1,720,968 research outputs found
Propeller Flaps in the Upper Extremity: Arm and Forearm Reconstruction
No full textThe propeller flap is an island of skin that is raised on its pedicle (most commonly a single perforator) and can rotate 180 degrees to cover a soft tissue defect. Thanks to these features, the propeller flap brings reliable tissue from outside of the zone of injury while sparing the main vessels of the upper extremity. This technique limits the donor site to the same limb, captures skin characterized by having the same color and texture, does not necessarily need a microvascular anastomosis, and overall reduces the operating time and surgical cost. Our intent here is to present 27 cases with different soft tissue defects of the upper arm and forearm that have been successfully reconstructed using propeller flaps. The surgical technique, with emphasis on the anatomy of the upper arm, is described. In particular, use of a freestyle approach to customize a perforator-based propeller flap to cover defects from small to medium size is detailed. In our experience, the use of a perforator propeller flap in the upper extremity for resurfacing represents both a very reliable and aesthetically pleasant option
Reconstruction of the Upper Extremity Using Free Proximal Fibula Flap after Sarcoma Resection
No full textSkeletal reconstruction in children is particularly complex, because it is important to deal not only with function and form restoration, but also allow the bone lengthening. This case illustrates the reconstruction of the proximal humerus in a six-year-old boy suffering of osteosarcoma. Following the oncological resection, a vascularized free fibula epiphyseal flap was done to provide an active physis for growth and an articular interface for the glenohumeral joint reconstruction. The postoperative period was uneventful and the patient was discharged from the hospital 4 days after surgery. The physical therapy was begun 6 weeks post-op. The follow-up at 5 years showed a very satisfying axial growth and good bone remodeling in the joint surface
New Robotic System with Wristed Microinstruments Allows Precise Reconstructive Microsurgery: Preclinical Study
No full textBackground: Microsurgery allows complex reconstruction of tissue defects after oncological resections or severe trauma. Performing these procedures may be limited by human tremor, precision, and manual dexterity. A new robot designed specifically for microsurgery with wristed microinstruments and motion scaling may reduce human tremor and thus enhance precision. This randomized controlled preclinical trial investigated whether this new robotic system can successfully perform microsurgical needle driving, suturing, and anastomosis. Methods: Expert microsurgeons and novices completed six needle passage exercises and performed six anastomoses by hand and six with the new robot. Experienced microsurgeons blindly assessed the quality of the procedures. Precision in microneedle driving and stitch placement was assessed by calculating suturing distances and angulation. Performance of microsurgical anastomoses was assessed by time, learning curves, and the Anastomosis Lapse Index score for objective performance assessment. Results: Refined precision in suturing was achieved with the robot when compared with the manual technique regarding suture distances (p = 0.02) and angulation (p < 0.01). The time required to perform microsurgical anastomoses was longer with the robot, however, both expert and novice microsurgeons reduced times with practice. The objective evaluation of the anastomoses performed by novices showed better results with the robot. Conclusions: This study demonstrated the feasibility of performing precise microsutures and anastomoses using a new robotic system. Compared to standard manual techniques, robotic procedures were longer in time, but showed greater precision
ASO Visual Abstract: New Robotic System with Wristed Micro-Instruments Allows Precise Reconstructive Microsurgery
No full textA new microsurgery robot with small-wristed microinstruments
successfully performs anastomoses with better
precision than the manual technique. Its design may enhance
surgeons’ natural dexterity by extending the range of motion
beyond the ability of the human hand.
