Faculty Bibliography

BACKGROUND/UNASSIGNED:Our objective is to evaluate the utilization fraction (UF) of surgical instruments during a commonly performed ambulatory hand surgery case as an avenue for cost reduction, increased operating room efficiency, and systems quality improvement. METHODS/UNASSIGNED:The total number of instruments opened at the start of the case was recorded followed by instruments being divided into those used and not used during the procedure. Total sterile processing costs were estimated at $1.56 per instrument according to data from our institution's central sterilization processing (CSP) department. RESULTS/UNASSIGNED:Nineteen hand procedures performed by 2 surgeons were included in this study. An average of 120.1 ± 10.9 instruments were opened at the start of each case, while an average of 12.6 ± 5.4 instruments were used per case (Figure 1). This yielded an UF of 10.7% ± 4.8%. Using our internal CSP estimate, we calculated an annual cost of $16 863 to reprocess the current hand tray (Figure 2). Using literature data, this cost ranged from $5 513 to $34 484 annually. The same cost calculations were performed for the theoretical optimized tray (incorporating instruments used at least 20% of the time when opened) containing 23.2 instruments. The annual reprocessing cost of this new tray according to CSP data was $3 260, demonstrating a cost-reduction of $13 603 or 80.7% (Figure 2). CONCLUSIONS/UNASSIGNED:Evaluation of pre- and peri-operative processes is a valuable technique to mitigate increasing healthcare costs and reduce unnecessary healthcare spending, with broad applicability to multiple surgical subspecialties and procedures.

BACKGROUND/UNASSIGNED:Our objective is to evaluate the utilization fraction (UF) of surgical instruments during a commonly performed ambulatory hand surgery case as an avenue for cost reduction, increased operating room efficiency, and systems quality improvement. METHODS/UNASSIGNED:The total number of instruments opened at the start of the case was recorded followed by instruments being divided into those used and not used during the procedure. Total sterile processing costs were estimated at $1.56 per instrument according to data from our institution's central sterilization processing (CSP) department. RESULTS/UNASSIGNED:Nineteen hand procedures performed by 2 surgeons were included in this study. An average of 120.1 ± 10.9 instruments were opened at the start of each case, while an average of 12.6 ± 5.4 instruments were used per case (Figure 1). This yielded an UF of 10.7% ± 4.8%. Using our internal CSP estimate, we calculated an annual cost of $16 863 to reprocess the current hand tray (Figure 2). Using literature data, this cost ranged from $5 513 to $34 484 annually. The same cost calculations were performed for the theoretical optimized tray (incorporating instruments used at least 20% of the time when opened) containing 23.2 instruments. The annual reprocessing cost of this new tray according to CSP data was $3 260, demonstrating a cost-reduction of $13 603 or 80.7% (Figure 2). CONCLUSIONS/UNASSIGNED:Evaluation of pre- and peri-operative processes is a valuable technique to mitigate increasing healthcare costs and reduce unnecessary healthcare spending, with broad applicability to multiple surgical subspecialties and procedures.

This case series describes the successful use of indocyanine green dye and near infrared fluorescence imaging in primary peripheral nerve repair.

PURPOSE/OBJECTIVE:Offering the benefits of rigid fixation while minimizing soft tissue dissection, intramedullary implants have become a popular choice among hand surgeons. Their placement often requires traversing or passing in proximity to joint surfaces. This study aimed to assess the damage to the articular cartilage of the base of the proximal phalanx resulting from antegrade placement of threaded headless intramedullary nails. METHODS:A cadaveric study comparing two techniques for antegrade placement of threaded headless intramedullary nails was conducted in 56 digits. The first entailed a single 2.1 mm intramedullary nail placed via the dorsal base of the proximal phalanx, whereas the second used two 1.8 mm intramedullary nails inserted via the collateral recesses of the phalangeal base. All specimens were analyzed for articular surface damage with the cartilage defect measured as a percentage of total joint surface area. Damage to the extensor tendons was also assessed in a subset of specimens. RESULTS:No significant difference in the percentage of articular surface damage was observed, with an average 3.21% ± 2.34% defect in the single 2.1 mm nail group and a 2.71% ± 3.42% mean defect in the two 1.8 mm nails group. There was no articular surface injury in 18% of digits in each group. Damage to extensor tendons was seen in three (9.4%) specimens and in all cases involved either the extensor indicis proprius or extensor digiti minimi. CONCLUSIONS:Hardware insertion using either the dorsal base of the proximal phalanx or the collateral recesses of the phalangeal base both demonstrated minimal articular cartilage damage and infrequent injury to the extensor tendons. CLINICAL RELEVANCE/CONCLUSIONS:With proper technique for antegrade insertion into the proximal phalanx, the cartilage defect observed often encompasses only a small percentage of the overall joint surface area.

