Autoprosthesis buttock augmentation during lower body lift

With the increasing popularity of bariatric surgery, patients with multiple body contour deformities have become more common in plastic surgery practice. Most of the deformities involving the abdomen, thighs, and buttocks can be effectively corrected with belt lipectomy and lower body lift. A common problem with this procedure is postoperative loss of gluteal projection and resulting flattened buttock contour, which is directly proportional to the extent of lower body lift achieved. The use of local myocutaneous flaps to provide coverage for the lumbosacral defects is a common plastic surgery procedure. The authors have used these techniques to create an autologous buttock implant for additional projection during a lower body lift. A local myocutaneous flap originating within the regularly excised supragluteal tissue is rotated caudally to function as an autologous buttock implant. This flap has reliable circulation, can be custom designed for each patient, requires minimal additional operating time, and allows the creation of more than one flap if necessary. This article describes the results of this procedure used for 20 consecutive women. There were no major complications, and the most common minor complications included delayed wound healing and local hardness in the area, suggesting fat necrosis, which resolved without intervention in a few months. High patient satisfaction combined with a low complication rate suggests that this reliable, versatile technique nicely complements the lower body lift procedure.     

Upper GI foreign body

BACKGROUND: The efficacy of flexible endoscopy by a single endoscopist in the therapy of foreign body ingestion was assessed at an adult urban emergency hospital. METHODS: Fifty-one adult patients with upper GI foreign body ingestion treated at Detroit Receiving Hospital from 1988 to 2004 were identified. Endoscopic and hospital medical records were reviewed to evaluate etiology, treatment, and outcomes for these patients. RESULTS: The etiology was related to eating in 38(75%) patients, most of whom were eating meat; phytobezoars were seen in four, often after previous upper GI surgery. True foreign bodies were found in 13 patients (25%) and included a screwdriver, a ballpoint pen, spoons, coat hanger pieces, batteries, and latex gloves. Dysphagia was the most common symptom (75%); pain was common in patients with true foreign bodies, and 62% of this group had psychiatric difficulties or problems with drug abuse. Nearly 80% of the food-related group had post-surgical or other upper GI pathology. One patient had an esophageal stricture secondary to previous Sengstaken-Blakemore tube insertion. Flexible endoscopy was successful in extracting the foreign body in almost all (49) patients, with snare extraction the most common therapeutic modality. Both failures were of true foreign bodies that could not be safely removed. In one of these cases, it became necessary to employ the gallstone lithotripter, and the overtube was required in patients with metallic or sharp foreign bodies to protect the upper aerodigestive structures. CONCLUSIONS: Most upper GI foreign bodies are related to food impaction, with meat most often found. Underlying pathology is the rule and should be dealt with immediately. Flexible endoscopy is the treatment of choice for upper GI foreign body removal with near perfect success.     

Single-staged total body lift after massive weight loss

This is a retrospective clinical report of a single-staged total body lift in 8 massive weight loss patients. While the combination of circumferential abdominoplasty, a modified lower body lift, and medial thighplasty adequately treats the lower torso and thighs, the residual skin laxity in the upper torso and breasts leaves an incomplete result. Hence, a 2-stage total body lift was designed. The second stage, called the upper body lift, removes epigastric and midback rolls of skin, adjusts the inframammary fold, and reshapes the breast or corrects gynecomastia, leaving behind a near circumferential transverse scar partially hidden by the breasts. In selected patients, a complete torso correction, the total body lift, was done in a single stage. Four to 31 months later, 7 of the 8 patients were satisfied. One male with ultrasonic-assisted lipoplasty and a lateral skin excision found the chest skin too loose. Blood transfusions ranged from none to 4 units. The operations range from 7 to 12 hours of general anesthesia. Hospital stays were from 3 to 4 days. The complications included 3 resolved seromas, 2 minor wound infections due to fat and skin necrosis, and 1 minor skin dehiscence. One patient was readmitted to the hospital due to hypoalbuminemia and generalized edema. Scar revisions and liposuction are scheduled for 2 patients. Single stage total body lift is effective and safe in selected patients after massive weight loss when performed by a plastic surgeon and team experienced in body contouring surgery.     

Two cases of lower body contouring with a spiral and vertical medial thigh lift

Massive weight loss results in skin excess, leading to an unsatisfying body contour. Various thigh lift procedures can correct flabby skin in the lower leg. We present a lower body contouring technique with a report on two patients. The procedure is determined by the body contour of the patient. As the skin excess in the thigh area tended to appear mostly on the medial side, a vertical medial thigh lift was considered. Moreover, for patients with a pear/guitar-shaped body contour, we added the spiral thigh lift for skin excess in the buttocks and the lateral thigh area. The extent of tissue to excise was determined by pinching the patient in a standing position. The inferior skin flap was fixed to non-movable tissue, which was helpful for lifting the tissue and preventing the widening of the scar. After the operation, a drain was kept for 3 to 4 days. A compressive garment was used after removing the drain. There were no complications. The patients were discharged 6 to 8 days after the operation. In conclusion, skin excess, especially in the lower body, can be corrected by a thigh lift combining several procedures, varying from person to person.     

