Journal Reviews
Comparison of petrolatum gel with silver sulfadiazine dressings in small superficial burns
This was a randomised controlled trial set up in a single burns centre in Manila in the Philippines. Inclusion criteria were superficial burns not requiring skin grafting, and up to 10% total body surface area in young, fit adults between...
Hey look! Smaller arms and no scars...
The author of this chapter presents his experience of arm reduction leaving a scar in the axilla only; minimal incision brachioplasty (MIB). The technique is a modification of the Pollack technique to treat axillary hydradenitis. It is suitable for patients...
Body contouring surgery: Use common sense!
This informative article, which kicks off this excellent edition of Clinics in Plastic Surgery, provides a sensible and balanced review of when, why and what to do with the massive weight loss patient group. The recommended wisdom will be familiar...
An update on alopecia treatment options
In this paper the authors make a thorough review of the different medical and surgical options for the treatment of androgenic alopecia. Combined therapy with oral finasteride and topical minoxidil continue to be the mainstay for medical treatment. Follicular unit...
Post auricular advancement flap for partial helix defect repair
Ear defects can be the result of trauma, burns or ablative surgery. The three dimensional structure of the pinna with its subunits presents a difficult reconstructive challenge as successful reconstruction requires both similar tissue cover and a supporting framework. Partial...
Ultrastructural changes in keloid scars
One of the most intriguing and infuriating problems confronting plastic surgeons is the occurrence of hypertrophic and keloid scars, in some patients – particularly black Africans – but not in others. Many theories have been proposed regarding the cause of...
A model for Lentigo Maligna recurrence
Lentigo Maligna presents a difficult problem for both the histopathologist and the plastic surgeon. The pathologist has great difficulty in assessing where the borders of the lesion lie, while the plastic surgeon is dealing with these lesions which commonly occur...
Review of free flap use in burns
The authors looked at 346 studies of the use of free flaps in burns and undertook a systematic review of 30 of these studies after applying inclusion and exclusion criteria. They found that the use of free flaps could be...
Age-specific models for predicting burns mortality
The authors of this paper attempt to add to the numerous burn mortality prediction models which have been described in many papers from many countries, by analysing data from the American Burn Association National Burn Repository. As such they have...
Harvesting the flexor hallucis longus what is the increased morbidity
The free fibula flap and its variations are now widely used in various clinical applications for microvascular reconstructions. Occasionally and to add bulk the flexor hallucis longus (FHL) muscle is harvested along with the fibula. Additionally, the postoperative morbidity is...
Lipofilling for scar improvement
Since Coleman et al. in 1991 reported on lipofilling, numerous applications have been reported; these include but are not limited to contour restoration, lip augmentation and wrinkle therapy. There have also been some one-off reports of improvements in scars following...
Fat grafting as therapy for Raynaud’s
The authors have adapted the technique of lipo-filling, previously described for rejuvenation of the hand, to achieve symptom reduction in patients with primary and secondary Raynaud’s that had previously failed to respond to medical treatments. The majority of the subjects...