Objective To investigate the change law of the intracapsular pressure in vitro without outside force and the pressure of the expander upon the skin soft tissue in vivo during clinical routine expansion so as to provide some references for the safe application of the expander. Methods The rectangle expanders of 50, 80, 100, 150, 200, 250, 300, and 400 mL were used for in vitro expansion at room temperature to 400% volume of the expander capacity. The pressures before and after saline injection were recorded. Twelve patients who needed scar plastic surgery were enrolled; 17 rectangle expanders were implanted in 5 areas (cheek, trunk, forehead and temporal, limb, and head) and expanded routinely. The pressures before and after saline injection were recorded. The pressure of the expander upon the skin soft tissue was calculated and the values of the pressure at 50%, 100%, 150%, and 200% volume of 5 areas were chosen and analyzed statistically. Results The intracapsular pressure of the expanders at different volumes in vitro without outside force during routine expansion before and after saline injection was beyond 0 mm Hg (1 mm Hg=0.133 kPa) at around 100% volume, increased rapidly from 100% to 250% volume, and kept stable from 250% to 400% volume. In vivo, 16 expanders within 200% volume had the maximum pressure before saline injection, 15 had the maximum pressure after saline injection. Before saline injection, the pressure of the expander upon the skin soft tissue was lowest in the cheek, showing significant difference when compared with those of the forehead and temporal and head (P lt; 0.05); the pressure in the trunk was significantly lower than that in the head (P lt; 0.05); and there was no significant difference between the other body sites (P gt; 0.05). After saline injection, the pressure of the expander upon the skin soft tissue was lowest in the cheek, and showed an increasing trend in the trunk, the limb, the forehead and temporal, and the head; no significant difference was found between in the cheek and in the trunk, and between in the forehead and temporal and in the limb (P gt; 0.05), and significant differences were found between the other body sites (P lt; 0.05). Conclusion The pressure of expander upon skin soft tissue at early stage or middle stage is higher than that at late stage during expansion. The pressure is high in the head, and low in the cheek comparatively, and the pressures in the trunk, the forehead and temporal, and the limb are between them.
Objective To evaluate the feasibility, oncological safety, and aesthetic result of skin-spring mastectomy (SSM) or nipple-spring mastectomy (NSM) in breast reconstruction of implant (permanent gel or expander) for breast cancer patients who were not fit for the breast conserving surgery (BCS). Methods Between October 2005 and July 2011, 89 women with breast caner underwent SSM or NSM, with an average age of 42.4 years (range, 19-55 years) and an average disease duration of 5.7 months (range, 1-24 months). The pathological examination revealed invasive ductal carcinoma in 55 cases, ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) in 15 cases, invasive ductal carcinoma + DCIS in 8 cases, DCIS with infiltration in 10 cases, and occult breast cancer in 1 case. According to tumor staging criterion of American Joint Committee on Cancer (AJCC), 15 cases were rated as stage 0, 51 cases as stage I, 22 cases as stage II, and 1 case as unclear. Finally, 33 patients underwent SSM and 56 patients underwent NSM according to the location and diameter of tumor and the infiltration of tumor to nipple. Secondary breast reconstruction was performed with permanent gel replacement after axillary lymph node dissection in 9 patients with positive sentinel lymph node and 1 patient with occult breast cancer; immediate breast reconstruction was performed with permanent gel in the other patients. All the patients received the chemotherapy or/and radiotherapy according to the National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) guideline. Results Complications occurred in 5 patients undergoing breast reconstruction of permanent gel after NSM, including 1 case of haemorrhage, 2 cases of infection, and 2 cases of local skin necrosis. Primary healing of incision was obtained in the others. No nipple necrosis was observed in patients undergoing NSM. All the patients were followed up 14-88 months (median, 40 months). At 10 months after operation, the aesthetic results were excellent in 40 cases, good in 33 cases, fair in 14 cases, and poor in 2 cases, with an excellent and good rate of 82%. No recurrence or metastasis was found during follow-up. Conclusion The SSM or NSM is feasible and oncological safe for patients who are not fit for BCS, with satisfactory aesthetic result.
