Application Of Mesh Research Articles

Low Reynolds number backward-facing step flow calculation and adaptive mesh application

In this paper, a study of the flow behavior in a backward facing step in low Reynolds number range from 100 to 800 is conducted using COMSOL Multiphysics®. The k-ε turbulence model is takne into account. The investigation starts from a standard mesh and then refine the standard mesh using an adaptive mesh refinement method. The horizontal and vertical velocity component profiles, pressures and the velocity quiver are shown on the refined meshes. The overall characteristics of separating shear layer, the flow behavior of the transverse vortices in the main flow and a reattachment length on a lower side wall is presented. The effectiveness of the adaptive mesh refinement method is verified and the method could be expected as a CAE analysis tool for industrial utilization.

The Effect of Different levels of a Network Reinforced System and Curing Methods on Properties of Different Acrylic Resin Denture Base Materials.

This study aimed to compare the effect of the addition of light-cured fibre SES mesh at different levels (near the polished surface, at the middle, and near the tissue surface) within different acrylic resin denture base materials on the transverse strength and the surface hardness. One hundred and twenty samples were prepared from three types of acrylic resin denture base materials (high impact heat cured, cross-linked heat cured, and microwaved cured acrylic resins) to test the transverse strength and surface hardness. The samples were divided into four groups: Group1(samples without fibre reinforcement, Control group, n = 30); Group 2 (samples reinforced using SES mesh network near the tissue surface of the acrylic resin sample, n = 30); Group 3 (samples reinforced using SES mesh network near to the polished surface of the acrylic resin sample, n = 30); Group 4 (samples reinforced using SES mesh reinforced network at the middle of the acrylic resin sample, n = 30). The data were statistically analyzed using one-way ANOVA and Tukey's post hoc test at a 0.05 level of significance (SPSS software, version 19.0). One-way ANOVA showed a significant difference in the mean values of transverse strength between all levels of fibre mesh applications and without fibre mesh reinforcement (P < 0.05). Tukey's post hoc test showed that mesh-reinforced fibre in Group 4 had the highest mean value, while the control group showed the lowest mean value. One-way ANOVA showed a significant difference in the mean surface hardness values between cross-linked heat-cured and microwave-cured acrylic resins (P< 0.05). There was no significant difference in the mean surface hardness values between all levels of fibre mesh applications and without fibre mesh reinforcement for high-impact heat-cured acrylic resin (P ˃ 0.05). SES-reinforced glass fibre mesh at different levels significantly increased the transverse strength for different acrylic resin materials but had less effect on the surface hardness for all types of acrylic resin materials.

APPLICATION OF THREE-DIMENSIONAL MODELING TO OPTIMIZE THE DIMENTIONS OF THE SPEED CONTROL DEVICE WITH ROTARY STOPPER IN THE FORM OF A CLOSED-LOOP HYDRAULIC SYSTEM

The aim of this work is to create a three-dimensional model of a new speed change control device using an engineering CAD system Solidworks. In particular, the article describes the methods of computer construction of a three-dimensional model of a rotary stopper in the form of a closed-loop hydraulic system of the device for smooth control of speed changes through a gear differential. The control link can be either a ring gear, or a carrier, or a sun gear. Ways of creating new parts of the device, use of elements from standard libraries and coordination of their dimensions in assembly have been considered. The ability to parameterize the dimensions allows you to automate the creation of both a single part and the whole device of a particular design, based on the specified source data. The application of special meshes for modeling movable and fixed joints allows you to correctly place the parts, control the correctness of their assembly, and then conduct kinematic and power studies of the device, animate its elements in motion. It has been concluded that the use of computer three-dimensional modeling in the design of such stoppers allows: at the initial stage of design to get a visual idea of the stopper of rotational motion; use a computer to view the created model from any point; easy to edit three-dimensional models, i.e. make the necessary changes; achieve great savings in time and design costs; get a large number of possible design solutions that need to be analyzed in detail and in depth to choose the rational, i.e. the best fit. The created model of the stopper of rotational movement allows to choose the optimal place of its installation in a gear differential of the device of speed change from the point of view of use of the minimum sizes and volume. Based on this, computer simulation must precede design. Keywords: three-dimensional modeling; rotary stopper; closed-loop hydraulic system; gear differential

