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The Effect of Amniotic Membrane and Fat Grafts on Capsular Contracture Print

The ASERF Scientific Research Committee and Board of Directors are pleased to announce the following grant award:

Researcher: Hooman Soltanian

Grant Award: ASERF Interim Grant

Amount Awarded: $24,000

Project Name: The Effect of Amniotic Membrane and Fat Grafts on Capsular Contracture 

Project Summary: Capsular contracture is a common problem in both breast augmentation and implant-based breast reconstruction cases, which are among the most frequently performed plastic surgery procedures today. Capsular contracture can lead to cosmetic deformity, pain, emotional hardship and can result in additional, unplanned procedures and post-operative recovery time. In spite of the prevalence and morbidity of this problem, few studies have offered solutions for altering the underlying pathophysiology (1), and there are currently no clinical means for managing this problem other than performing revisionary surgical procedures.

Two tissues that have shown interesting properties in surgical fields are human amniotic membrane (HAM) and autologous fat. HAM has been shown to have anti-inflammatory, anti-scarring and antimicrobial effects (2). Similarly, fat grafting has been used to treat the sequelae of radiation-induced skin changes, a phenomenon which has been explained by the effect of Adipose Derived Stem Cells (ADSCs) on fibrotic tissues (3,4). Given the anti-inflammatory and anti-fibrotic properties of these tissues, we believe that HAM and autologous fat grafts could be used to prevent and/or treat capsular contracture. The current study will examine the effect of HAM and fat grafts on radiation induced fibrosis; a first step in possible human application.

 
The Validation of the Efficacy of a "Breast Implant Teaching Model" to improve patient, resident, and staff education in breast augmentation Print

The ASERF Scientific Research Committee and Board of Directors are pleased to announce the following grant award:

Researcher: Caroline Glicksman, MD

Grant Award: ASERF Interim Grant

Amount Awarded: $4,150

Project Name: The Validation of the Efficacy of a "Breast Implant Teaching Model" to improve patient, resident, and staff education in breast augmentation 

Project Summary: Substantial effort has been placed on rede?ning breast augmentation as more than just a surgical procedure. Peer reviewed publications document that complication rates and revision rates can be reduced when a greater emphasis is placed on preoperative patient education. Today, comprehensive patient education requires the physician become a more effective communicator. It is also important that any additional staff members such as patient educators and surgical coordinators, who often play an integral role in implant selection and the informed consent process, be trained in a similar fashion. Decisions made by the patient pre-operatively may have more of an impact on the quality of their result and its longevity than the surgical procedure itself, and it is during the educational portion of the breast implant consultation that surgeons have the best opportunity to introduce informed consent documents that will hold patients accountable for their decisions.

Most plastic surgeons and their staff develop their communication skills over many years. Of?ces are increasingly turning towards tools and technology to enhance their patient’s educational experience. Methods that include the senses; visual, touch, listening, 3-D images, and models, all improve the informed consent process. The breast implant teaching model was developed to provide patients with the opportunity to better comprehend their own anatomy, understand how their breast implants will be sized, where the breast implants may be placed, and most importantly, how we can best avoid producing the most common breast implant complications. The Breast Implant Teaching Model is an anatomically correct, life-sized mannequin. It will be inexpensive to fabricate, it is portable, and it is designed to bridge the common cultural and intellectual barriers that typically exist in patient education and the informed consent process.

 
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