Shammas RL

[BACKGROUND] Radiation therapy (RT) significantly increases the risk of capsular contracture after implant-based breast reconstruction. However, the relationship between anatomic plane placement (eg, submuscular or prepectoral) and the deve…

Microsurgery continues to evolve, integrating advanced imaging, robotic techniques, perfusion assessment, artificial intelligence, anastomotic devices, and enhanced recovery after surgery pathways. High-resolution ultrasound and augmented r…

[BACKGROUND] Advances in orthopedic oncology have significantly improved outcomes following extremity tumor resections; however, complications like nonunion, hardware failure, and radiation-induced fractures can occur after orthopedic fixat…

Abdominally based free flap breast reconstruction offers excellent long-term outcomes, but donor-site morbidity remains a concern. Lower back pain is a prevalent musculoskeletal condition that may impair core stability and abdominal donor-s…

Increased awareness of textured breast implants' association with breast implant-associated anaplastic large cell lymphoma has led to rising rates exchange from textured anatomic implants to smooth round implants, which can alter breast est…

[BACKGROUND] Patients undergoing abdominal-based free flap breast reconstruction are at risk for perioperative venous thromboembolism (VTE), but the optimal anticoagulation protocol remains unknown. We hypothesized that a standardized chemo…

[INTRODUCTION] This study aimed to develop and validate an aesthetic grading tool (AGT) for bilateral DIEP flap breast reconstruction and investigate the correlation of BREAST-Q scores with perceived aesthetic outcomes. [METHODS] The AGT u…

[BACKGROUND] Enhanced recovery after surgery (ERAS) protocols can reduce the length of stay (LOS) for surgical patients, including those undergoing unilateral deep inferior epigastric artery perforator (DIEP) flap breast reconstruction, all…

Composite defects of the scalp and calvarium are complex reconstructive problems. Bony reconstruction is often achieved with synthetic implants, demanding robust soft tissue coverage. In cases where the native scalp has been compromised, fr…

[BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE] Venous thromboembolism (VTE) remains a leading cause of preventable morbidity and mortality in surgical patients, with individuals undergoing abdominal-based free flap breast reconstruction representing a particul…

[BACKGROUND] Tissue expander-based breast reconstruction is associated with high rates of infectious complications, often leading to tissue expander explants and delays in receipt of definitive breast reconstruction and adjuvant therapy. In…

[BACKGROUND] Although patient satisfaction ratings are increasingly used as hospital and provider performance metrics, these ratings may be affected by factors extraneous to surgeon performance. [OBJECTIVES] The aim of this study was to as…

[OBJECTIVE] Rooted in economics market strategies, preference signaling was introduced to the Plastic Surgery Common Application (PSCA) in 2022 for integrated plastic surgery residency applicants. This study surveyed program and applicant e…

The latissimus muscle continues to be a head to toe workhorse in free tissue transfer for coverage of large defects. Traditional full muscle harvest is performed in the lateral decubitus position which is frequently suboptimal or requires p…

[PURPOSE] Composite measures, like textbook outcomes, may be superior to individual metrics when assessing hospital performance and quality of care. This study utilized a Delphi process to define a textbook outcome in DIEP flap breast recon…

[BACKGROUND] There is a lack of consensus detailing the optimal approach to free-flap breast reconstruction when considering immediate, delayed, or staged techniques. This study compared costs, complications, and healthcare resource utiliza…

[BACKGROUND] Timing of surgical intervention is controversial among patients seeking correction of congenital breast deformities. [OBJECTIVES] This study aimed to assess the influence of age on 30-day complications and unplanned healthcare…

[BACKGROUND] Tracking surgical complications and unplanned healthcare utilization is essential to inform quality initiatives in aesthetic surgery. This study used the Tracking Operations and Outcomes for Plastic Surgeons database to charact…

Vein grafts enable soft-tissue reconstruction in cases of insufficient pedicle length, a lack of nearby recipient vessels, and a wide zone of injury caused by trauma or radiation therapy. The purpose of this article is to provide a comprehe…

[BACKGROUND]  Free-flap breast reconstruction after failed implant reconstruction is associated with improved patient outcomes. How the level of satisfaction achieved compares between patients with and without previously failed implant reco…

[OBJECTIVE] Step 1 will transition to a pass/fail system in 2022. This study aimed to characterize the effects of this change on integrated plastic surgery program directors' selection criteria and assess whether Step 2 Clinical Knowledge (…

[INTRODUCTION] The incidence of metabolically unhealthy obesity is rising nationally. In this study, we compare wound and overall complications between metabolically unhealthy obese and healthy patients undergoing elective plastic surgery a…

[BACKGROUND] Hospital volume has been correlated with improved outcomes in oncologic care and complex surgical procedures. The authors sought to determine the relationship between overall annual hospital volume and perioperative outcomes fo…

[BACKGROUND]  Microsurgery fellowship applicants make decisions for future training based on information obtained from colleagues, mentors, and microsurgery fellowship program Websites (MFWs). In this study, we sought to evaluate the access…

[BACKGROUND] In the setting of radiation therapy or significant medical comorbidities, free-flap breast reconstruction may be intentionally delayed or staged with tissue expander placement ("delayed-immediate" approach). The effect of a sta…

[BACKGROUND] Patients undergoing mastectomy may not be candidates for immediate free-flap breast reconstruction because of medical comorbidities or postmastectomy radiation therapy. In this setting, flap reconstruction may be intentionally …

[BACKGROUND]  While bipedicled free flaps enable increased soft tissue volume and potential for contralateral symmetry in unilateral breast reconstruction, the influence of bipedicled flap reconstruction on patient-reported outcomes remains…

[BACKGROUND] Postoperative hematoma remains the most common complication in rhytidectomy, prompting surgeons to use a multitude of adjunctive measures to prevent its occurrence. The goal of this systematic review was to determine which of t…

[BACKGROUND] Given the competition in the integrated plastic surgery Match, away rotations are ubiquitous among plastic surgery applicants to differentiate their applications. This study aimed to characterize how performing an away rotation…

[BACKGROUND]  Unplanned returns to the operating room (OR) may be necessary at times to salvage a compromised free flap. The aim of this study was to assess the influence of attending surgeon continuity on free flap outcomes following a ret…