Digital Twin Geometry for Fibrous Air Filtration Media

Computational modeling of air filtration is possible by replicating nonwoven nanofibrous meltblown or electrospun filter media with digital representative geometry. This article presents a methodology to create and modify randomly generated fiber geometry intended as a digital twin replica of fibrous filtration media. Digital twin replicas of meltblown and electrospun filter media are created using Python scripting and Ansys SpaceClaim. The effect of fiber stiffness, represented by a fiber relaxation slope, is analyzed in relation to resulting filter solid volume fraction and thickness. Contemporary air filtration media may also be effectively modeled analytically and tested experimentally in order to yield valuable information on critical characteristics, such as overall resistance to airflow and particle capture efficiency. An application of the Single Fiber Efficiency model is incorporated in this work to illustrate the estimation of performance for the generated media with an analytical model. The resulting digital twin fibrous geometry compares well with SEM imagery of fibrous filter materials. This article concludes by suggesting adaptation of the methodology to replicate digital twins of other nonwoven fiber mesh applications for computational modeling, such as fiber reinforced additive manufacturing and composite materials.

Preparation and Application of Superhydrophobic Copper Mesh by Chemical Etching and In-situ Growth.

Oily sewage and floating oil in the ocean post a huge threat to the ecological environment, therefore, developing an efficient separation for oil/water mixtures is an urgent need. Currently, superhydrophobic materials exhibit excellent oil/water separation ability. In this study, a superhydrophobic copper mesh prepared by the chemical etching method and the in-situ growth method and the performance evaluation are introduced. The oxide layer on the surface of the copper mesh is first removed by pickling, and then immersed in FeCl3 solution for chemical etching to make the surface rough, stearic acid (SA) is used for in-situ growth to reduce the surface energy, a superhydrophobic oil-water separation copper mesh is obtained. The water contact angle (WCA) of the copper mesh is more than 160°. The copper mesh is chemically stable and can effectively adsorb floating oil and separate the oil-water mixture. After several oil-water separation experiments, the oil-water separation efficiency can still be above 98%. The effects of the concentration of FeCl3 and SA on the contact angle and oil-water separation efficiency are investigated, the results show that when the concentration of FeCl3 is 2% and SA is 1.5%, the WCA and oil-water separation efficiency are the largest. The research used a simple and environmentally friendly method to prepare the oil-water separation copper mesh, which has important application significance for water quality restoration.

A novel algorithm of the digital nervous tissue phantom creation based on 3D Voronoi diagram application

The essential part of mathematical modelling of nutrients convectional reaction-diffusion is creation of a digital phantom of considered biological object. This process becomes an especial problem which needs to be solved before numerical calculations of the concentration gradients will be done. There are two principal ways to get the solution in this case. The first approach is the reconstruction of a digital phantom on the base of the experimental data directly. The second one is the creation of a virtual object according to the experimental evidence and the known principals de novo. The main advantage of the created phantom is a high adaptability to modelling demands and a physical problem formulation. In the present study a new algorithm of a digital phantom creation has been established. The principles of the claimed procedures are demonstrated by the example of a nervous tissue. Initially, one needs to create N 3D objects according to Voronoi diagrams. Each object has 144 edges and 69 boundaries on average. Having chosen M rear objects, a long 3D structure mimicking neurons axons is created according to a loft procedure from the start boundaries to the end ones. Then, the set of Boolean operations has been applied to form continuous smooth objects. The remain (N-(M+s)) objects are combined into several whole bodies using the loft procedures between the closet neighbours. The final structure has a good conformity with a nervous tissue architecture. Furthermore, the obtained phantom is correct to the mesh application and further numerical calculations.

