Background The purpose of this study is to evaluate if and what social media use influences our patients’ decisions to undergo breast augmentation. Objectives A single-institution study was designed to evaluate women who underwent elective breast augmentation from 2017 to 2018. Methods Patients were contacted via validated, prompted telephone survey. Data regarding their demographic information and social media utilization pertaining to breast augmentation were collected after obtaining verbal consent. Results Inclusion criteria were met by 180 patients, of which 69% participated in the survey. Ninety-seven percent of the participants reported utilizing social media in general; the most common platforms were Facebook, Instagram, and the physician’s website. Millennials (97%) and Generation X (92%) utilized social media the most and none of the baby boomers. Sixty-four percent of participants reported utilizing some form of social media to research breast augmentation, with the most common resource being Instagram. When analyzing the impact of the social media resources utilized by the participants, Instagram was reported as the most impactful at 54%. Only 18% of participants were utilizing a physician’s social media account to research breast augmentation. Among the 50% of patients who utilized social media to compare their surgeon’s work with another physician’s, the majority (83%) were utilizing the physician’s website. Conclusions Social media influences patients’ education and decisions to undergo breast augmentation, with Instagram being the most impactful. This study evaluated the patient population to stay up to date on their social media utilization and resources of education prior to breast augmentation.

Background Not all women undergo breast reconstruction despite its vital role in the recovery process. Previous studies have reported that women who are ethnically diverse and of lower socioeconomic status are less likely to undergo breast reconstruction, but the reasons remain unclear. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the demographic characteristics of our patient population and their primary reason for not undergoing breast reconstruction. Methods An institutional review board-approved, single-institution study was designed to evaluate all female breast cancer patients of all stages who underwent mastectomy but did not undergo breast reconstruction from 2008 to 2014. Patients were contacted via telephone and asked to participate in a validated, prompted survey. Data regarding their demographic information and primary reason for not undergoing breast reconstruction were collected. Results Inclusion criteria were met by 181 patients, of which 61% participated in the survey. Overall, the most common reason for not undergoing breast reconstruction (26%) was unwillingness to undergo further procedures. However, the most common reason for patients that identified as Hispanic, Spanish-speaking, high school graduates, or having an annual income less than US $25,000 (P < 0.05) was insufficient information received. Conclusions This study demonstrates that ethnicity and socioeconomic factors play a key role in determining why patients forego breast reconstruction. Ethnicity, language, education, income, and employment status are associated with patients not receiving appropriate education regarding their reconstructive options. Breast surgeons with a diverse patient population should ensure that these patients are adequately educated regarding their options, and if perhaps, more of these patients would decide to partake in the reconstruction process.

Pressure sores usually occur over bony prominences. Based on the distribution of pressure, sacral pressure sores are more common in supine patients, and ischial pressure sores are more common in sitting patients. Patients in acute care settings, in nursing homes, or with spinal cord injuries are among the most commonly affected populations. Pressure sores are a recurrent problem with multiple risk factors including direct pressure, friction, shearing forces, immobility, and moisture. Malnutrition, anemia, and chronic illness can also contribute to their formation by the impairment of blood supply and delayed wound healing. This chapter reviews the operative technique for using different types of gluteal flaps as coverage for sacral pressure sores. It highlights essential components of preoperative, operative, and postoperative decision-making and common postoperative complications encountered.

Lung transplantation is a definitive treatment for select patients with end-stage pulmonary disease. Following transplantation, the reported rate of lung cancer is between 1-9% and is associated with a variety of risk factors, including smoking history and chronic immunosuppression. The majority of post-transplant lung cancer reported in the literature is histologically classified as non-small cell lung carcinoma (NSCLC). We report a unique case of early stage small cell lung carcinoma (SCLC) identified in the native lung following single lung transplantation.

No abstract