Liquid silicone, which is often used for breast augmentation and other cosmetic procedures, can cause respiratory failure if not injected properly by a licensed physician. A study of individuals who underwent illegal silicone injections revealed a high fatality rate from pulmonary silicone embolism, or obstruction of the lungs. The study was presented at the annual meeting of the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA).
"The illegal use of fluid silicone is a practice that carries life-threatening risks, and the community should be aware of the complications," said Carlos S. Restrepo, M.D., director of chest radiology at the University of Texas Health Science Center, San Antonio.
Dr. Restrepo and colleagues compiled the imaging findings of 44 patients with pulmonary embolism that resulted from illegal silicone injection, constituting the largest case series to date.
Seven patients who presented to the hospital with respiratory distress due to illicit silicone injection were studied, along with an additional 37 cases from the literature. Patients' demographic information, clinical presentation, imaging findings and outcome were analyzed.
"Twenty-five of the patients were transsexual males, and 19 were females," Dr. Restrepo said. "The most common sites of injection were the breast, hips, buttocks, vagina, chest and arms."
All 44 patients experienced respiratory difficulties after receiving the injections, and nearly half experienced fever. One-quarter of the patients died from resultant bleeding in the lungs.
Silicone that is injected improperly travels through the bloodstream and causes blood to coagulate in the lungs, creating circulatory obstructions that can be immediately life-threatening if not identified and treated quickly. The imaging findings of pulmonary silicone embolism include dark, hazy patches in the lung tissue on x-rays or computed tomography (CT) scans.
"Transsexual males in particular should be checked closely for signs of pulmonary embolism when they show symptoms of respiratory distress and fever," Dr. Restrepo emphasized. Male transsexuals often undergo cosmetic procedures of the breasts, genitalia and other areas to make them appear more feminine.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration banned silicone injections in 1992, but people still seek them out because they are cheaper and easier to get than professional plastic surgery or hormone therapy and provide immediate results. In surgical clinics, transgender patients are often required to undergo psychological testing before receiving treatment.
Unfortunately, the illicit nature of the injections makes it hard to estimate how common they actually are. However, the increasing popularity of the "pumping party" - where a host will inject a number of people with silicone in the same sitting - indicates both the demand and the ready availability of the substance.
Dr. Restrepo expressed the difficulties of conducting long-term follow-up with patients who present with these complications, because of the underground nature of the practice. It is hoped, he said, that by making the public and the medical community aware of the symptoms and severe consequences of illegal silicone use, mortality risks and patient outcomes from this clandestine practice will improve.
Co-authors are Santiago Martinez-Jimenez, M.D., Jorge Carrillo, Aura L. Rivera and Santiago E. Rossi, M.D.
RSNA is an association of more than 40,000 radiologists, radiation oncologists, medical physicists and related scientists committed to promoting excellence in radiology through education and by fostering research, with the ultimate goal of improving patient care. The Society is based in Oak Brook, Ill.
The data in these releases may differ from those in the printed abstract and those actually presented at the meeting, as researchers continue to update their data right up until the meeting.
Contact: Maureen Morley
Radiological Society of North America
понедельник, 16 мая 2011 г.
Collagen Manufactured From Transgenic Tobacco Plants At Hebrew University
A scientist at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem's Robert H. Smith Faculty of Agriculture, Food and Environment has succeeded in producing a replica of human collagen from tobacco plants - an achievement with tremendous commercial implications for use in a variety of human medical procedures.
Natural human type I collagen is the most abundant protein in the human body and is the main protein found in all connective tissue. Commercially produced collagen (pro-collagen) is used in surgical implants and many wound healing devices in regenerative medicine. The current market for collagen-based medical devices in orthopedics and wound healing exceeds US $30 billion annually worldwide.
Currently, commercial collagen is produced from farm animals such as cows and pigs as well as from human cadavers. These materials are prone to harbor human pathogens such as viruses or prions (mad-cow disease). Human cadaver is scarce, and for certain indications possesses serious ethical issues.
