Plastic and reconstructive surgery
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Plast. Reconstr. Surg. · Mar 2010
Meshed skin grafts placed upside down can take if desiccation is prevented.
The role of the wet environment in wound healing has been investigated in various studies. The current study explores the role of the wet wound environment in promoting healing of skin grafts. The authors hypothesized that the survival of skin grafts is dependent not only on the orientation of transplantation but also on the environment into which the skin is transplanted. ⋯ The wound environment has an important role in the survival and proliferation of skin grafts, as demonstrated by survival of inverted meshed grafts in the wet environment and their contribution to accelerated reepithelialization, equal to the regularly placed grafts.
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Plast. Reconstr. Surg. · Feb 2010
Comparative StudyA comparative analysis of tissue expander reconstruction of burned and unburned chest and breasts using endoscopic and open techniques.
Tissue expansion is not widely accepted for reconstruction of breast and chest burn deformities because of concerns about the capacity of compromised skin to stretch without complications. The authors hypothesized that tissue expander reconstruction of breast and chest burn deformities is reliable and has outcomes similar to those of expansion of similar nonburned tissues. The authors used congenital breast anomalies as a control because they share similar reconstructive challenges: constricted skin envelope and gross malformation of the parenchyma and nipple-areola complex. The authors also hypothesized that endoscopic techniques may improve outcomes for breast and chest burn reconstruction. ⋯ The authors believe that breast and chest burn deformities can be safely reconstructed with tissue expanders without increased complications over expander reconstruction of the congenital breast. Furthermore, endoscopic techniques may be superior for burn deformities because of improved visualization and remote incisions.