Using Prophylactic Prolene Mesh to Reduce the Incidence of Incisional Hernia at the Site of Stoma Closure

Abstract Background Incisional hernias at stoma sites are not an infrequent problem, occurring in up to 30% of cases and it also varied in a range of studies from 0-48%. Objectives This is a prospective study to detect the feasibility of application of prolene mesh at the site of stoma closure in reducing the rate of post stomal incisional. INTRODUCTION Abdominal wall hernias are common and are a significant cause of morbidity. Stomas are commonly constructed following colorectal surgery to protect distal anastomosis or when sepsis prevents primary anastomosis. There is a risk of a wide range of morbidity following both stoma formation and stoma reversal (Chow et al., 2009). Incisional hernias at stoma sites are not an infrequent problem, occurring in up to 30% of cases and it also varied in a range of studies from 0-48% (Tilney et al., 2008). They occur over time and are generally under-reported, which may be due to the elderly nature of the population, the significant co-morbidities or early discharge from follow-up (Cingi et al., 2006). One in three patients may develop a hernia after stoma closure, and around half of hernias that are detected require repair.Risk of hernia is greater after colostomy closure than after ileostomy closure(Bhangu et al., 2012). A meta-analysis published in 2012 investigated the incidence of incisional hernia following closure of stoma, The overall mean incisional hernia rate following stoma closures was 7.4%. The authors reported a lower risk of hernia following reversal of ileostomy when compared to respectively (Bhangu et al., 2012). A further systematic review found a similar incidence for stoma site incisional hernias to be 8.3% (0–33.9%) (Nguyen et al., 2014). Two factors should be noted with regard to the incidence of stoma site hernia. Firstly, that the long-term risk is not known and secondly, that clinical examination alone is shown to have a lower detection rate of incisional hernia post stoma closure when compared to clinical imaging (Bhangu et al., 2012; Cingi et al., 2006). Therefore, studies focusing on only clinical examination may be underestimating the prevalence, as radiological detected herniae may become symptomatic over time and may be missed in studies with a short follow-up period. AIM OF THE WORK This is a prospective study to detect the feasibility of application of prolene mesh at the site of stoma closure in reducing the rate of post stomal incisional.

Experimental investigation on the influencing factors of the thermal response test using actively heated fiber optics

Shallow geothermal energy has received extensive attention as renewable energy for sustainable development in the last few decades. Thermal conductivity, usually estimated in-situ by thermal response test (TRT), is a key parameter for evaluating shallow geothermal energy resources and designing boreholes heat exchanges. However, it is still challenging to collect accurate data about strata thermal conductivity. With the application of copper mesh heated optical cable, actively heated fiber (CMCH), optics based thermal response test (ATRT) offers the possibility of fast and accurate in-situ estimation of thermal conductivity. However, the heat transfer process of ATRT is different from the traditional TRT and there is no standardized ATRT method yet. In this study, the influences of heating duration, heating power and recover time were studied using a physical model box. The results indicate that: (1) A more accurate calculated thermal conductivity requires a longer heating duration, considering the costs and errors, the heating duration is recommended to be in the range of 90∼400 minutes. (2) The heating power has no significant effect on the calculated thermal conductivity but 15∼40 W·m−1 is recommended considering the measurement accuracy of DTS equipment. (3) If ATRT was interrupted, there should be a recover time longer than 24 hours before the following ATRT to avoid the interference of the previous test.

Cohesively Enhancing the Conductance, Mechanical Robustness, and Environmental Stability of Random Metallic Mesh Electrodes via Hot-Pressing-Induced In-Plane Configuration.