Producing human recombinant type I pro-collagen requires the coordinated expression of five different genes. Prof. Oded Shoseyov of the Robert H. Smith Institute of Plant Sciences and Genetics in Agriculture has established the only laboratory in the world that has reported successful co-expression all the five essential genes in transgenic tobacco plants for the production of processed pro-collagen. For this work, Shoseyov was one of the recipients of a Kaye Innovation Award during the Hebrew University Board of Governors meeting in June.
Shoseyov's invention on has been patented, and the scientific findings behind it were published recently in the journal Biomacromolecules. A company, CollPlant Ltd., has been established based on patents and technology that were developed in Shoseyov's laboratory. It has raised US$15 million to establish the first commercial molecular farming company in Israel and is already manufacturing collagen-based products that have attracted collaborative commercial interest from companies in the US, Japan Europe and Israel.
Yissum, the technology transfer company of the Hebrew University, is one of the shareholders of CollPlant.. CollPlant is a public company traded in "TASE", and the potential revenue for the Hebrew University from this invention is estimated to reach into the multi-million dollar range.
The Kaye Awards have been given annually since 1994. Isaac Kaye of England, a prominent industrialist in the pharmaceutical industry, established the awards to encourage faculty, staff, and students of the Hebrew University to develop innovative methods and inventions with good commercial potential which will benefit the university and society.
Natural human type I collagen is the most abundant protein in the human body and is the main protein found in all connective tissue. Commercially produced collagen (pro-collagen) is used in surgical implants and many wound healing devices in regenerative medicine. The current market for collagen-based medical devices in orthopedics and wound healing exceeds US $30 billion annually worldwide.
Currently, commercial collagen is produced from farm animals such as cows and pigs as well as from human cadavers. These materials are prone to harbor human pathogens such as viruses or prions (mad-cow disease). Human cadaver is scarce, and for certain indications possesses serious ethical issues.
Producing human recombinant type I pro-collagen requires the coordinated expression of five different genes. Prof. Oded Shoseyov of the Robert H. Smith Institute of Plant Sciences and Genetics in Agriculture has established the only laboratory in the world that has reported successful co-expression all the five essential genes in transgenic tobacco plants for the production of processed pro-collagen. For this work, Shoseyov was one of the recipients of a Kaye Innovation Award during the Hebrew University Board of Governors meeting in June.
Shoseyov's invention on has been patented, and the scientific findings behind it were published recently in the journal Biomacromolecules. A company, CollPlant Ltd., has been established based on patents and technology that were developed in Shoseyov's laboratory. It has raised US$15 million to establish the first commercial molecular farming company in Israel and is already manufacturing collagen-based products that have attracted collaborative commercial interest from companies in the US, Japan Europe and Israel.
Yissum, the technology transfer company of the Hebrew University, is one of the shareholders of CollPlant.. CollPlant is a public company traded in "TASE", and the potential revenue for the Hebrew University from this invention is estimated to reach into the multi-million dollar range.
The Kaye Awards have been given annually since 1994. Isaac Kaye of England, a prominent industrialist in the pharmaceutical industry, established the awards to encourage faculty, staff, and students of the Hebrew University to develop innovative methods and inventions with good commercial potential which will benefit the university and society.
What Is Cosmetic Surgery? What Is Plastic Surgery?
Plastic surgery has two branches, cosmetic surgery and reconstructive plastic surgery. Cosmetic surgery is concerned with improving the aesthetic appearance of a person, while plastic surgery may include this, or just the reconstruction (reconstructive surgery). Reconstructive plastic surgery is concerned with improving function; however, it may also involve trying to approximate normal appearance, but that is not its primary function. Reconstructive plastic surgery is often referred as simply reconstructive surgery.
Some parts of the world completely separate cosmetic surgery and plastic surgery and term cosmetic surgery as elective surgery, non-essential surgery, surgery which the patient chooses to have; while plastic surgery is understood to mean surgery to reconstruct or improve appearance after injury or illness.
News on Cosmetic Surgery / Plastic Surgery
For the latest news and research on Cosmetic Surgery / Plastic Surgery, and to sign up to newsletters or news alerts, please visit our Cosmetic Surgery / Plastic Surgery News Section.
This article focuses on cosmetic surgery only.