PURPOSE/OBJECTIVE:The study investigates whether the intraoral approach to mandibular open reduction and internal fixation, through exposure to the oral cavity's microbiome, results in higher infection rates compared to the extraoral approach, thus addressing a critical public health concern, health-care costs, and aiming to guide effective clinical practice. METHODS:statistics). RESULTS: = 84% for intraoral and 56% for extraoral). CONCLUSION/CONCLUSIONS:Our meta-analysis found no significant difference in infection rates between the two approaches. There is opportunity to expand on reporting complication rates comparing the various approaches to mandibular fixation. Until these data are presented, surgeon preference may dictate the operative approach to expose the mandible for reduction and fixation.

BACKGROUND:An update on the epidemiology of distal radius fractures in the United States is necessary, particularly as the elderly population grows. Additionally, age and frailty have been associated with complications following surgical fixation of DRFs. Herein, we utilize the National Trauma Data Bank, a robust nationwide resource, to investigate the relationship between demographics, comorbidities, injury and fracture characteristics, and admission details. METHODS:Patients with isolated distal radius fractures were identified from the National Trauma Data Bank (2016-2019) according to ICD-10 codes. Univariate and multivariate regressions were conducted to determine independent risk factors for bilateral fractures, displaced fractures, open fractures, as well as length of hospital stay and adverse discharge disposition for patients undergoing inpatient surgical fixation. RESULTS:The incidence of DRFs was 3.6/1,000 trauma-related emergency department visits and 10.8/1,000 upper extremity traumas. Trauma mechanism was significantly associated with displaced and open fractures. Age (OR 1.01, 95% CI 1.01-1.01), BMI (OR 1.02, 95% CI 1.01-1.02), smoking (OR 1.34, 95% CI 1.15-1.57), and alcohol level (trace: OR 2.18, 95% CI 1.41-3.29; intoxicated: OR 2.20, 95% CI 1.63-2.95) were significantly associated with open fractures. Machinery (β=2.04, 95% CI 1.00-3.08) and MVT (β=0.39, 95% CI 0.08-0.69) mechanisms were independent risk factors for longer length of stay. mFI-5 was an independent risk factor, in a stepwise fashion, for both length of stay and adverse discharge disposition. CONCLUSIONS:High-energy mechanisms and risk factors for poor skin quality were significantly associated with open fractures. mFI-5 was an independent risk factor for longer length of stay and non-routine discharges in patients of all ages, despite controlling for other comorbidities, unrelated complications, and mechanism of injury. Trauma mechanism was an independent risk factor for prolonged length of stay only, particularly in patients younger than 65 years of age.

BACKGROUND:Despite the commonly recognized benefits and drawbacks of each surgical technique for reduction mammoplasty, data on the influence of each surgical approach on patient quality of life and satisfaction remains limited. Our study aims to evaluate the association between surgical factors and BREAST-Q scores for reduction mammoplasty patients. METHODS:A literature review through August 6, 2021, was conducted using the PubMed database to select publications that used the BREAST-Q questionnaire to evaluate outcomes after reduction mammoplasty. Studies examining breast reconstruction, breast augmentation, oncoplastic reduction, or breast cancer patients were excluded. The BREAST-Q data were stratified by incision pattern and pedicle type. RESULTS:We identified 14 articles that met selection criteria. Among 1816 patients, the mean age ranged from 15.8 to 55 years, mean body mass index ranged from 22.5 to 32.4 kg/m 2 , and bilateral mean resected weight ranged from 323 to 1845.96 g. Overall complication rate was 19.9%. On average, satisfaction with breasts improved by 52.1 ± 0.9 points ( P < 0.0001), psychosocial well-being improved by 43.0 ± 1.0 points ( P < 0.0001), sexual well-being improved by 38.2 ± 1.2 points ( P < 0.0001), and physical well-being improved by 27.9 ± 0.8 points ( P < 0.0001). No significant correlations were observed when mean difference was modeled against complication rates or prevalence of superomedial pedicle use, inferior pedicle use, Wise pattern incision, or vertical pattern incision. Complication rates were not correlated with preoperative, postoperative, or mean change in BREAST-Q scores. A negative correlation was noted between the prevalence of superomedial pedicle use and postoperative physical well-being (Spearman rank correlation coefficient [SRCC], -0.66742; P < 0.05). The prevalence of Wise pattern incision was negatively correlated with postoperative sexual well-being (SRCC, -0.66233; P < 0.05) and physical well-being (SRCC, -0.69521; P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS:Although either preoperative or postoperative BREAST-Q scores may be individually influenced by pedicle or incision type, there was no statistically significant effect of surgical approach or complication rates on the average change of these scores, and overall satisfaction and well-being scores improved. This review suggests that any of the main surgical approaches to reduction mammoplasty provide equally substantial improvements in patient-reported satisfaction and quality of life, but more robust comparative studies would strengthen this area of research.