Flexible transparent conductive electrode (FTCE) is highly desirable due to the fast-growing flexible optoelectronic devices. Several promising FTCEs based on metal material have been developed to replace conventional indium tin oxide (ITO). The random metal mesh is considered to be one of the competitive candidates. However, obtaining feasible random metal mesh with low sheet resistance, high transparency, good mechanical durability, and strong environmental stability is still a great challenge. Here, a random metal mesh-based FTCE with an in-plane structure, achieved by a facile hot-pressing process, is demonstrated. The hot-pressing process enables the fabrication of highly conductive FTCE with improved mechanical robustness and environmental stability. The in-plane FTCE shows a low sheet resistance of 1.63 Ω·sq-1 with an 80.6% transmittance, low relative resistance increase (RRI) of 7.9% after 240 h 85 °C/85% RH test, and low RRI of 8.0% after 105 cycles of bending test. Besides, various applications of the in-plane FTCE were demonstrated, including the flexible heater, flexible touch screen, and flexible electroluminescence. We anticipate that these results will spark interest in in-plane random metal mesh electrodes and enable the application of random metal mesh in flexible optoelectronic devices.

Research Progress of Titanium Polypropylene Mesh in Breast Reconstruction

To investigate the application of titanium polypropylene mesh in breast reconstruction. In this study, we selected the literature data in recent 4 years to analyze the application of titanium polypropylene mesh in breast reconstruction. Using the keywords of “breast reconstruction,” “titanium polypropylene mesh,” “application” and “research progress,” we analyzed and summarized the related research progress of titanium polypropylene mesh in breast reconstruction. The research was conducted using the analysis of titanium polypropylene mesh, titanium polypropylene mesh in breast reconstruction surgery advantages, adverse complications related to titanium polypropylene mesh in breast reconstruction surgery and preventive measures. By constantly improving these aspects in the research process, the current study has certain value, and may guide the research work of titanium mesh in breast reconstruction.

Adipose-Derived Stem Cells Based on Electrospun Biomimetic Scaffold Mediated Endothelial Differentiation Facilitating Regeneration and Repair of Abdominal Wall Defects via HIF-1α/VEGF Pathway.

Application of synthetic or biological meshes is the main therapy for the repair and reconstruction of abdominal wall defects, a common disease in surgery. Currently, no ideal materials are available, and there is an urgent need to find appropriate ones to satisfy clinical needs. Electrospun scaffolds have drawn attention in soft tissue reconstruction. In this study, we developed a novel method to fabricate a composite electrospun scaffold using a thermoresponsive hydrogel, poly (N-isopropylacrylamide)-block-poly (ethylene glycol), and a biodegradable polymer, polylactic acid (PLA). This scaffold provided not only a high surface area/volume ratio and a three-dimensional fibrous matrix but also high biocompatibility and sufficient mechanical strength, and could simulate the native extracellular matrix and accelerate cell adhesion and proliferation. Furthermore, rat adipose-derived stem cells (ADSCs) were seeded in the composite electrospun scaffold to enhance the defect repair and regeneration by directionally inducing ADSCs into endothelial cells. In addition, we found early vascularization in the process was regulated by the hypoxia inducible factor-1α (HIF-1α)/vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) pathway. In our study, overexpression of HIF-1α/VEGF in ADSCs using a lentivirus system promoted early vascularization in the electrospun scaffolds. Overall, we expect our composite biomimetic scaffold method will be applicable and useful in abdominal wall defect regeneration and repair in the future.

Experimental study of a free piston Stirling cooler with wound wire mesh regenerator

Free piston Stirling coolers have the advantages of high energy efficiency, environmental friendliness, wide cooling temperature range and easily-controlled cooling capacity, which is very attractive for deep-freezing applications. From the perspective of enhancing its competitiveness, here reports the use of wound wire mesh instead of the conventional stacked wire mesh to fill the regenerator, which brings low material waste, simplified manufacturing process and low flow resistance. In order to optimize the performance, a method of squeezing the bulges with variable heights into the mesh to adjust the porosity is used. A numerical model of cooler is first established to assist the system design, then experiments are done and compared with the simulation results. In the experiments, a coefficient of performance using wound wire mesh regenerator with a porosity of 72.7% is 0.8 at 102 W@-38 °C and 0.25 at 45 W@-80 °C, respectively. Though the comparison with stacked wire mesh regenerator shows that it leads to a relatively worse performance, the cooling performance is still comparable to that of vapor-compression refrigerators in the deep-freezing temperature region. Through further optimization, the application of wound wire mesh is promising.

