Superior Epigastric Research Articles

Sternal wound types after median sternotomy and reconstruction using dead space-based approach.

This study aims to classify wound complications after median sternotomy and provide an up-to-date reconstructive algorithm for multidisciplinary use. A total of 15 patients (9 males, 6 females; mean age: 68±5 years; range, 60 to 75 years) who underwent sternal reconstruction for wound complications following median sternotomy between August 2020 and October 2023 were retrospectively analyzed. Wound complications requiring reconstruction were classified into three categories based on the extent of the dead space caused by sternal debridement. Type 1, 2, and 3 wounds presented with only skin defects and an intact sternum, with partial and total sternectomy, respectively. The time to consultation for plastic surgery and the duration of hospitalization were compared. Among the wounds, type 2 wounds were the most common type seen in 11 patients. Two patients each had type 1 and type 3 wounds. A superior epigastric artery perforator skin flap was used for type 1 wounds. Bilateral pectoral and split pectoral turnover muscle flaps from the side where the internal mammary artery was intact were used for type 2 wounds. A rectus abdominis muscle flap was used for type 3 wounds. Early consultation from plastic surgery reduced the length of hospital stay. For type 1 wounds, skin flaps ensured sufficient coverage as they involved skin and subcutaneous fat, matching the defect. However, sternal excision required muscle flaps to fill the dead space, in which the vital organs were exposed.

Endovascular and percutaneous embolization of a giant post traumatic arteriovenous fistula of inferior epigastric vessels

BackgroundArteriovenous fistulas involving the anterior abdominal wall can result from trauma. Such fistulas may remain asymptomatic and undetected for a prolonged duration of time. They tend to recruit multiple arterial feeders with remodelling in the feeding arteries, making them challenging to treat.Case presentationWe discuss a rare case of a 60-year-old male who presented with complaints of a progressive painless swelling in right lower abdomen. There was a history of blunt injury to abdomen at the same site during alleged road traffic accident 3 years ago. On CT angiography, an arteriovenous fistula was localised to the anterior abdominal wall arising predominantly from the right inferior epigastric artery with a giant venous sac and terminating as a tortuous single venous channel into the right external iliac vein. Few other small feeders were also seen arising from branches of right superior epigastric artery along Winslow’s pathway. The main challenge in endovascular management of this patient was embolization of a high flow shunt with a large venous sac and multiple arterial feeders. The dominant arterial feeder was embolized using vascular plug. The superficial location of the lesion offered an additional percutaneous window besides endovascular approach. The venous sac was percutaneously accessed and embolized using n-butyl cyanoacrylate after balloon occlusion of outflow vein. On follow up ultrasonographic evaluation at 3 months, near complete thrombosis of the venous sac was achieved.ConclusionsTraumatic arteriovenous fistulas involving the inferior epigastric vessels are rare clinical entities. CT angiogram and digital subtraction angiography help in the optimal diagnosis and treatment planning. The use of mechanical embolization devices to cause flow arrest offers an opportunity to use liquid embolic agents which offer better percolation within the lesion. Interventional radiology offers an ideal management of these complex high flow fistulas with a good technical success and acceptable safety profile.

Internal mammary artery perforator (IMAP) flap plus superior epigastric artery perforator (SEAP) flap as salvage breast reconstruction after multiple surgical failures: a case report

Internal mammary artery perforator (IMAP) flap plus superior epigastric artery perforator (SEAP) flap as salvage breast reconstruction after multiple surgical failures: a case report

The prominent role of percutaneous transarterial embolization in the treatment of anterior abdominal wall hematomas: the results of three high volume tertiary referral centers

PurposePercutaneous transarterial embolization (PTE) represents a fast, safe and effective option for life-threatening anterior abdominal wall hematomas (AWHs) and those unresponsive to conservative treatment. Our study aims to assess cumulative results of safety, technical and clinical success of PTE performed in three high-volume tertiary referral centers and to evaluate the efficacy of the different embolic materials employed.Materials and methodsA consecutive series of 124 patients (72.8 ± 14.4 years) with AWHs of different etiology submitted to PTE were retrospectively collected and analyzed. Clinical success, defined as absence of recurrent bleeding within 96 h from PTE, was considered as primary endpoint. The results of the comparison of three groups based on embolic agent employed were also analyzed.ResultsSpontaneous AWHs accounted for 62.1%, iatrogenic for 21.8% and post-traumatic for 16.1% of cases. SARS-CoV-19 infection was present in 22.6% of patients. The most commonly embolized vessels were epigastric inferior artery (n = 127) and superior epigastric artery (n = 25). Technical and clinical success were 97.6 and 87.1%, respectively. Angiographic signs of active bleeding were detected in 85.5% of cases. Four (4%) major complications were reported. The comparison of the three groups of embolic agents (mechanical, particulate/fluid and combined) showed no statistically significant differences in terms of clinical success. SARS-CoV-2 infection was found to be an independent factor for recurrent bleeding and poor 30-day survival.ConclusionPTE performed with all the embolic agent employed in our centers is a safe and effective tool in the treatment of life-threatening anterior AWH of each origin.