Body lift

After weight reduction by means of small intestine bypass, the patients have problems with cutis laxa of abdomen, femora, brachia, and mammae pendens. When all these problems are solved by reduction operations, the skin still does not fit. A new operation, body lift, to resolve the remaining problem with respect to physiological and neurological segments, has been performed.Work presented at the VIth Congress of International Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery, September 28-October 2, 1981, Tokyo, Japan     

Lower-body lift

The lower-body lift, designed for patients with multiple lower-body contour deformities, uses a circumferential bikini-line incision to simultaneously lift relaxed trunk and thigh tissues. The author describes 2 lower-body lift procedures, focusing primarily on the high-lateral-tension abdominoplasty with transverse-thigh/buttock lift, which he developed in 1996. (Aesthetic Surg J 2001;21:355-370.)     

Endobrow-midface lift

The introduction of endoscopes is responsible for the surge in many of the aesthetic facial plastic surgeries in the past decade. This relatively new technology is widely used in upper-third facial rejuvenation and created a natural evolution into the rejuvenation of the central midthird of the face. After careful patient selection and evaluation, several key maneuvers are accomplished to achieve forehead and midface rejuvenation: (1) a subperiosteal dissection of the scalp to the level of the superior and lateral orbital rims and zygomatic arch, (2) incision and release of orbital periosteum, (3) selective myectomies of the glabella muscles, (4) subperiosteal dissection of the midface (from infraorbital rim to the inferior aspect of the maxilla and laterally over the entire zygomatic arch to the gonial angle beneath the masseteric aponeurosis), and (5) suspension and reposition of the malar fat pad, suborbicularis oculi fat, and soft tissue overlying the angle of the mandible. Endobrow-midface lift is a safe and reliable method to rejuvenate the upper two thirds of the face with excellent results while minimizing the morbidities and complications associated with the traditional open procedures.     

Autologous gluteal augmentation with circumferential body lift in the massive weight loss and aesthetic patient

Massive weight loss (MWL) patients have unique and severe gluteal deformities that demand alternative body contouring solutions because they are rarely candidates for gluteal implants. Techniques for autologous gluteal augmentation (AGA) with circumferential body lift (CBL) are offered as a solution to this problem. Experience with these techniques will allow surgeons to extend AGA to other aesthetic patients presenting with flattened buttocks. Flap indications, surgical planning, techniques,results, complications, and postoperative management are discussed.     

Body lift

The body in the patient who has lost a massive amount of weight presents an extreme form of traditional esthetic and functional body contour concerns. Routine body contouring procedures usually produce only suboptimal results in this patient population. The body lift described herein is an excellent alternative to treat the body contour deformity of the patient who has undergone bariatric surgery. As with every technique, careful patient selection, education, and preparation are critical to minimizing complications and optimizing outcome.     

Medial thigh lift

Medial thigh ptosis, characterized by rhytidosis and seen commonly from aging and great weight loss, is seldom improved by lateral or posterior thigh lift. A simple procedure has been developed to correct this laxity of the upper, inner thighs. This consists of symmetrical resection of a crescent-shaped segment of skin and subcutaneous tissue having the distribution of an L1 embryological dermatome, just inferior to the inguinal crease. Despite temporary sensory loss and spreading of scars in some patients, the procedure has been gratifying to both patient and surgeon. Patients must be carefully selected, as the procedure does not correct either trochanteric lipodystrophy or ptosis, or lipodystrophy medial to and just superior to the knee.     

Endoscopic forehead lift

Endoscopic forehead rejuvenation offers the advantages of greater patient acceptance and lower complication rates. The author describes technical modifications that make the endoscopic approach effective in a wide range of patients. Particular attention is paid to the problem of asymmetry. When the preoperative difference in eyebrow height exceeds 6 mm, it is a matter not only of eyebrow asymmetry but also, and more importantly, of forehead asymmetry. Surgical and fixation techniques are discussed for correction of the asymmetric forehead, glabellar frown lines, transverse furrows, and radix folds.     

Bicoronal forehead lift

Although aesthetic surgery on the upper third of the face has received relatively little attention in recent literature, it is an extremely important component of facial aesthetic surgery and often yields results that are quite dramatic. Periorbital rejuvenation, either alone or in conjunction with other aesthetic surgical procedures, offers facial enhancement to younger patients. In addition, older patients may benefit from a forehead lift performed in conjunction with lower facial surgery. This benefit is derived because lower facial surgery may create facial disharmony by yielding a more youthful lower face while leaving a more mature upper face. In these cases a forehead lift serves to unify the patient's facial appearance. The coronal browlifting technique described here is a personal interpretation and modification of periorbital rejuvenation techniques. This approach represents an ideal aesthetic procedure: It is a technically straightforward operation that yields results which are predictable, natural appearing, and long lasting with minimal morbidity.     

The subperiosteal lift

The subperiosteal lift developed by Tessier is a technique for rejuvenating the face and emphasizing beauty. It is performed using two approaches: intraoral and bicoronal or precapillary. It entails a total subperiosteal undermining of the face beginning 2 cm over the orbits and continuing on the orbital rims, the zygomatic arches, and the malar bones. This allows total lifting of the soft tissues of the face (DMAS, deep musculo aponeurotic system). The lateral and vertical traction allows elevation of the superior two thirds of the face, eyebrows, and cheeks. Lifting pulls up from the forehead to the mandibular line. The fixation of the superficial layer of the temporal aponeurosis in traction to the upper part also has an effect on tissue elevation. The best candidates for this procedure are women in their late 30s or early 40s but can be used on those from 30 to 50 and more. It is highly specialized operation which requires substantial surgical experience both in selecting the patient and in execution.