Technip to supply Hummingbird catalyst for LanzaJet's biorefinery in Georgia

The paper presents the development of a strategy for the fine-mesh full-core computation of neutron noise in nuclear reactors. Reactor neutron noise is related to fluctuations of the neutron flux induced by stationary perturbations of the properties of the system. Its monitoring and analysis can provide useful insights in the reactor operations. The model used in the work relies on the neutron diffusion approximation and requires the solution of both the criticality (eigenvalue) and neutron noise equations. A high-resolution spatial discretization of the equations is important for an accurate evaluation of the neutron noise because of the strong gradients that may arise from the perturbations. Considering the size of a nuclear reactor, the application of a fine mesh generates large systems of equations which can be challenging to solve. Then, numerical methods that can provide efficient solutions for these kinds of problems using a reasonable computational effort, are investigated. In particular the power method accelerated with the Chebychev or JFNK-based techniques for the eigenvalue problem, and GMRES with the Symmetric Gauss-Seidel, ILU, SPAI preconditioners for the solution of linear systems, are evaluated with the computation of neutron noise in the case of localized perturbations in 1-D and 2-D simplified reactor cores and in a 3D realistic reactor core.

Tailoring electrospun mesh for a compliant remodeling in the repair of full-thickness abdominal wall defect - The role of decellularized human amniotic membrane and silk fibroin

Tailored electrospun meshes have been increasingly explored for abdominal wall defect repair in preclinical and clinical studies. However, the fabrication of a bioengineered mesh adapts to the intraperitoneal repair for a compliant remodeling remains a great challenge. In this study, we fabricated a functional mesh by combining polycaprolactone (PCL) with silk fibroin (SF) and decellularized human amniotic membrane (HAM) proportionally via electrospinning. SF was integrated with PCL (40:60 w/w) to regulate the structural flexibility. Micronized HAM was incorporated to PCL/SF (10:90 w/w) to provide a biocompatible milieu with functions being conferred to facilitate intraperitoneal repair. After the blend electrospinning, the PCL/SF/HAM mesh was characterized in vitro and implanted into the rat model with a full-thickness defect for a comprehensive evaluation in comparison to the PCL and PCL/SF meshes. The results demonstrated that electrospinning fabricated PCL stabilized the mechanical elongation toward approximating the native counterparts after integrating with SF. After integrating with HAM, which is coupled with diverse biomolecular compositions, the developed PCL/SF/HAM mesh provided a better microenvironment for cell proliferation and vasculogenic network over other meshes without HAM addition and possessed the functions capable of inhibiting transforming growth factor β1 (TGF-β1) expression and collagen secretion under inflammatory conditions. Moreover, the functional mesh developed less-intensive adhesion along with histologically weaker inflammatory response and foreign body reaction than the PCL and PCL/SF meshes after 90 days in vivo. During the remodeling process, the bioactive structure induced more pronounced neovascularization and remarkable incorporation of collagen and elastin fibers and contractile filaments for a mechanically sufficient and physiologically stiffness-matched healing. This tailor-made mesh expands the intraperitoneal applicability of conventional electrospun meshes for a compliant remodeling in the repair of abdominal wall defects.

Development of plasma functionalized polypropylene wound dressing for betaine hydrochloride controlled drug delivery on diabetic wounds

Diabetes Mellitus is one of the most worrying issues among illnesses, and its chronic subsequences almost refer to inflammations and infections. The loading and local release of antioxidants to wounds may decrease inflammations. However, the low wettability of PolyPropylene (PP) restricts the drug from loading. So, to increase the adhesion of PP for loading an optimum amount of Betaine Hydrochloride (BET), plasma has been applied in two steps of functionalization and polymerization, which has been confirmed with FE-SEM, ATR-FTIR, and EDX. The new chemistry of the surface led to almost 80% of BET loaded. The drug-releasing ratio studied by HPLC approved the presence of a PEG-like layer, which was coated by polymerization of tetraglyme. To evaluate the wound healing potential of the application of PP meshes treated by plasma, 72 Wistar rats were subdivided into four groups. The skin injury site was removed and underwent biomechanical tests, stereological analysis, and RNA extraction. The results showed a significant improvement in the polymerized scaffold containing BET for skin injury. The present study suggests that the use of a modified PP mesh can induce tissue regeneration and accelerate wound healing at the skin injury site.

