Faculty Bibliography

Targeted muscle reinnervation and regenerative peripheral nerve interfaces are increasingly utilized strategies to mitigate phantom and residual limb pain in amputees. These interventions are successful, yet often imperfect in completely ameliorating neuropathic pain following amputation. Implantable peripheral nerve stimulators are another tool in the armamentarium for management of neuropathic pain. These devices have been utilized adjacent to the spinal cord and more recently in the extremities with good results, and there has been additional interest in their utility for nerve regeneration. In this case report, we present the first reported case in the readily available literature of combining contemporary peripheral nerve strategies with an implantable peripheral nerve stimulator for postamputation neuropathic pain. The patient is a 72-year-old man who presented with severe neuropathic pain following prior below knee amputation with an osseointegrated implant and regenerative peripheral nerve interfaces. The authors performed targeted muscle reinnervation with intra-operative placement of a peripheral nerve stimulator. He did well after the procedure, and his pain improved with activation of the device. The most symptomatic nerve is targeted with the nerve stimulator, and it is placed adjacent to the nerve transfer(s). Combining these contemporary techniques may lead to improved prosthetic use and quality of life for these patients.

SUMMARY/CONCLUSIONS:Social media have triggered a buccal fat pad excision frenzy. Not surprisingly, there is tremendous appeal of having a slimmer lower face and more defined jawline after undergoing a small intraoral procedure under local anesthesia. Although this procedure is great for social media and seemingly beneficial for jawline aesthetics, the evidence remains limited as to whether or not this is an effective long-term solution. How much the buccal fat pad persists or diminishes as we age is an area of debate. However, the possibility of causing premature aging and midface distortion in the long run is disconcerting.

BACKGROUND:Physician and resident wellness has been increasingly emphasized as a means of improving patient outcomes and preventing physician burnout. Few studies have been performed with a focus on wellness in plastic surgery training. OBJECTIVES:The aim of this study was to systematically review what literature exists on the topic of wellness in plastic surgery training and critically appraise it. METHODS:A PubMed search was performed to identify journal articles related to wellness in plastic surgery residency. Seventeen studies (6 cohort and 11 cross-sectional) met inclusion criteria and were appraised with the Newcastle-Ottawa Quality Assessment Scale (NOQAS) to determine the quality of the studies based on selection, comparability, and outcome metrics. RESULTS:Critical assessment showed that the studies were highly variable in focus. Overall, the quality of the data was low, with an average NOQAS score of 4.1. Only 2 studies focused on plastic surgery residents, examining work hours and social wellness, respectively; they were awarded NOQAS scores of 3 and 4 out of 10. CONCLUSIONS:The results of this systematic review suggest that little research has been devoted to wellness in surgery training, especially in regard to plastic surgery residents, and what research that has been performed is of relatively low quality. The available research suggests a relatively high prevalence of burnout among plastic surgery residents. Evidence suggests some organization-level interventions to improve trainee wellness. Because outcomes-based data on the effects of such interventions are particularly lacking, further investigation is warranted.