This video abstract summarizes the main results of the
original research related to use of this new robot for oncologic
reconstructive microsurgery (Ballestín A, et al. New
a robotic system with wristed micro-instruments allows precise
reconstructive microsurgery: preclinical study
A Safer Way to Harvest a Superthin Perforator Flap
No full textSUMMARY: The updated knowledge of perforasome anatomy and the evolution of microsurgical techniques have enabled surgeons to safely harvest a thin flap. Recently, the anterolateral thigh perforator flap, the current workhorse in soft-tissue reconstruction, has started to be designed and harvested on the superficial fascia, which divides the deep from the superficial fat. This allows elevation of a very thin flap tailored to the defect. Faithful to the ultrathin concept, in an attempt to make flap dissection simpler and safer, the authors describe a revisited harvesting technique of superthin anterolateral thigh perforator flap. This study presents the outlined technique performed in 16 patients with complex soft-tissue defects after trauma or tumor ablation. All of them underwent primary reconstruction using superthin anterolateral thigh perforator free flaps by superficial fascia elevation harvested according to the described surgical procedure. Complications and functional outcomes were assessed. The authors' series of anterolateral thigh perforator superthin flaps demonstrated an overall 100 percent survival rate. Of 16 anterolateral thigh perforators, 12 (75 percent) had no complications and four (25 percent) had minor complications. No major complications such as total flap loss requiring additional salvage surgery were reported. In no case was secondary debulking performed. The superthin anterolateral thigh perforator flap harvested with the described approach was used successfully in microsurgical reconstruction, providing an excellent outer skin cover tailored to the defect. The dissection procedure was safe, quick, simple, and free of major complications. With minimal donor- and recipient-site morbidity, it provided great aesthetic results, avoiding secondary operations. CLINICAL QUESTION/LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Therapeutic, IV
First-in-Human Free Flap Tissue Reconstruction Using a Dedicated Microsurgical Robotic Platform
No full textBackground: Microsurgery has become standard of care for increasingly complex techniques in tissue harvest, replantation, reconstruction, allotransplantation, and supermicrosurgery on submillimetric vessels. As techniques become more challenging and are performed at smaller and smaller scale, there is greater potential application for robotic assistance in extreme motion scaling and tremor reduction. Methods: The Symani Surgical System (Medical Microinstruments, S.p.A, Calci, Pisa, Italy), a robotic platform designed for microsurgery, was used in a robot-assisted microsurgical free flap reconstruction using a perforator-to-perforator flap technique. This procedure utilized robot-assisted anastomosis of an artery and vein. Results: The procedure was completed successfully, with vessels fully patent immediately following and 20 minutes after anastomosis. The flap was viable, no re-exploration of the anastomosis was necessary postoperatively, and no flap loss occurred. Conclusions: This novel, dedicated robotic platform with wristed microsurgical instruments was shown to be feasible for carrying out robot-assisted anastomosis of veins and arteries less than 0.8 mm in diameter, in the domain of supermicrosurgery. The system has the potential to open the field of microsurgery to new clinicians and to facilitate new microsurgical applications that were previously rendered inaccessible by the limits of manual precision and physiological tremor
Microsurgical robotic system enables the performance of microvascular anastomoses: a randomized in vivo preclinical trial
Full text linkAbstract Technical advances in microsurgery have enabled complex oncological reconstructions by performing free tissue transfers, nerve and lymphatic reconstructions. However, the manual abilities required to perform microsurgery can be affected by human fatigue and physiological tremor resulting in tissue damage and compromised outcomes. Robotic assistance has the potential to overcome issues of manual microsurgery by improving clinical value and anastomoses’ outcomes. The Symani Surgical System, a robotic platform designed for microsurgery, was used in this in-vivo preclinical study using a rat animal model. The tests included anastomoses on veins and arteries performed by microsurgeons manually and robotically, with the latter approach using Symani. The anastomoses were assessed for patency, histopathology, and execution time. Patency results confirmed that the robotic and manual techniques for venous and arterial anastomoses were equivalent after anastomosis, however, the time to perform the anastomosis was longer with the use of the robot (p < 0.0001). Histological analysis showed less total average host reaction score at the anastomotic site in robotic anastomosis for both veins and arteries. This study demonstrates the equivalence of vessel patency after microsurgical anastomoses with the robotic system and with manual technique. Furthermore, robotic anastomosis has proven to be slightly superior to manual anastomosis in terms of decreased tissue damage, as shown by histological analysis
A large vascular leiomyoma of the leg
No full textA 69-year-old woman with a subcutaneous, large vascular leiomyoma of the leg is presented. The patient had a painful, slow-growing, right medial malleolus mass. Clinical symptoms, US images and histopathologic features are reported. Vascular leiomyoma should be included in the differential diagnosis of painful, lower extremity subcutaneous masses also in lesions of larger dimensions
Going Beyond Counting First Authors in Author Co-citation Analysis
Full text linkThe present study examines one of the fundamental aspects of author co-citation analysis (ACA) - the way co-citation
counts are defined. Co-citation counting provides the data on which all subsequent statistical analyses and mappings
are based, and we compare ACA results based on two different types of co-citation counting - the traditional type that
only counts the first one among a cited work's authors on the one hand and a non-traditional type that takes into
account the first 5 authors of a cited work on the other hand. Results indicate that the picture produced through this non-traditional author co-citation counting contains more coherent author groups and is therefore considerably clearer. However, this picture represents fewer specialties in the research field being studied than that produced through the traditional first-author co-citation counting when the same number of top-ranked authors is selected and analyzed. Reasons for these effects are discussed
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