Research progress in titanium mesh application for bone augmentation in oral implantology

Guided bone regeneration technique is a conventional method to repair various bone defects among series of techniques for bone augmentation around implant. Due to the excellent mechanical properties and biological compatibility, titanium mesh has unique advantages in the application of guided bone regeneration technology, such as broad clinical indications, high stability in osteogenesis. Though there are still some complications during the application of titanium mesh, a number of studies have tried to prevent the complications, so as to increase the success rate of bone augmentation surgery. This review elaborates the characteristics of titanium mesh, conventional clinical applications, common complications in application, and the research progress of its application and improvement, in order to provide reference for the improvement of titanium mesh in clinical and research applications.

Application of MCNP unstructured mesh in the design process of the ITER EC-UL M3 mirror

Finite element analysis (FEA) is widely used in engineering to accurately model physical systems. FEA enables multi-physics investigations to be undertaken efficiently and increases the cohesiveness of interdisciplinary engineering assessments. Thanks to the recent implementation of the FEA Unstructured Mesh capability (UM) into MCNP6, radiation transport is now able to contribute more effectively to such multi-physics investigations. Furthermore, the use of UM in MCNP allows complicated components to be modelled more accurately since it does not have the geometrical limitations of the alternate Constructive Solid Geometry method (CSG), leading to more accurate simulations and inherent results. The ITER Electron Cyclotron-Upper Launcher (EC-UL) M3 Mirror is a complex component currently under design that had required various engineering assessments that utilise FEA such as mechanical and thermohydraulic. Therefore, this neutronics assessment took advantage of the UM capability of MCNP6.2 to be consistent with the other assessments. The peak volumetric nuclear heating for this component was found to be 3.76 ± 22.0 % W/cm3 by this method. The total integral nuclear heating was found to be 6595.1 ± 0.6 W, an increase of 9.3 % on the previous design but with a slightly different deposition distribution. Crucially, the total integral nuclear heating of the CuCrZr reflector was determined to be 142.92 ± 0.07 W, a decrease of 69 % from the previous mirror design allowing the fulfilment of the mechanical code and standards.

The results of polypropylene mesh application at anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction

Anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) repair remains one of the most common surgeries in orthopedics and traumatology. The evolution of the ACL repair technique continues, new fixators appear, and the position of the graft, its shape and size are modified. Semi-tendon and gracilis muscle (STG) grafts are the most common used due to low-trauma and technically simple method of obtaining. Its disadvantage is a long period of intratunnel incorporation, one of the ways of this acceleration is the implantation of a polypropylene mesh. In an experiment on rabbits, we proved its positive effect. Objective. To develop a method of improving the intratunnel incorporation of STG-graft at ACL repair of the knee joint using polypropylene mesh. Methods. Results of 75 patients were analyzed. The study group consisted of 35 patients who underwent surgery during 2018–2019 using polypropylene mesh, comparative group — 40 patients who had surgical treatment in 2017. Evaluated demographic data, pre-operation period, recovery functions, complications rate, data of KOOS and IKDC scales. Results. Non-specific data of the inflammatory process (CRP and ESR) did not change significantly in patients with inserted polypropylene mesh. They did not have more pronounced pain after surgery, there were less cases of reactive synovitis with significantly minimized the number of the knee joint punctures. Restorationof knee function was faster, and early weight bearing of the leg allowed up to 6 months. Better results by the KOOS and IKDC scales received after surgery. Conclusions. Implantation of polypropylene mesh around the intratunnel part of STG-graft at ACL repair surgery did not increase the complications rate and allowed to improve the dynamics of limb function recovery up to 6 months after surgery.