Objective To investigate the cl inical outcome of a surgical strategy by soft tissue expansion in treating acquired auricular defect. Methods Between January 2007 and December 2009, 136 patients with acquired auricular defect were treated with a surgical strategy by putting autoallergic costal framework after soft tissue expansion. There were 93 males and 43 females, aged 8-60 years (median, 20 years). Defects were caused by burn in 82 cases, by trauma in 47 cases, and by bite in 7 cases. Defect involved in almost the whole auricle and earlobe in 50 patients, 2/3 superior part of auricle in 35 patients, 1/3 superior part of auricle in 31 patients, 1/3 middle part of auricle in 9 patients, and 1/3 inferior part of auricle and earlobe in 11 patients. Results All the flaps had good blood supply, skin grafts all survived, and all the wounds healed by first intention after operation. All patients were followed up 6-24 months with an average of 14 months. All reconstructive auricle survived with good color, soft texture, and normal sensory function; the appearance had no enlargement and attrition, and the grafted costal cartilage framework had no malacosis, absorption, and deformation. The reconstructed ear had the same position, size, shape, and oto-cranium angle as normal ear. The curative effect was good according to ZHUANG Hongxing’s evaluation standard of auricular reconstruction. Conclusion To reconstruct auricle by soft tissue expansion is an effective method. The position of putting expander and the number of expanders are different in different patients.
Objective To investigate the feasibil ity of prefabricating urethra in the expander capsule with gelatin sponge and micro-mucosa compound transplantation. Methods Eight 8-week-old Guizhou miniature pigs (male and/or female) weighing 20-25 kg were used. Six expanders (15 mL) were placed subcutaneously on the dorsal thorax of each miniaturepig. Autologous oral mucosa of every pig was harvested 2 weeks later to prepare micro-mucosa with a diameter less than 1 mm. Gelatin sponge 3 cm × 2 cm in size was transplanted to the expander capsule after being coated by the autologous micromucosa at the area expansion ratio of 4 ∶ 1 (group A), 8 ∶ 1 (group B), and 16 ∶ 1 (group C), respectively (n=2 per group). The implantation of gelatin sponge served as the blank control (group D, n=2). Physiological sal ine was injected into the expander immediately after operation, and the pressure in the expander was 40 mm Hg (1 mm Hg=0.133 kPa). The postoperative general condition of the animals was observed. At 1, 2, and 3 weeks after operation, the animals were killed to receive general, HE staining, and immunohistochemistry staining observations. Results All animals survived till the end of the experiment. The wounds healed well. General observation: in groups A, B, and C at 1 week after operation, there was no obvious degeneration of gelatin, the mucous was survived partially, and there were significant differences among three groups in terms of mucosa healing rate (P lt; 0.05), groups A and B were better than group C, and group A was better than group B; at 2 weeks, the gelatin sponge was partly absorbed, most of the mucosa survived, and the mucosa healing rate of groups A and B was better than that of group C (P lt; 0.05); at 3 weeks, the gelatin sponge was still not absorbed completely, the wound reached epithel ial ization approximately,and there were no significant differences among three groups in terms of mucosa heal ing rate (P gt; 0.05). No neo-mucosa was evident in group D at each time point. Histology and immunohistochemistry staining observation: at each time point, the mucosa epithel ium survival, inflammatory cell infiltration, and pan-cytokeratin were evident in groups A, B, and C; at 3 weeks after operation, the stratified squamous epithel ium presented obvious polarity and the submucous neovascularization was abundant in groups A, B, and C. There was no mucosa epithelium and positive stained pan-cytokeratin in group D. For the percentage of positive pan-cytokeratin stained area, there were significant differences among groups A, B, and C 1 week after operation (P lt; 0.05); at 2 and 3 weeks after operation, there was significant difference between group A and group C, and between group B and group C (P lt; 0.05); but no significant difference was evident between group A and group B (P gt; 0.05). Conclusion Micro-mucosa and gelatin spongy compound transplantation on the expander capsule can form mucosal l ining, achieve complete epithel ial ization in 2 weeks, and contribute to maintain the normal function of prefabricatied urethra.
