Plastic Surgery: Lymphedema

The Scientific Board of the California Medical Association presents the following inventory of items of progress in plastic surgery. Each item, in the judgment of a panel of knowledgeable physicians, has recently become reasonably firmly established, both as to scientific fact and important clinical significance. The items are presented in simple epitome, and an authoritative reference, both to the item itself and to the subject as a whole, is generally given for those who may be unfamiliar with a particular item. The purpose is to assist busy practitioners, students, researchers, or scholars to stay abreast of these items of progress in plastic surgery that have recently achieved a substantial degree of authoritative acceptance, whether in their own field of special interest or another.The items of progress listed below were selected by the Advisory Panel to the Section on Plastic Surgery of the California Medical Association, and the summaries were prepared under its direction.     

Ophthalmology: Keratorefractive Surgery

The Council on Scientific Affairs of the California Medical Association presents the following epitomes of progress in ophthalmology. Each item, in the judgment of a panel of knowledgeable physicians, has recently become reasonably firmly established, both as to scientific fact and clinical importance. The items are presented in simple epitome, and an authoritative reference, both to the item itself and to the subject as a whole, is generally given for those who may be unfamiliar with a particular item. The purpose is to assist busy practitioners, students, researchers, and scholars to stay abreast of progress in medicine, whether in their own field of special interest or another.The epitomes included here were selected by the Advisory Panel to the Section on Ophthalmology of the California Medical Association, and the summaries were prepared under the direction of Alfred C. Marrone, MD, and the panel.     

Surgery Issue: Tissue-Engineered Blood Vessels in Pediatric Cardiac Surgery

Pediatric cardiovascular surgeons often encounter patients requiring surgical intervention utilizing foreign materials to repair complex lesions. However, the materials that are commonly used lack growth potential, and long-term results have revealed several material-related failures, such as stenosis, thromboembolization, calcium deposition, and risk of infection. To solve these problems, in particular for children who require the implantation of dynamic material with growth potential, we sought to develop optimal filling materials with biocompatibility and growth potential. Previously, we reported the advantages of tissue-engineered vascular autografts (TEVAs) in animal models and in human clinical applications utilizing autologous cells and biodegradable scaffolds. The key benefits from utilizing such scaffolds is that they degrade in vivo, thereby avoiding the long-term presence of foreign ma-terials, and the seeded cells proliferate and differentiate to construct new tissue.     

Oral Surgery: Present and Future

The history of the specialty of oral surgery is reviewed from the days of its origin, when it was essentially confined to exodontia, to its present status, in which it includes many and varied surgical operations relative to the human jaws and their associated structures. The scope and training pertinent to modern oral surgery are discussed. A three-year program on a graduate basis, required as partial fulfilment of the qualifications for accreditation and certification by the American Board of Oral Surgery, is described in detail. The need for mutual understanding by the medical and dental professions, as to what this specialty has to offer in terms of a total community health program, is emphasized.     

Plastic Surgery: Face-lift and Blepharoplasty

The Council on Scientific Affairs of the California Medical Association presents the following inventory of items of progress in plastic surgery. Each item, in the judgement of a panel of knowledgeable physicians, has recently become reasonably firmly established, both as to scientific fact and important clinical significance. The items are presented in simple epitome, and an authoritative reference, both to the item itself and to the subject as a whole, is generally given for those who may be unfamiliar with a particular item. The purpose is to assist busy practitioners, students, researchers, and scholars to stay abreast of these items of progress in plastic surgery that have recently achieved a substantial degree of authoritative acceptance, whether in their own field of special interest or another.The items of progress listed below were selected by the Advisory Panel to the Section on Plastic Surgery of the California Medical Association, and the summaries were prepared under its direction.     

Gender-Affirming Surgery: Perioperative Medical Care

ObjectiveGender-affirming surgeries are becoming increasingly common in the United States. For many transgender and gender-diverse patients, gender-affirming surgery is a critical aspect of their overall health and wellness and has a significant impact on their social functioning. Although often the role of the primary care provider, endocrinology specialists may also need to counsel their patients and collaborate with surgical teams.MethodsThis narrative review provides an overview of the preoperative assessment and perioperative management for the most common gender-affirming surgeries.ResultsPreoperative assessment prior to gender-affirming surgeries can resemble assessment for other surgeries.ConclusionIn the absence of data specific to gender-affirming surgeries, risk stratification and amelioration must use surrogate data from other populations.