According to official statistics, approximately 65,000 surgical cosmetic procedures were performed in 2008 in the UK - 50% more than in 2003. Breast enlargement was the most popular procedure, followed by rhinoplasty (nose job, nose reshaping), liposuction, and face-lifts. Cosmetic surgery in the USA is far more popular:
Surgical cosmetic procedures USA, 2007
Liposuction 456,828
Breast augmentation 399,440
Eyelid surgery 240,763
Abdominoplasty 185,335
Female breast reduction 153,087
Total - 1,435,444
(
Some parts of the world completely separate cosmetic surgery and plastic surgery and term cosmetic surgery as elective surgery, non-essential surgery, surgery which the patient chooses to have; while plastic surgery is understood to mean surgery to reconstruct or improve appearance after injury or illness.
News on Cosmetic Surgery / Plastic Surgery
For the latest news and research on Cosmetic Surgery / Plastic Surgery, and to sign up to newsletters or news alerts, please visit our Cosmetic Surgery / Plastic Surgery News Section.
This article focuses on cosmetic surgery only.
According to official statistics, approximately 65,000 surgical cosmetic procedures were performed in 2008 in the UK - 50% more than in 2003. Breast enlargement was the most popular procedure, followed by rhinoplasty (nose job, nose reshaping), liposuction, and face-lifts. Cosmetic surgery in the USA is far more popular:
Surgical cosmetic procedures USA, 2007
Liposuction 456,828
Breast augmentation 399,440
Eyelid surgery 240,763
Abdominoplasty 185,335
Female breast reduction 153,087
Total - 1,435,444
(
Surgeons Assemble On Capitol Hill For Landmark Advocacy Conference -Joint Surgical Advocacy Conference To Be Held March 9-11, 2008, In Washington
For the first time ever, surgeons from a wide variety of specialties are joining together to create a powerful, unified voice on Capitol Hill at the 2008 Joint Surgical Advocacy Conference (JSAC). The innovative three-day event will host more than 300 physicians from across the nation and focus on critical issues facing the U.S. healthcare system and surgery.
Surgeons will descend on Capitol Hill to urge Congress to fix the Medicare Sustainable Growth Rate (SGR) formula and avoid looming cuts in physician payments scheduled for July 1, 2008 and January 1, 2009. It is critical that Congress take action immediately to replace the Medicare cuts with positive updates based on practice cost increases, or seniors could face a crisis when accessing the healthcare they need. The Congressional meetings will also provide the opportunity for surgeons to discuss with legislators other important healthcare initiatives impacting their patients and clinical practices.
In addition to one-on-one interactions with their Members of Congress, the physicians will hear from distinguished guests. Attendees will be taught the ins-and-outs of the legislative process from Judy Schneider, a leading authority on Congress, and develop basic lobbying skills from Julius Hobson, Jr., senior policy advisor at Powell Goldstein LLP. Ronald Brownstein, formerly the Los Angeles Times national affairs columnist and now the political director for Atlantic Media Company, will discuss the 2008 election cycle.
Sponsors of the conference include the American Academy of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, American Academy of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, American Association of Neurological Surgeons, American College of Osteopathic Surgeons, American College of Surgeons, American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery, American Society of Plastic Surgeons, Congress of Neurological Surgeons, and the Society of American Gastrointestinal and Endoscopic Surgeons. Combined, the organizations represent more than 100,000 surgeons nationwide.
Academy of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery
Surgeons will descend on Capitol Hill to urge Congress to fix the Medicare Sustainable Growth Rate (SGR) formula and avoid looming cuts in physician payments scheduled for July 1, 2008 and January 1, 2009. It is critical that Congress take action immediately to replace the Medicare cuts with positive updates based on practice cost increases, or seniors could face a crisis when accessing the healthcare they need. The Congressional meetings will also provide the opportunity for surgeons to discuss with legislators other important healthcare initiatives impacting their patients and clinical practices.
In addition to one-on-one interactions with their Members of Congress, the physicians will hear from distinguished guests. Attendees will be taught the ins-and-outs of the legislative process from Judy Schneider, a leading authority on Congress, and develop basic lobbying skills from Julius Hobson, Jr., senior policy advisor at Powell Goldstein LLP. Ronald Brownstein, formerly the Los Angeles Times national affairs columnist and now the political director for Atlantic Media Company, will discuss the 2008 election cycle.
