diffusion through the mesenchyme. Sensitivity to lobar architecture and mesenchymal morphogen are explored. Even if the model accurately represents observed patterns of local development, it could not produce realistic global patterns of lung architecture if interaction with its environment was not taken into account, implying that reciprocal interaction between airway growth and morphogens in the mesenchyme plays a critical role in producing realistic global features of lung architecture.

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