Argenta LC

A series of basic animal studies using a new subatmospheric pressure technique (The V.A.C.) to expedite wound healing are presented. The technique entails placing an open-cell foam into the wound, sealing the site with an adhesive drape, an…

Despite numerous advances, chronic and other difficult-to-manage wounds continue to be a treatment challenge. Presented is a new subatmospheric pressure technique: vacuum-assisted closure (The V.A.C.). The V.A.C. technique entails placing a…

Bacterial proliferation on polymeric biomaterials varies with the material and microorganism. Subclinical infection is implicated frequently as the initiative factor in capsular contracture around breast prostheses. The ability of endogenou…

In recent years, adipocytes obtained by suction-assisted lipectomy have been used for implantation by injection methods. This study is designed to assess the appearance of suctioned and excised adipose tissue and its survival after being in…

The long-term fate of 6-alpha-methyl-methylprednisolone hemisuccinate (MPHS) placed into breast prostheses prior to implantation in humans was determined. MPHS hydrolyzes to the active form 6-alpha-methylprednisolone (MP) in water, which th…

Absence of the right pectoralis major muscle and hypoplasia of the ipsilateral breast was observed in 3 females and hypoplasia or agenesis of the right pectoralis major muscle in 2 males of the same family. One member of this family, a 17-y…

Identification of the endogenous microbiological flora of the human breast and its role in breast infections following subglandular augmentation or reduction mammaplasty was undertaken. A total of 231 cultures were performed on 59 breasts i…

Histologic quantitation of the thickness of human tissues that were expanded using silicone expanders showed that the epidermis underwent significant thickening after 5 weeks to 5 months of expansion. The dermis and subcutaneous tissue, on …

Craniofacial surgery has evolved through an era of refinement and finesse, both in techniques and in results. Tissue expansion offers an opportunity to improve the quantity and quality of tissue available for these procedures. It may also b…

In this article the authors summarize statistical data from 19 patients obtained during quantitative analysis of the thickness of expanded skin and soft tissues utilizing silicone expander procedures. Histopathologic and ultrastructural cha…

One of the drawbacks of clinical expansion is delay of the final reconstruction and patient inconvenience. The authors have explored the physiologic response to rapid expansion in an animal model and present initial clinical experiences wit…

In particularly large defects the best available flap may not provide sufficient tissue for satisfactory correction. Pre-expansion of an overlying musculocutaneous flap allows transposition of a larger flap to reconstruct such defects. The …

Tissue expansion has facilitated reconstruction in selected burn patients. For the past 5 years the authors have used this modality in 45 patients, reconstructing the head and neck, trunk, and extremities.…

Microcystic adnexal carcinoma is a rare, locally aggressive cutaneous neoplasm that has been recently recognized as a distinct entity. Typically it appears as a papular, flesh-colored mass on the face of women patients. Because of its benig…

A case of cryptophthalmia is presented. Reconstruction of the multiple abnormalities of this syndrome was accomplished with a single-stage procedure.…

A case of total reconstruction of skull and scalp in a patient with a large defect from aplasia cutis congenita is reported. Tissue expansion was successfully employed on two occasions: first to construct a well-vascularized space to sustai…

In two patients who had undergone mastectomies and reconstruction for breast carcinoma, suspicious lesions were noted on chest roentgenograms. Subsequent studies revealed the lesions to be shadows from the reconstructed nipples. The most fr…

Tissue expansion offers a versatile new technique in the reconstruction of many areas of the body. The authors discuss laboratory studies that provide insight into the mechanism of the technique and present examples from clinical experience…

Patients requiring reconstruction by muscle or musculocutaneous flaps often have an associated area of skin anesthesia. This skin is susceptible to trauma because of its insensibility. This study reports 3 cases in which patients sustained …

This case illustrates an unusual mastectomy patient in whom the standard alternatives for breast reconstruction were not available. A deep inferior epigastric transverse abdominal free flap was successfully employed. The abundance of tissue…

The use of tissue expanders has considerable merit and wide applicability in breast reconstruction. The majority of patients who have undergone conservative modified radical mastectomies in the past fifteen years can be reconstructed withou…

Pectus excavatum is the most common deformity of the chest wall. The overwhelming majority of patients with pectus excavatum have no physiologic compromise. Adolescents beyond their growth spurt and adults who are asymptomatic are best serv…

The case report of a patient with a ruptured gel mammary prosthesis complicated by migration of the gel into the breast parenchyma is presented. It is felt that the constant massage of the prostheses in an attempt to avoid fibrous contractu…

The use of expanding prostheses to augment local tissues in reconstruction of the head and neck has been successfully accomplished in 13 patients over the past three years. Excellent results and reliability have been demonstrated.…

The advent of serial expansion adds a new dimension to the armamentarium of the plastic surgeon. While latissimus dorsi and rectus abdominis flaps remain invaluable in patients with severe tissue deficiency, they are unnecessary in most pat…

Long-term follow-up of 12 patients who have undergone augmentation mammaplasty with breast prostheses containing 62.5 mg of methylprednisolone hemisuccinate is presented. Significant complications, including prosthesis ptosis, atrophy and t…