Perioperative Hyperspectral Imaging to Assess Mastectomy Skin Flap and DIEP Flap Perfusion in Immediate Autologous Breast Reconstruction: A Pilot Study.

Mastectomy skin flap necrosis (MSFN) and partial DIEP (deep inferior epigastric artery perforator) flap loss represent two frequently reported complications in immediate autologous breast reconstruction. These complications could be prevented when areas of insufficient tissue perfusion are detected intraoperatively. Hyperspectral imaging (HSI) is a relatively novel, non-invasive imaging technique, which could be used to objectively assess tissue perfusion through analysis of tissue oxygenation patterns (StO2%), near-infrared (NIR%), tissue hemoglobin (THI%), and tissue water (TWI%) perfusion indices. This prospective clinical pilot study aimed to evaluate the efficacy of HSI for tissue perfusion assessment and to identify a cut-off value for flap necrosis. Ten patients with a mean age of 55.4 years underwent immediate unilateral autologous breast reconstruction. Prior, during and up to 72 h after surgery, a total of 19 hyperspectral images per patient were acquired. MSFN was observed in 3 out of 10 patients. No DIEP flap necrosis was observed. In all MSFN cases, an increased THI% and decreased StO2%, NIR%, and TWI% were observed when compared to the vital group. StO2% was found to be the most sensitive parameter to detect MSFN with a statistically significant lower mean StO2% (51% in the vital group versus 32% in the necrosis group, p < 0.0001) and a cut-off value of 36.29% for flap necrosis. HSI has the potential to accurately assess mastectomy skin flap perfusion and discriminate between vital and necrotic skin flap during the early postoperative period prior to clinical observation. Although the results should be confirmed in future studies, including DIEP flap necrosis specifically, these findings suggest that HSI can aid clinicians in postoperative mastectomy skin flap and DIEP flap monitoring

Smoking and its effect on scar healing

Scar formation is influenced by several factors such as wound infection, tension, wound depth and anatomical localization. Hypertrophic scarring is often the result of an imbalance in the wound and scar healing process. The exact underlying pathophysiological mechanism remains unclear. Smoking has a higher risk of postoperative complications probably due to a diminished macrophage induction. Following our clinical impression that smokers without postoperative wound infections show esthetically better scars, we evaluated the scars after a reduction mammaplasty in smoking and nonsmoking patients in a prospective clinical trial. Between July 2006 and September 2007, 13 smokers and 30 non smokers with a reduction mammaplasty were included. They were recruited from Viecuri Medical Centre and Atrium Medical Centre in the Netherlands after written consent. Surgical data and data of the patients' condition were collected. Follow-up for erythema values of the scars was done with a colorimeter (The Minolta CR-300, Minolta Camera Co., Ltd., Osaka Japan) at 1, 3, 6 and 9 months postoperatively on four standardized postsurgical sites. ANOVA and Chi-square test were used for statistical analysis. In the smoking group, the scars were significantly less red compared to the nonsmoking group. No significant differences were found in BMI, resection weight and drain production between both groups. Although smoking is certainly not recommended as a preventive therapy to influence scar healing, this study confirms our assumption that smokers tend to have faster and less erythemateous scar healing to nonsmokers. Further research is needed to understand the mechanism of the effect of smoking on scars

The Effect of Smoking on Sternal Scar Healing:A Prospective Cohort Study

Introduction. Cardiothoracic surgery with a median sternotomy is an electing factor for the development of a hypertrophic scar. Hypertrophic scars, characterized by an increased vascularity, often result in aesthetic and functional problems. Smoking, due to its negative effects on vascularization, could therefore have an effect on scar healing. A prospective cohort study was conducted to evaluate the effect of smoking on scar healing after cardiothoracic surgery with a median sternotomy incision. Materials and Methods. One hundred patients who underwent cardiac surgery with a median sternotomy were divided into 3 groups: smokers, ex-smokers, and nonsmokers. Erythema values of the scar were measured with a colorimeter on 3 standardized parts of the scar. Scar evaluation was performed at 6 weeks, 3 months, 6 months, and 12 months after surgery. Results. During 1 year, a total of 90 patients were followed after a median sternotomy; 10 patients were lost to follow-up. There were 23 smokers, 52 ex-smokers, and 15 nonsmokers with an overall mean age of 61.5 +/- 8.83 years. No significant difference in redness as a parameter for hypertrophic scarring was observed between the 3 groups. Nevertheless, a trend in favor of the smokers was seen, as they developed less hyperemic scars. The caudal part of the scar showed a significantly higher incidence of hypertrophy compared with the middle and cranial part of the scar (P <.001) at all time points. Conclusions. It is presumed that a large sample size with younger patients is needed to confirm the results herein. Furthermore, more caudally located skin, especially the subxiphoidal part, is prone to hypertrophic scarring and should, for that reason, be avoided in the incision

The Effect of Smoking on Sternal Scar Healing: A Prospective Cohort Study

Introduction. Cardiothoracic surgery with a median sternotomy is an electing factor for the development of a hypertrophic scar. Hypertrophic scars, characterized by an increased vascularity, often result in aesthetic and functional problems. Smoking, due to its negative effects on vascularization, could therefore have an effect on scar healing. A prospective cohort study was conducted to evaluate the effect of smoking on scar healing after cardiothoracic surgery with a median sternotomy incision. Materials and Methods. One hundred patients who underwent cardiac surgery with a median sternotomy were divided into 3 groups: smokers, ex-smokers, and nonsmokers. Erythema values of the scar were measured with a colorimeter on 3 standardized parts of the scar. Scar evaluation was performed at 6 weeks, 3 months, 6 months, and 12 months after surgery. Results. During 1 year, a total of 90 patients were followed after a median sternotomy; 10 patients were lost to follow-up. There were 23 smokers, 52 ex-smokers, and 15 nonsmokers with an overall mean age of 61.5 +/- 8.83 years. No significant difference in redness as a parameter for hypertrophic scarring was observed between the 3 groups. Nevertheless, a trend in favor of the smokers was seen, as they developed less hyperemic scars. The caudal part of the scar showed a significantly higher incidence of hypertrophy compared with the middle and cranial part of the scar (P <.001) at all time points. Conclusions. It is presumed that a large sample size with younger patients is needed to confirm the results herein. Furthermore, more caudally located skin, especially the subxiphoidal part, is prone to hypertrophic scarring and should, for that reason, be avoided in the incision