The 3D printing provides the ability to construct complex individualized implants that not only improve patient outcomes but also increase economic feasibility. The technology offers a potential level of accessibility that is paramount for remote and resource-limited locations where health care is most often limited. The 3D printing-based technologies will have an immense impact on the reconstruction of traumatic injuries, facial and limb prosthetic development, as well as advancements in biologic and synthetic implants.

Autologous breast reconstruction has been noted in the literature to provide superior aesthetic outcomes and patient satisfaction. Additionally, free perforator flap tissue transfer has the potential for lower abdominal donor site morbidity. However, it has been noted that the percentage of women who are undergoing autologous breast reconstruction in the United States is decreasing. Factors related to the technical difficulty, prolonged operative times, and decreasing reimbursement have been implicated as the causes. A retrospective review of electronic medical records over a 5-year period was performed with evaluation of 77 autologous breast reconstructions at a single institution. Patient demographics, comorbidities, number of surgeons involved, operative times, length of stay, and postoperative complications were measured. Wilcoxon rank-sum, Pearson's chi-squared, and proportional odds likelihood ratio tests were performed to compare continuous, categorical, and ordinal outcomes, respectively. Propensity score weighting was used to adjust for presurgical covariates and laterality. Operative time and length of stay were both significantly lower in the two- versus the single-microsurgeon groups in the unadjusted setting. When covariates and laterality were adjusted for, operative times still remained significantly shorter in the two-microsurgeon group; there were no differences in complications. Based on our findings, we propose that the two-microsurgeon approach can be utilized in more time-consuming microsurgical cases, such as autologous breast reconstruction, to safely decrease operative times and potentially alleviate surgeon fatigue, reduce operative costs, and thus increase overall surgeon productivity.

No abstract

Background: Adjuvants are known to significantly enhance vaccine efficacy. However, commercial adjuvants often have limited use because of toxicity in humans. The objective of this study was to determine the comparative effectiveness of a diterpene alcohol, phytol and its hydrogenated derivative PHIS-01, relative to incomplete Freund's adjuvant (IFA), a commonly used adjuvant in augmenting protective immunity in mice against E. coli and S. aureus, and in terms of inflammatory cytokines.

Duplication of the vas deferens is a rare anomaly, defined as the presence of two distinct vasa deferentia within one spermatic cord, with only 28 cases reported worldwide since 1959. We report the case of a 63-year-old man with a duplicate vas deferens, presenting with abdominal pain from bowel obstruction secondary to incarcerated inguinal hernia. Spermatic cord dissection during hernioplasty revealed duplication of the vas deferens within the right spermatic cord. Doppler ultrasonography confirmed absence of waveforms in both vasa deferentia with arterial signal in the accompanying vessel. The hernia was repaired without complication. This report emphasizes recognition of duplicate vas deferens in avoiding iatrogenic injury and optimizing surgical outcome.