The Expanding Role of Diagnostic Ultrasound in Plastic Surgery

Abstract

Supplemental Digital Content is available in the text.

Prospective Study of Saline versus Silicone Gel Implants for Subpectoral Breast Augmentation

“…High-resolution ultrasound is quickly becoming a popular tool in plastic surgery offices. 3 This technology allows point-of-care evaluation of breast implants and is accurate in detecting ripples, folds, and other abnormalities. Animation deformity is a well-known complication of subpectoral implants.…”

Ultrasound Surveillance Offers a Safe and Effective Method for Venous Thromboembolism Prevention in Plastic Surgery Patients

“…Notably, four of the five studies do not discuss or reference ultrasound surveillance for VTE [1,2,4,5], although 4.5% of surveyed plastic surgeons report using this modality for screening and management [2]. Today, ultrasound applications in plastic surgery are a subject of intense interest [10][11][12][13][14]. At the 2018 meeting of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons, ultrasound screening for deep venous thromboses was chosen as ''Best of Hot Topics.''…”

“…It is far better to diagnose a deep venous thrombosis on ultrasound than on autopsy. Nevertheless, despite numerous publications and presentations supporting the efficacy and safety of ultrasound in VTE prevention [10][11][12][13][14][19][20][21], this strategy is often overlooked [1,2,4,5]. Scientifically, one can accept contradictory evidence or reject it, but not ignore it.…”

Reconsidering the Role of Routine Anticoagulation for Venous Thromboembolism Prevention in Plastic Surgery

“… 35 Ultrasound surveillance removes the guesswork inherent in any risk prediction model by accurately detecting thromboses after surgery. 19 , 24 , 41 , 42 Patient surveys show that 93% of patients prefer ultrasound surveillance to anticoagulation. 41 The rate of hematomas among 188 abdominoplasty patients in a recent study of outpatients who did not receive chemoprophylaxis was zero.…”

“…Such a solution is already available. 19 , 24 , 41 , 42 This technology has been shown to be effective, safe, and feasible for plastic surgeons. 19 , 24 , 41 , 42 …”