Search

The patient journey in DIEP flap breast reconstruction

In the UK approximately 40,000 women are diagnosed with breast cancer every year. About 40% of these need, or choose, to undergo mastectomy, where all of the breast tissue is removed. Currently around a third of these patients choose to...

Factors influencing a career choice in plastic surgery as a UK medical student

The medical school curriculum is increasingly focusing on the role of a general practitioner, which has resulted in medical students having reduced exposure to surgical specialties. There has been a longstanding concern that plastic surgery teaching and exposure in the...

Non-surgical management of actinic keratosis, Bowen’s disease and non-melanoma skin cancer

Non-melanoma skin cancers (NMSCs) are primary cutaneous neoplasms comprising mainly of basal cell carcinomas (BCCs) and squamous cell carcinomas (SCCs). In 2011, 102,628 cases of NMSCs (74% BCC and 23% SCC) were recorded in England, making NMSC the most common...

Hymenoplasty and virginity – an issue of socio-cultural morality and medical ethics

This article reflects the increasing complexity of the modern world, where the rich diversity of culture, morals, the law and religion, can have profound effects on medical practice. Sometimes there is considerable debate which is not in fact appropriate. This...

New approaches to soft tissue reconstruction involving adipose tissue engineering

Introduction The spectrum of patients affected by subcutaneous tissue loss is both wide and varied, including those who have undergone tumour removal, trauma patients, such as those injured in road traffic accidents, and individuals who have suffered from deep burns...

Photoshopping the face: simulated outcomes of orthofacial surgery

Corrective facial surgeries are highly elective procedures. Outcomes depend largely on the nature of the surgery performed (requiring an in-depth knowledge of surgical techniques and anticipated soft tissue changes) and should be predictable in terms of risk and outcomes, in...

The three stages of breast reconstruction

Breast cancer has become so common that most people reading this article will know someone (either professionally or personally) who has been affected by breast cancer. One of the most common treatments for breast cancer is removal of the ‘whole’...

Perspectives on: Polyurethane covered breast implants

The manufacturer’s viewpoint: Myths, failures and the regulation of the modern breast implant. The modern day silicone breast implant industry was created with the Dow Corning prosthesis, first used in the USA in 1962. Since its introduction into the market...

Liposuction – the evolution of the classical technique

From liposuction to adipose stem cells; from regenerative medicine to tissue engineering; and a vision of the future. Part 1 The history of attempts to sculpture fat dates back to the beginning of the 20th century, but Professor Yves-Gerard Illouz...

The Challenge of Renaissance, not Reconstruction: the aftermath of an acid attack

What madness makes a human being perpetrate a crime that is so horrible, so evil that makes it a capital offense (in Bangladesh) even though the death involved is of a person who remains alive? The motivation behind an interpersonal...

Dermoscopy: an update and personal view

With skin cancer now at epidemic levels, early diagnosis is essential. Specialist Stephen Hayes advocates the use of dermoscopy as a triage tool and explains how to interpret the data. Melanoma skin cancer is now the UK’s fifth most common...

The importance of skin preparation

With both aesthetic procedures and antibiotic resistance on the rise, good skin disinfection to reduce the risk of infection is more vital than ever. Anna Baker takes us through the evidence behind commonly used skin preparation formulations for aesthetic injectable...