BACKGROUND Selection of a vascular pedicle for autologous breast reconstruction is time consuming and depends on visual evaluation during the surgery. Preoperative imaging of donor site for mapping the perforator artery anatomy greatly improves the efficiency of perforator selection and significantly reduces the operative time. In this article, we present our experience with magnetic resonance ...

BACKGROUND In reconstructive surgery, the ultimate goal in rebuilding a structure is to provide the most similar substitute from both the functional and structural points of view. At the same time, the reconstructive surgeon should focus on minimizing donor area complications. METHODS In this report, we present our experiences with the reconstruction of distal extremity defects using a free t...

OBJECTIVES To evaluate the complications of harvesting autogenous bone from the iliac crest. METHODS A retrospective review of patients undergoing iliac crest bone grafting at the University Hospital of the West Indies, during the period 2000-2004, was performed. One hundred and three patients were identified. Thirty-two patients were successfully contacted and 30 completed the questionnaire....

When eukaryotic genes are edited by the spliceosome, the first step in intron recognition is the binding of a U1 small nuclear RNA with the donor ( 5(') ) splice site. We model this interaction thermodynamically to identify splice sites. Applied to a set of 65 annotated genes, our "finding with binding" method achieves a significant separation between real and false sites. Analyzing binding pat...

Methods: In our endeavour to give patients visibly scarless surgery we have raised the bar to the next level in laparoscopic donor nephrectomy. We have moved from standard laparoscopy to LESS Laparoendoscopic single site donor nephrectomy. 1997 we introduced laparoscopic donor nephrectomy in Australia. In September 2008 we did our first LESS donor nephrectomy. September 2008 to October 2009, 6 ...

BACKGROUND Although new therapeutic approaches for burn treatment have made progress, there is still need for better methods to enhance wound healing and recovery especially in severely burned patients. Nanofibrillar cellulose (NFC) has gained attention due to its renewable nature, good biocompatibility and excellent physical properties that are of importance for a range of applications in phar...

Surgical site infections (SSIs) are a major threat for liver transplant recipients. We prospectively studied SSIs after living donor liver transplantation (LDLT) at Kyoto University Hospital from April 2001 to March 2002 (1st period) and from January 2011 to June 2012 (2nd period). We investigated the epidemiology of SSIs after LDLT and determined the differences between the two periods. A tota...

Patients with bullous lesions often present to family physicians. In many cases, the diagnosis is readily apparent based on a focused history and examination. We report a case in which the correct diagnosis, bullous pemphigoid (BP), was obscured by an unusual presentation. Although some lesions were typical of BP, most were clustered on a recent skin graft donor site and some were hemorrhagic. ...

Congenital melanocytic nevus of the hand in the pediatric population is an uncommon diagnosis. These lesions have malignant potential and can cause psychosocial effects from cosmetic deformity. Early surgical intervention is recommended in these cases. The literature suggests that full-thickness skin grafting is to be performed in the hand to maintain functionality and avoid contracture and sca...

OBJECTIVES Upper extremity reconstruction presents a functional and aesthetic challenge in plastic surgery. Exposure of vital structures often requires vascularized soft tissue coverage to achieve primary wound healing and optimize functional results. Specifically, the serratus fascial flap may satisfy the functional and cosmetic requirements for small- to medium-sized soft tissue defects of th...