Sponsors of the conference include the American Academy of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, American Academy of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, American Association of Neurological Surgeons, American College of Osteopathic Surgeons, American College of Surgeons, American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery, American Society of Plastic Surgeons, Congress of Neurological Surgeons, and the Society of American Gastrointestinal and Endoscopic Surgeons. Combined, the organizations represent more than 100,000 surgeons nationwide.
Academy of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery
Common Hip Disorder Can Cause Sports Hernia
Sports hernias are commonly found in individuals with a mechanical disorder of the hip and can be resolved with surgery to fix the hip disorder alone in some cases, according to a recent study. The research, conducted by investigators at Hospital for Special Surgery, will be presented at the American Orthopedic Society for Sports Medicine 2011 Specialty Day meeting, held Feb. 19 in San Diego following the annual meeting of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons.
"If individuals have symptoms of athletic pubalgia otherwise known as sports hernia, doctors should carefully assess their hip joint to make sure there is not an underlying mechanical problem in the hip that may be the bigger problem in the overall function of the athlete," said Bryan Kelly, M.D., co-director of the Center for Hip Pain and Preservation at Hospital for Special Surgery who led the study. "If patients present with both sports hernia and femoro-acetabular impingement symptoms, you have to consider what the order of treatment should be or whether you should just treat one." He said the research suggests that treating the joint mechanics first is optimal and if problems persist, doctors can then try surgery for the sports hernia.
In recent years, a hip condition known as femoro-acetabular impingement (FAI) or hip impingement has become widely recognized in the medical community. The hip is a ball-and-socket joint where the upper end of the thigh bone fits into the cup-shaped socket of the pelvis. In a healthy hip joint, the ball rotates freely in the cup, but in some people a bony bump on the upper thigh bone produces a situation where there is inadequate space for the hip bone to move freely in the socket. The result is damage to the socket rim and the cartilage that lines the bones, which can lead to hip arthritis. In the past few years, doctors have thought that this condition may also cause sports hernias. A sports hernia is a tearing of the tissue that forms the inner part of the abdominal wall and inserts into the pubic bone.
To investigate how often FAI is associated with sports hernia, researchers examined the records of all professional athletes who underwent arthroscopic surgery at HSS for symptomatic FAI between April 2005 and April 2010. Patients were included if their FAI limited their ability to return to competitive play. The group, 38 in total, included nine baseball players, 13 football players, eight hockey players, five soccer players, two basketball players, and one skater. Retrospective data regarding prior athletic sports hernia surgery, ability to return to play, and duration until return to play was collected from all patients.
The investigators found that while 32 percent of the athletes had previously undergone surgery for their hernia, none of them had been able to return to their previous level of competition with the hernia surgery alone. One patient underwent hernia surgery at the same time as the FAI surgery. Thirty-nine percent of patients had hernia symptoms that resolved with FAI surgery alone and 36 of 38 patients were able to return to their previous level of play. All 12 patients that had both hernia and FAI surgery were able to return to professional competition. On average, athletes were able to return to their sport 5.9 months after arthroscopic surgery.
This is the first paper that has looked at the coincidence of FAI and sports hernia, and has practical implications for practice. "Groin pulls and lower abdominal muscle strains are frequently associated with hip joint mechanical problems, and patients should make sure that doctors are looking at both those locations as potential sources of the pain," said Dr. Kelly, who is also in the Sports Medicine and Shoulder Service at HSS. "Before this study we knew that both impingement in the hip joint and athletic pubalgia were the cause of decreased function and pain in athletes. Now we recognize that there is a close relationship between those two, and oftentimes the problems coexist and need to be looked at when treatment options are being discussed."
Other Hospital for Special Surgery investigators involved in the study include Asheesh Bedi, M.D., former resident who is now at the University of Michigan Medical Center; Sommer Hammoud, M.D.; Erin Magennis, B.A.; William Meyers, M.D., Drexel University College of Medicine; and Bryan Kelly, M.D.
A High Incidence of Athletic Pubalgia in Professional Athletes with Symptomatic FAI. AOSSM Specialty Day
Saturday, Feb. 19, 8:30 a.m. - 8:37 a.m. San Diego Convention Center, Ballroom 20A.
