Experimental and Clinical Approaches to Hernia Treatment and Prevention

Hernia surgery is one of the earliest forms of surgery altogether. Clinical diagnosis, anatomy and surgical procedures follow each other closely and hernia recurrences present a challenge to all surgeons. Recent developments in the field of herniology encompass biological intervention, technical refinement and prosthetic material advances. For enhanced understanding the following paragraphs will be used to elaborate on the different types of hernia, their diagnosis, the appropriate treatments and hernia recurrence

"Thunderstruck": Penetrating thoracic injury from lightning strike

Lightning strike victims are rarely presented at an emergency department. Burns are often the primary focus. This case report describes the improvised explosive device like-injury to the thorax due to lightning strike and its treatment, which has not been described prior in (kerauno)medicine. Penetrating injury due to blast from lightning strike is extremely rare. These shrapnel injuries should however be rule

"The Practical Perforator Flap": the sural artery flap for lower extremity soft tissue reconstruction in wounds of war

Background: Sural artery perforator flaps have been described for use as both local flaps and in free tissue transfer. We present the use of this flap for compound soft tissue defects of the lower limb in civilian casualties of armed conflict in Afghanistan. Methods/results: Detailed description of the management of blast and high-velocity projectile wounds of the lower extremity with the use of local sural perforator flaps and a review of literature. Conclusions: Sural artery perforator flaps may be harvested to cover complex lower limb defects. The use of this technique is not limited

Treatment of rectal war wounds

Treatment strategies for penetrating rectal injuries (PRI) in civilian settings are still not uniformly agreed, in part since high-energy transfer PRI, such as is frequently seen in military settings, are not taken into account. Here, we describe three cases of PRI, treated in a deployed combat environment, and outline the management strategies successfully employed. We also discuss the literature regarding PRI management. Whe

Management of penetrating injuries of the upper extremities

Background: Routine surgical exploration after penetrating upper extremity trauma (PUET) to exclude arterial injury leads to a large number of negative explorations and iatrogenic injuries. Selective non-operative mana