BACKGROUND Extension of a single incision for the purpose of specimen extraction in single-port laparoscopic surgery (SPLS) can undermine the merits of SPLS, either by hurting cosmesis or by increasing wound morbidity. METHODS We retrospectively analyzed the clinical outcomes of patients undergoing SPLS sigmoidectomy, either with transanal specimen extraction (TASE, n = 15) or transumbilical ...

The purpose of the study was to evaluate safety and feasibility of negative pressure wound therapy (NPWT) during aeromedical evacuation from a combat zone to a regional treatment center. A retrospective review of patients who received NPWT during aeromedical evacuation from Iraq or Afghanistan to Landstuhl Regional Medical Center (LRMC) was performed. Data were collected describing mechanism of...

BACKGROUND Despite showing a prognostic value in general surgical patients, preoperative asymptomatic elevated white blood cell (WBC) count is not considered a risk factor for cardiac surgery. Whereas there is sporadic evidence of its value as a preoperative risk marker, it has not been looked at methodically as a specific index of outcome during cardiac surgery. Using a national database we so...

PURPOSE Abdominal scars may impair healing after abdominoplasty. We aimed to determine whether right subcostal or upper midline scars led to increased wound healing problems. METHODS AND MATERIALS Review of all patients who had abdominoplasty from March 1998 to February 2008 was performed. Variables studied included age, gender, body mass index (BMI), medical history, and postoperative compli...

PURPOSE To compare the incidence of wound sealing-related complications of 25-gauge transconjunctival sutureless vitrectomy (25-G TSV) for proliferative diabetic retinopathy (PDR) versus non-diabetic simple macular pathology (SMP). METHODS A retrospective comparative study was conducted on 377 eyes that underwent 25-G TSV for PDR (n=189 eyes) or non-diabetic SMP (n=188 eyes). Both groups were...

BACKGROUND Wounds that have been closed under excessive tension, and skin defects that cannot be closed primarily, pose a daily challenge for the reconstructive surgeon. OBJECTIVE To evaluate a new tension relief system (TRS) device for skin stretching and secure wound closure. METHODS From September 2013 to March 2014, a consecutive series of 41 Chinese patients with 43 wounds were enrolle...

OBJECTIVE We wished to determine the reduction in the rate of wound complications that would render the use of prophylactic negative pressure wound vacuum therapy (NPWT) cost saving compared to routine incision care (RC) following laparotomy for gynecologic malignancy. METHODS A decision tree was designed from a payer perspective to compare strategies for incision management following laparot...

BACKGROUND Historically, complication rates after pressure ulcer reconstruction utilizing flap coverage have been high. Patients undergoing operations for pressure ulcer coverage typically have multiple risk factors for postoperative complications. The purpose of this study was to examine a large patient series in the pressure ulcer population to uncover objective evidence of the linkage betwee...

Infection is defined as a homeostatic imbalance between the host tissue and the presence of microorganisms. It is associated with a large variety of wound occurrences ranging from traumatic skin tears and burns to chronic ulcers and complications following surgery and device implantations. If the wound setting manages to overcome the microorganism invasion by a sufficient immune response then t...

Abdominoplasty is one of the most popular body-contouring procedures. It is associated with a significant number of complications: the most common ones are seroma, hematoma, infection, wound-healing problems, and skin flap necrosis. From January 2012 to December 2014, 25 patients (18 women and 7 men) (mean age: 51 years) underwent abdominoplastic surgery at the Plastic Surgery Section, Departme...