"If individuals have symptoms of athletic pubalgia otherwise known as sports hernia, doctors should carefully assess their hip joint to make sure there is not an underlying mechanical problem in the hip that may be the bigger problem in the overall function of the athlete," said Bryan Kelly, M.D., co-director of the Center for Hip Pain and Preservation at Hospital for Special Surgery who led the study. "If patients present with both sports hernia and femoro-acetabular impingement symptoms, you have to consider what the order of treatment should be or whether you should just treat one." He said the research suggests that treating the joint mechanics first is optimal and if problems persist, doctors can then try surgery for the sports hernia.
In recent years, a hip condition known as femoro-acetabular impingement (FAI) or hip impingement has become widely recognized in the medical community. The hip is a ball-and-socket joint where the upper end of the thigh bone fits into the cup-shaped socket of the pelvis. In a healthy hip joint, the ball rotates freely in the cup, but in some people a bony bump on the upper thigh bone produces a situation where there is inadequate space for the hip bone to move freely in the socket. The result is damage to the socket rim and the cartilage that lines the bones, which can lead to hip arthritis. In the past few years, doctors have thought that this condition may also cause sports hernias. A sports hernia is a tearing of the tissue that forms the inner part of the abdominal wall and inserts into the pubic bone.
To investigate how often FAI is associated with sports hernia, researchers examined the records of all professional athletes who underwent arthroscopic surgery at HSS for symptomatic FAI between April 2005 and April 2010. Patients were included if their FAI limited their ability to return to competitive play. The group, 38 in total, included nine baseball players, 13 football players, eight hockey players, five soccer players, two basketball players, and one skater. Retrospective data regarding prior athletic sports hernia surgery, ability to return to play, and duration until return to play was collected from all patients.
The investigators found that while 32 percent of the athletes had previously undergone surgery for their hernia, none of them had been able to return to their previous level of competition with the hernia surgery alone. One patient underwent hernia surgery at the same time as the FAI surgery. Thirty-nine percent of patients had hernia symptoms that resolved with FAI surgery alone and 36 of 38 patients were able to return to their previous level of play. All 12 patients that had both hernia and FAI surgery were able to return to professional competition. On average, athletes were able to return to their sport 5.9 months after arthroscopic surgery.
This is the first paper that has looked at the coincidence of FAI and sports hernia, and has practical implications for practice. "Groin pulls and lower abdominal muscle strains are frequently associated with hip joint mechanical problems, and patients should make sure that doctors are looking at both those locations as potential sources of the pain," said Dr. Kelly, who is also in the Sports Medicine and Shoulder Service at HSS. "Before this study we knew that both impingement in the hip joint and athletic pubalgia were the cause of decreased function and pain in athletes. Now we recognize that there is a close relationship between those two, and oftentimes the problems coexist and need to be looked at when treatment options are being discussed."
Other Hospital for Special Surgery investigators involved in the study include Asheesh Bedi, M.D., former resident who is now at the University of Michigan Medical Center; Sommer Hammoud, M.D.; Erin Magennis, B.A.; William Meyers, M.D., Drexel University College of Medicine; and Bryan Kelly, M.D.
A High Incidence of Athletic Pubalgia in Professional Athletes with Symptomatic FAI. AOSSM Specialty Day
Saturday, Feb. 19, 8:30 a.m. - 8:37 a.m. San Diego Convention Center, Ballroom 20A.
Link Between Gastric Bypass Surgery And Neurological Conditions
A decade-long study by neurologists at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) in Little Rock has found a link between the increasingly popular weight-loss surgery known as gastric bypass and several serious neurological conditions.
Katalin Juhasz Pocsine, M.D., associate professor in the UAMS Department of Neurology, is lead author of the study, which was published online May 22 in the medical journal Neurology (neurology/cgi/content/abstract/68/21/1843). The study concludes that patients who undergo gastric bypass surgery, also known as bariatric surgery, are at risk for long-term vitamin and mineral deficiencies and may develop a variety of neurological symptoms.
"The frequency of operations for treatment of obesity is rapidly growing in the United States," Juhasz Pocsine said. "These procedures are usually successful in reducing weight, but they are not without risk. Many of the complications patients experience affect the nervous system, and they are often disabling and irreversible."
