Faculty Bibliography

BACKGROUND: Reduction mammaplasty (RM) is generally thought of as a reconstructive procedure, frequently but variably reimbursed by third-party payers. The purpose of this study was to assess US plastic surgeons' opinions of and interactions with the insurance coverage environment surrounding the reimbursement of RM. METHODS: The RM policies of 15 regional and nationwide health insurance carriers were analyzed. A survey regarding RM was distributed to all members of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons and subsequently analyzed. RESULTS: Most insurance carriers require a minimum resection weight, a minimum age, and a conservative therapy trial. A total of 757 surgeons responded to our survey. Seventy-six percent of the respondents believe that only some RM procedures should be covered by insurance. Sixty-four percent feel that symptoms are the most important factor in the surgeon's determination of medical necessity. Fifty-seven percent state that a breast resection weight of 500 g or greater is required for coverage in their region. Seventy-one percent believe that this weight should be less than 500 g per breast. If the surgeon estimates that he/she will remove 500 g per breast, the minimum weight for coverage, 61% of the surgeons would have patients sign a statement of liability for payment. If the intraoperative resection weight is inadequate, 45.6% would not remove additional tissue, risking nonpayment; 32.7% would complete the procedure and inform the patient that payment is out-of-pocket. CONCLUSIONS: Insurance reimbursement for RM varies in approval by carrier. Surgeons believe that signs and symptoms of macromastia determine medical necessity, whereas insurance carriers place a larger emphasis on resection weights.

BACKGROUND: Limited data exist in the literature regarding the general incidence of secondary abdominal contour procedures and secondary abdominoplasty (excluding revisions) or specific recommendations for surgical management of these patients. METHODS: The authors performed a retrospective chart review of 562 patients who underwent abdominal contouring procedures (liposuction and/or modified or full abdominoplasty) performed by a single surgeon (A.M.) from January of 2004 until October of 2012. Nonsurgical primary cases, secondary surgery that was revisional in nature, and massive weight loss patients were excluded. RESULTS: Seventy-three patients (13.0 percent) underwent secondary abdominal contouring procedures. Forty-six of 73 patients had charts available to be examined in greater detail. Thirty-four of these patients underwent secondary liposuction, whereas 12 of these patients had secondary full abdominoplasty procedures. Secondary operations occurred an average of 4.98 years after the primary procedure (range, 6 months to 15 years). Patients underwent secondary liposuction (n = 34) on average 3.16 years after their initial procedure, significantly sooner than patients who underwent secondary abdominoplasty (n = 12) 8.35 years after their initial procedure (p = 0.002). Patients with a body mass index less than 25 kg/m (n = 26) had both secondary liposuction (n = 16) and secondary abdominoplasty (n = 10), whereas all patients who had a body mass index of 25 kg/m or greater (n = 20) underwent only secondary liposuction. CONCLUSIONS: True secondary abdominal contouring procedures represented 13.0 percent of all abdominal contouring procedures. The most common indication for a secondary procedure was an umbilical-site closure scar. Specific recommendations for surgical management of five common scenarios for secondary abdominal procedures are discussed. CLINICAL QUESTION/LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Therapeutic, V.

Particulate bone augmentation is an established clinical alternative to regenerate bone. However, in regions of poor bone quality or previously infected sites, the clinical outcomes are more inconsistent. For that purpose, peptides have been added to particulate materials in an attempt to render them with antibacterial properties or to improve their osseoconductivity. For instance, competence-stimulating peptide (CSP) has been studied to decrease the division rate of Streptococcus mutans. Also, the addition of a specific short amino acid sequence peptide derived from type I collagen (P-15) to the bone substitutes has been introduced in an attempt to increase its osseoconductivity. The present study hypothesized that xenogeneic graft materials with and without CSP would present improved host-to-biomaterial response when used in combination with P-15. Particulate graft materials with and without P-15, OsteoGraf with CSP and OsteoGraf, were implanted in an 8-mm rabbit calvarial defect for 4 weeks, and thereafter, histological and histomorphometrical evaluation was performed. The results showed that both OsteoGraf and CSP groups with the addition of P-15 induced bone growth towards the center of the defect. Furthermore, the addition of CSP to Osteograf showed a tendency to increase its osteoconductivity when combined with P-15. The results of the current study suggested that P-15 had some impact on osteogenesis; however, the effect differed between different bone substitute materials. Further investigation is necessary to clarify its effectiveness when used in combination with bone substitutes.

PURPOSE: A core concept in plastic surgery has been the replacement of "like-with-like" tissue. Applying this concept to the lower extremity, the anterolateral thigh (ALT) perforator flap has become a frequently used free flap for restoration of soft tissue defects involving the distal lower extremity. The objective of this study was to evaluate the rate of early postoperative complications associated with the ALT perforator free flap for coverage of high-energy traumatic open fractures of the lower extremity (Gustilo IIIB) and explore related patient risk factors. METHODS: A retrospective chart review of 74 patients undergoing free tissue transfer for lower extremity limb coverage was performed. Early postoperative complications were defined as any 1 or more of the following having occurred within 6 months from surgical reconstruction: hematoma, wound infection, deep venous thrombosis, thromboembolism, partial flap loss, complete flap loss, continued osteomyelitis, and progression to amputation occurring within the first 6 months after the injury. Statistical analyses were performed using GraphPad software. Fisher exact test was performed to identify risk factors associated with greater morbidity. RESULTS: Of all patients, 26 (35%) were identified as those habitually using tobacco product and 48 (64%) were identified as nonusers of tobacco product. Moreover, 10 patients (14%) had other risk factors for atherosclerotic disease and 64 patients (86%) did not have other risk factors for atherosclerosis. Mean (SD) time to reconstruction was 4.74 (1.3) days (range, 3-8 days). Of all defects, 34 (46%) were reconstructed using adipocutaneous flaps and 40 (54%) were reconstructed using fasciocutaneous flaps. The most frequent complication was partial flap loss or superficial epidermolysis 4 (5.4%). Fisher exact test was performed, showing that patients who used tobacco product (cigarette smokers) and had other risk factors for atherosclerosis were significantly more at risk for complications (P < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: In this retrospective review, those patients who had a positive history of tobacco use at the time of injury and those with risk factors for atherosclerosis had a significantly increased risk of flap complications. Although this is not surprising given the vasoconstrictive effects of nicotine and the impaired blood flow to the lower extremity in patients with atherosclerosis, this study will allow the surgeon to better counsel patients who have a history of tobacco use through complex reconstruction of the lower extremity. This analysis is a preliminary investigation into the safety and efficacy of the ALT fasciocutaneous or adipocutaneous flap to reconstruct high-energy open fractures of the lower extremity.