Endoscopic preperitoneal parastomal hernia repair (ePauli repair) : an observational study

BackgroundAspiring endoscopic surgery with extraperitoneal mesh application to avoid adhesion and pain from mesh fixation, we adopted the principles of the open Pauli repair of parastomal hernia (PSH). We have termed the procedure ePauli repair. The aim of this account is to inform about feasibility and adverse reactions.MethodsPatients with PSH selected for ePauli repair with transversus abdominis release (TAR) were enrolled in a prospective observational study. Patients were operated with laparoscopic or robotic assistance and endoscopic Rives-Stoppa repair in cases with concomitant midline hernia. Coated meshes or a buffer mesh was used in the retromuscular pocket for this modification of the Sugarbaker principle.ResultsFifteen patients were included: six patients were operated laparoscopically and nine patients with robotic assistance. The median age of the stomas was 33 months (7–313). Five PSHs were recurrent after previous repairs. Median operating time without midline hernia repair was 156 min (107–233) and with midline hernia repair 241 min (176–286). One serosa lesion arose during operation, prompting intraoperative revision of the ostomy without postoperative morbidity. Two patients had postoperative obstruction and were readmitted to operation: one with multiple adhesions and one had kinking of the stoma bowel caused by insufficient incision of the transversalis fascia. No infections or seromas have been observed. One patient had discoloring of the flank with spontaneous remission, and one patient had recurrence. Median postoperative admission time was 3 days (1–19). Median follow-up is 10 months (0–27).ConclusionsePauli repair is technically challenging but feasible. With our limited experience, we are encouraged with the pain, complication, and functional summary after ePauli repair and hopeful for the recurrence profile. ePauli/TAR is not for every patient or every surgeon and whether it should be restrained to recurrent PSH or be offered as first-line treatment for PSH is disputable.

Multi-center investigation of breast reconstruction after mastectomy from Chinese Society of Breast Surgery: A survey based on 31 tertiary hospitals (CSBrS-004).

ObjectiveMulti-center data on the current status and trends of breast reconstruction after mastectomy in China are lacking. Herein, we conducted a cross-sectional survey to investigate the current clinical practice pattern of postmastectomy breast reconstruction among Chinese female patients with breast cancer.MethodsA standardized questionnaire used to collect information on breast reconstruction among females diagnosed with breast cancer was distributed by 31 members of the Chinese Society of Breast Surgery between January 1, 2018 and December 31, 2018. Information was collected on tumor characteristics, treatment, mesh application, nipple-areola complex (NAC) preservation, postoperative complications, bilateral reconstruction, patient satisfaction and local recurrence. The overall rate of breast reconstruction was assessed, and the characteristics were compared across patient groups with different reconstruction approaches.ResultsA total of 1,554 patients underwent breast reconstruction after total mastectomy, with a reconstruction rate of 9.6%. Among them, 1,190 were implant-based, and 262 underwent autologous reconstructions, while 102 cases underwent a combination of both. Patients who underwent implant-based reconstruction were younger than those who received autologous reconstruction (40.1±4.6 vs. 45.0±5.9, P=0.004). Compared to patients with autologous reconstruction, mesh application (25.5% vs. 6.5%), NAC preservation (51.8% vs. 40.5%) and reconstruction failure (1.8% vs. 0) were more frequently reported among those with implant-based reconstruction. There was no significant difference in general satisfaction across three reconstruction approaches, though patients with autologous reconstruction reported the highest aesthetic satisfaction among the three groups (P=0.044). ConclusionsImplant-based breast reconstruction remains the dominant choice among patients, while autologous reconstruction was associated with higher aesthetic satisfaction. Our multi-center investigation based on the findings of the tertiary hospitals of Chinese Society of Breast Surgery may guide a future series of clinical studies on breast reconstruction in China.