More than 150 patients who came to the UAMS Neurology Clinic following gastric bypass were included in the report. In 26 of these patients, a link between the surgery and their neurological condition was found.
All of the patients involved in the study had previously undergone the Roux-en-Y gastric bypass procedure in which a small stomach pouch is created by stapling part of the stomach together and bypassing part of the small bowel, resulting in reduced food intake and a decreased ability to absorb the nutrients in food. The interval between surgery and onset of neurological symptoms ranged from 4 weeks to 18 years.
Additional authors include UAMS Department of Neurology faculty members Sami I. Harik, M.D., department chairman and professor of neurology; Stacy A. Rudnicki, M.D., associate professor of neurology; and Robert L. "Lee" Archer, M.D., associate professor of neurology.
The 26 people involved in the study were followed for several years by UAMS physicians and represent the largest compilation of gastric bypass patients with neurological complications ever reported.
"As is evident from our findings, the neurological complications of bariatric surgery involve most parts of the nervous system, and frequently more than one," Juhasz Pocsine said. "The conditions experienced by our patients spanned most regions of the nervous system from the cerebral cortex to the peripheral nerves."
Symptoms of the patients in the study included confusion, auditory hallucinations, optic neuropathy, weakness and loss of sensation in the legs, and pain in the feet, among other conditions. None of the patients had prior neurological symptoms.
Many of the patients also experienced multiple nutritional abnormalities, especially low serum copper, vitamin B12, vitamin D, iron and calcium.
"Attention should be given to long-term intake of vitamin and mineral supplements to prevent some of these complications and to avoid severe and rapid weight loss," Juhasz Pocsine said. "Patients should be made aware of the symptoms that herald these neurological complications, and physicians should attend to the wide-based nutritional deficiencies as early as possible."
UAMS is the state's only comprehensive academic health center, with five colleges, a graduate school, a medical center, six centers of excellence and a statewide network of regional centers. UAMS has about 2,430 students and 715 medical residents. It is one of the state's largest public employers with about 9,400 employees, including nearly 1,000 physicians who provide medical care to patients at UAMS, Arkansas Children's Hospital, the VA Medical Center and UAMS' Area Health Education Centers throughout the state. UAMS and its affiliates have an economic impact in Arkansas of $5 billion a year. For more information, visit uams.
University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences
4301 W. Markham St., Slot 716
Little Rock, AR 72205
United States
uams
Katalin Juhasz Pocsine, M.D., associate professor in the UAMS Department of Neurology, is lead author of the study, which was published online May 22 in the medical journal Neurology (neurology/cgi/content/abstract/68/21/1843). The study concludes that patients who undergo gastric bypass surgery, also known as bariatric surgery, are at risk for long-term vitamin and mineral deficiencies and may develop a variety of neurological symptoms.
"The frequency of operations for treatment of obesity is rapidly growing in the United States," Juhasz Pocsine said. "These procedures are usually successful in reducing weight, but they are not without risk. Many of the complications patients experience affect the nervous system, and they are often disabling and irreversible."
More than 150 patients who came to the UAMS Neurology Clinic following gastric bypass were included in the report. In 26 of these patients, a link between the surgery and their neurological condition was found.
All of the patients involved in the study had previously undergone the Roux-en-Y gastric bypass procedure in which a small stomach pouch is created by stapling part of the stomach together and bypassing part of the small bowel, resulting in reduced food intake and a decreased ability to absorb the nutrients in food. The interval between surgery and onset of neurological symptoms ranged from 4 weeks to 18 years.
Additional authors include UAMS Department of Neurology faculty members Sami I. Harik, M.D., department chairman and professor of neurology; Stacy A. Rudnicki, M.D., associate professor of neurology; and Robert L. "Lee" Archer, M.D., associate professor of neurology.
The 26 people involved in the study were followed for several years by UAMS physicians and represent the largest compilation of gastric bypass patients with neurological complications ever reported.
"As is evident from our findings, the neurological complications of bariatric surgery involve most parts of the nervous system, and frequently more than one," Juhasz Pocsine said. "The conditions experienced by our patients spanned most regions of the nervous system from the cerebral cortex to the peripheral nerves."