Objective To investigate the histological and keratinous variation of prefabricated urethra in the capsule with micro-mucosa and gelatin sponge compound graft. Methods Five 8-week-old Guizhou miniature pigs (2 females and3 males) weighing 20-25 kg were used. Eight tissue expanders were bilaterally inserted into subcutaneous position on the dorsal thorax of each pig. Forty inserted expanders were randomized into two groups (n=20 per group). For the experimental group, the free buccal mucosa was cut into particles less than 1 mm in diameter, spread onto the gelatin sponge (3 cm × 2 cm) and then transplanted to the capsule; the area expansion ratio of autogenous micro-mucosa was 8 ∶ 1. For the control group, soft tissue expander without mucosa graft was implanted. The pressure in inserted expander was about 40 mm Hg (1 mm Hg=0.133 kPa). Inflation should be stopped when the injected sal ine volume reached 15 mL. The animals were killed 1 and 2 weeks and 1, 2, and 4 months after the implant to receive examination. Macroscope, histology, and immunohistochemistry changes were observed. Results All the animals survived to the end of the experiment and the wounds healed by first intention. There was no obvious degeneration of gelatin sponge, and some of the mucosa survived 1 week after implant. The gelatin sponge was partly absorbed, most of the mucosa survived 2 weeks after implant. Visual examination showed complete epithel ial ization of the entire cavity 1 month after implant. The experimental group at 2 and 4 months were similar to that of at 1 month in gross observations.The neo-mucosa was not found in the control group at different time points after implant. Histology examination revealed that compound implant was mainly infiltrated by inflammatory cells and the micro-mucosa survived well 1 week after implant in the experimental group. The stratified squamous epithel ium presented obvious polarity and the submucous neovascularization was abundant 2 weeks after implant. The compound implant achieved complete epithel ial ization 1 month after implant. The epithel ium degeneration occurred 2 months after implant. The stratified squamous epithel ium presented no abovious polarity 4 months after implant. No neo-mucosa was evident in control group at different time points. The experimental group was positive for the pan-cytokeratin staining at 1, 2 weeks, and 1, 2 months after implant, but negative at 4 months after implant The pan-cytokeratin staining was negative in the control group at different time points. Conclusion The buccal micromucosa and gelatin sponge compound graft can grow well on the expanded capsule 1 month after implant and the epithel ium degeneration is evident 2 months after implant. Environment of implanted mucosa has great influence on epithel ium mucosa.
【Abstract】 Objective To investigate the blood supply of the expanded skin flap from the medial upper arm andits appl ication for the repair of facial and cervical scar. Methods From May 2000 to February 2007, 20 cases (12 males and 8 females; aging from 7 to 42 years) of facial and cervical scar were treated with the expender flap from medial upper arm. The disease course was 9 months to 20 years. The size of the scar was 8 cm × 6 cm - 22 cm × 18 cm. The operation was carried out for three steps: ① The expander was embed under the superior proper fascia. ② The scar in the face and cervix was loosed and dissected. Combined the expanded skin flap from the medial upper arm(the size of the flap was 9 cm × 7 cm - 24 cm × 18 cm) in which the blood supply to the flap was the superior collateral artery and the attributive branches of the basil ica with auxil iary veins for blood collection with partial scar flap (3.5 cm × 2.5 cm - 8.0 cm × 6.0 cm) was harvested and transferred onto the facial and cervical defect. ③ After being cut off the pedicle, the scar was dissected. The expanded flap was employed to coverthe defect. Results After 3-24 months follow-up with 16 cases, all the grafted skin flaps survived at least with nearly normal skin color, texture and contour. The scars at the donor sites were acceptable. The function and appearance of the face and cervix was improved significantly. No surgery-related significant compl ications were observed. Conclusion Repair of facial and cervical scar with the medial upper arm expanded skin flap is a plausible reconstructive option for head and face reconstructions. However, a longer surgery time and some restrictive motion of the harvested upper l imbs might be a disadvantage.