BACKGROUND:As reduction mammoplasty rises in popularity, it will become increasingly important to understand the patient-reported outcome measurements associated with a successful operation. There has been a growing body of literature on BREAST-Q outcomes for patients undergoing reduction mammoplasty, but meta-analyses of patient factors and BREAST-Q Reduction Module scores are lacking. This study sought to ascertain which patient factors were associated with improvements in BREAST-Q scores compared with preoperative levels. METHODS:A literature review through August 6, 2021, was conducted using the PubMed database to select publications using the BREAST-Q questionnaire to evaluate outcomes after reduction mammoplasty. Studies examining breast reconstruction, breast augmentation, oncoplastic reduction, or breast cancer patients were excluded. BREAST-Q data were stratified by comorbidities, age, body mass index (BMI), complication rate, and resection weight. RESULTS:Among 14 articles and 1816 patients, the mean age ranged from 15.8 to 55 years, mean BMI ranged from 22.5 to 32.4 kg/m2, and bilateral mean resected weight ranged from 323 to 1845.96 g. Overall complication rate was 19.9%. On average, satisfaction with breasts improved by 52.1 ± 0.9 points (P < 0.0001), psychosocial well-being improved by 43.0 ± 1.0 points (P < 0.0001), sexual well-being improved by 38.2 ± 1.2 points (P < 0.0001), and physical well-being improved by 27.9 ± 0.8 points (P < 0.0001). The mean age was positively correlated with preoperative sexual well-being (Spearman rank correlation coefficient [SRCC]: 0.61, P < 0.05). Body mass index was negatively correlated with preoperative physical well-being (SRCC: -0.78, P < 0.01) and positively correlated with postoperative satisfaction with breasts (SRCC: 0.53, P < 0.05). The mean bilateral resected weight was significantly positively correlated with postoperative satisfaction with breasts (SRCC: 0.61, P < 0.05). No significant correlations were observed between complication rate and preoperative, postoperative, or mean change in BREAST-Q scores. CONCLUSIONS:Reduction mammoplasty improves patient satisfaction and quality of life as reflected by the BREAST-Q. Although preoperative or postoperative BREAST-Q scores may be individually influenced by age and BMI, these variables demonstrated no statistically significant effect on the average change between these scores. This literature review suggests that reduction mammoplasty delivers high satisfaction across a diverse range of patient populations, and additional prospective cohort or comparative studies gathering robust data on other patient factors would benefit this area of research.

Tranexamic acid (TXA) is a drug commonly used to decrease intraoperative bleeding. Its use in various types of surgery is well defined; however, its use in plastic surgery and even more so, hand surgery is not as well researched. Concurrently, the use of wide-awake local anesthesia no tourniquet (WALANT) procedures has increased in popularity. As the use of WALANT increases, it comes to question whether TXA could be used as an alternative to epinephrine during WALANT procedures. This case involves a 33-year-old woman status-post motor vehicle collision. On examination, the patient sustained transection of the flexor digitorum profundus on both her left middle and ring fingers along with absent sensation to her left middle finger. Due to the surgical preference for vascular monitoring, TXA was used alternatively to epinephrine to control intraoperative bleeding during the tendon repairs. It was observed that TXA allowed for controlled bleeding, preservation of the surgical visual field, successful tendon repair, and postoperative success. The successful use of TXA in this case prompts further investigation as to whether TXA could be used as an alternative to epinephrine in WALANT procedures.