Symptoms of the patients in the study included confusion, auditory hallucinations, optic neuropathy, weakness and loss of sensation in the legs, and pain in the feet, among other conditions. None of the patients had prior neurological symptoms.
Many of the patients also experienced multiple nutritional abnormalities, especially low serum copper, vitamin B12, vitamin D, iron and calcium.
"Attention should be given to long-term intake of vitamin and mineral supplements to prevent some of these complications and to avoid severe and rapid weight loss," Juhasz Pocsine said. "Patients should be made aware of the symptoms that herald these neurological complications, and physicians should attend to the wide-based nutritional deficiencies as early as possible."
UAMS is the state's only comprehensive academic health center, with five colleges, a graduate school, a medical center, six centers of excellence and a statewide network of regional centers. UAMS has about 2,430 students and 715 medical residents. It is one of the state's largest public employers with about 9,400 employees, including nearly 1,000 physicians who provide medical care to patients at UAMS, Arkansas Children's Hospital, the VA Medical Center and UAMS' Area Health Education Centers throughout the state. UAMS and its affiliates have an economic impact in Arkansas of $5 billion a year. For more information, visit uams.
University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences
4301 W. Markham St., Slot 716
Little Rock, AR 72205
United States
uams
Plastic Surgeons Offer Guidelines To Prevent Serious ATV Injuries In Kids
Fourteen-year old Cristian Avina knows all too well the devastating injuries all-terrain vehicles (ATVs) can cause. Four months ago, Cristian and his sister, Rociel, hopped on an ATV for a little innocent fun in the desert near their home. Cristian was riding tandem with his sister when a bird flew into them causing him to lose control. The ATV crashed, sending Cristian and Rociel flying - neither was wearing a helmet. Cristian suffered serious head injuries, including an amputated ear.
"This has been a nightmare," said Martha Avina, Cristian and Rociel's mother. "Rociel was not badly hurt and went for help. Upon her return, she saw that her brother had been pecked at and his severed ear had been partially eaten by vultures. Cristian's ear could not be reattached - reconstructive plastic surgery to rebuild it started this summer."
Whether on vacation or out for recreation, many adults and children are hopping on ATVs for some warm weather fun. But ATVs are not toys. They can go more than 60 miles per hour, weigh more than 700 pounds and tip over easily. In fact, more than 135,000 Americans are injured in ATV-related accidents each year, 30 percent of them children, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) reports.
The American Society of Maxillofacial Surgeons (ASMS) and the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS) are urging ATV riders, especially parents and children, to be more cautious and follow safety tips to help reduce the incidence of ATV-related injuries.
"Unfortunately, cases like Cristian's are not uncommon," said ASMS President Andrew Wexler, MD. "It will take multiple reconstructive surgeries - attaching an implant, providing soft tissue coverage and skin grafting - to rebuild Cristian's ear. Each year, plastic surgeons treat thousands of patients with severe head trauma, eye injuries, disfiguring lacerations and facial fractures from ATV accidents. These debilitating injuries may be avoided by following a few safety tips."
Plastic surgeons strongly recommend following the CPSC safety tips for ATV riders:
Get properly trained
Always wear protective gear - especially a helmet
Many ATV injuries are head injuries.
Additional protective gear includes closed toed shoes, goggles, gloves, long pants, and long-sleeved shirts to protect against cuts.
Children under 16 should never ride adult-sized ATVs
Children should only use ATVs that are appropriate for their age. Most injuries occur when a child is driving or riding an adult-sized ATV.
Never ride tandem
Most ATVs are designed for one person; a passenger can make it difficult for drivers to control the machine.
Don't ride on paved roads
ATVs can be very difficult to control on pavement; collisions with cars and other vehicles can be deadly.
Never ride at night
Don't ride under the influence
"When it comes to protective gear, it's especially important to wear a helmet, since many ATV-related injuries involve trauma to the head and face," said ASPS President Richard D'Amico, MD. "Studies show helmets can reduce non-fatal head injuries by 64 percent and deaths by 42 percent."
"ATVs can be treacherous and difficult to steer. They are not like riding a bicycle," said Dr. Wexler. "The injuries we see from these machines can be devastating."
The American Society of Maxillofacial Surgeons is the oldest organization representing maxillofacial plastic surgeons. The members of the ASMS are surgeons of high moral and ethical standing and professional attainment, who are experts in craniofacial restoration. The mission of the American Society of Maxillofacial Surgeons is to advance the science and practice of surgery of the facial region and the craniofacial skeleton. The Society accomplishes its mission through excellence in education and research, and through advocacy on behalf of patients and practitioners.
The American Society of Plastic Surgeons is the largest organization of board-certified plastic surgeons in the world. Representing more than 6,700 physician members, the Society is recognized as a leading authority and information source on cosmetic and reconstructive plastic surgery. ASPS comprises more than 90 percent of all board-certified plastic surgeons in the United States. Founded in 1931, the Society represents physicians certified by The American Board of Plastic Surgery or The Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada. For more information, please visit plasticsurgery/.
"This has been a nightmare," said Martha Avina, Cristian and Rociel's mother. "Rociel was not badly hurt and went for help. Upon her return, she saw that her brother had been pecked at and his severed ear had been partially eaten by vultures. Cristian's ear could not be reattached - reconstructive plastic surgery to rebuild it started this summer."
Whether on vacation or out for recreation, many adults and children are hopping on ATVs for some warm weather fun. But ATVs are not toys. They can go more than 60 miles per hour, weigh more than 700 pounds and tip over easily. In fact, more than 135,000 Americans are injured in ATV-related accidents each year, 30 percent of them children, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) reports.
The American Society of Maxillofacial Surgeons (ASMS) and the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS) are urging ATV riders, especially parents and children, to be more cautious and follow safety tips to help reduce the incidence of ATV-related injuries.
"Unfortunately, cases like Cristian's are not uncommon," said ASMS President Andrew Wexler, MD. "It will take multiple reconstructive surgeries - attaching an implant, providing soft tissue coverage and skin grafting - to rebuild Cristian's ear. Each year, plastic surgeons treat thousands of patients with severe head trauma, eye injuries, disfiguring lacerations and facial fractures from ATV accidents. These debilitating injuries may be avoided by following a few safety tips."
Plastic surgeons strongly recommend following the CPSC safety tips for ATV riders:
Get properly trained
Always wear protective gear - especially a helmet
Many ATV injuries are head injuries.
Additional protective gear includes closed toed shoes, goggles, gloves, long pants, and long-sleeved shirts to protect against cuts.
Children under 16 should never ride adult-sized ATVs
Children should only use ATVs that are appropriate for their age. Most injuries occur when a child is driving or riding an adult-sized ATV.
Never ride tandem
Most ATVs are designed for one person; a passenger can make it difficult for drivers to control the machine.
Don't ride on paved roads
ATVs can be very difficult to control on pavement; collisions with cars and other vehicles can be deadly.
Never ride at night
Don't ride under the influence
"When it comes to protective gear, it's especially important to wear a helmet, since many ATV-related injuries involve trauma to the head and face," said ASPS President Richard D'Amico, MD. "Studies show helmets can reduce non-fatal head injuries by 64 percent and deaths by 42 percent."
"ATVs can be treacherous and difficult to steer. They are not like riding a bicycle," said Dr. Wexler. "The injuries we see from these machines can be devastating."
The American Society of Maxillofacial Surgeons is the oldest organization representing maxillofacial plastic surgeons. The members of the ASMS are surgeons of high moral and ethical standing and professional attainment, who are experts in craniofacial restoration. The mission of the American Society of Maxillofacial Surgeons is to advance the science and practice of surgery of the facial region and the craniofacial skeleton. The Society accomplishes its mission through excellence in education and research, and through advocacy on behalf of patients and practitioners.
The American Society of Plastic Surgeons is the largest organization of board-certified plastic surgeons in the world. Representing more than 6,700 physician members, the Society is recognized as a leading authority and information source on cosmetic and reconstructive plastic surgery. ASPS comprises more than 90 percent of all board-certified plastic surgeons in the United States. Founded in 1931, the Society represents physicians certified by The American Board of Plastic Surgery or The Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada. For more information, please visit plasticsurgery/.
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