Abdominal wall defect repair with component separation technique for giant omphalocele with previous relaxing incisions on the abdominal skin

BackgroundThe repair of large abdominal wall defects that cannot be closed primarily is quite challenging. The component separation technique (CST) is a surgical approach using autologous tissue to close large abdominal wall defects. The CST requires extensive dissection between the abdominal skin and the anterior sheath of the rectus abdominis muscle. Subsequently, incisions are made at both sides of the external oblique aponeurosis, releasing the external oblique muscle from the internal oblique muscle, and then the right and left rectus abdominis muscles are brought together in the midline for defect closure. However, impairment of blood flow in the abdominal wall skin and necrotic changes are recognized as potential complications.Case presentationThe CST was performed in a 4-year-old boy with a large ventral hernia who had undergone skin closure with abdominal wall relaxing incisions for the primary treatment of giant omphalocele in the neonatal period. Given his history of incisions on the abdominal wall, he was speculated to be at high risk for postoperative skin ischemia. Dissection was therefore kept to a minimum to preserve the blood supply from the superior and inferior epigastric arteries and perforating branches of those arteries through the rectus abdominis muscle. In addition, care was taken to adjust the muscle relaxant dosage while monitoring the intravesical pressure, ensuring that it did not exceed 20 mmHg to avoid impaired circulation in the abdominal wall caused by abdominal compartment syndrome. He was discharged 23 days after the surgery without any complications, and neither recurrence of the ventral hernia nor bowel obstruction was observed in 4 years.ConclusionsA giant omphalocele with primary skin closure was treated by applying the CST. The procedure can be performed safely while preserving the blood flow to the abdominal wall, even in patients with a history of relaxing incisions on the abdominal skin. The CST is expected to be effective for repairing the large abdominal wall defects seen in giant omphalocele when primary closure is not possible.

Logistics of safe and stress-free epicardial access in the electrophysiology lab: creative percutaneous subxiphoid pericardiostomy

Abstract Funding Acknowledgements Type of funding sources: Foundation. Main funding source(s): Professor Nanthakumar is a recipient of the mid-career investigator award from the Heart & Stroke Foundation of Ontario. Introduction Dry epicardial access (EA) into the virtual pericardial space carries a 6-25% risk of collateral damage to important adjacent structures including the right ventricle and the coronary and internal thoracic arteries.1 This renders conventional dry EA a potentially daunting and stressful undertaking. Separation of the parietal and visceral pericardial layers by CO2 insufflation has been described and may mitigate some risk , however even in experienced tertiary centres, injury to superior epigastric arteries, liver, stomach, and transverse colon, has been reported. Furthermore, insufflating the pericardial space may cause unwanted haemodynamic changes . There is thus the need for an approach that separates the pericardial layers and avoids injury to right ventricle and coronary arteries while also avoiding abdominal and thoracic structures by direct visualisation. Purpose We describe the logistics of a creative technique that combines percutaneous EA with a minimally-invasive subxiphoid pericardiostomy that can be done with a surgeon in the electrophysiology (EP) lab for the initial 20 minutes of the procedure. Methods We performed the procedure with a surgeon in 4 patients in a single tertiary centre. The procedure was done in the EP lab under general anaesthesia with standard surgical asepsis and IV cefazolin administered pre-operatively. The subxiphoid area is infiltrated with local anaesthesia. Following a limited 5cm midline incision, the linea alba is dissected exposing the preperitoneal fat but the peritoneal space is not entered. The lower sternum is retracted anteriorly to expose the diaphragm and cardiophrenic fat pad. The diaphragm is progressively sutured to the skin to bring the pericardium into view. A 0-silk suture is then used to tent the pericardium at which point an incision is made in the pericardium to create the window. The steerable sheath and pericardial drain are inserted in the standard over-the-wire percutaneous technique through separate adjacent punctures with direct pathway visualisation through the window. Following this, the surgical incision is closed, allowing the surgeon to leave, and mapping to ensue. Results The time from skin incision to pericardial drain insertion was 18±5 minutes. None of our patients had acute or delayed bleeding or adjacent organ injury peri-procedurally. The pericardial drain was removed within 12-24 hours. One patient had mild pericarditis that resolved after a short course of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory agents. The subxiphoid wound healed well in all patients. Conclusions Percutaneous EA with easy entry into the pericardial space under direct visualisation and realtime monitoring via a pericardiostomy can be readily attained with surgical collaboration. We propose this as an alternative approach to EA, particularly in situations in which the percutaneous access will be challenging (e.g. obesity, or in presence of adhesions).

124. Porcine Model for Superior Epigastric Artery Based Perforator Flap in Reconstructive Microsurgery

124. Porcine Model for Superior Epigastric Artery Based Perforator Flap in Reconstructive Microsurgery

P-062 SEVERE COMPLICATION AFTER EVENTROPLASTY: NECROSIS OF RECTUS ABDOMINIS MUSCLES

Abstract Aim Rectus abdominis muscles are supplied mainly by superior and inferior epigastric arteries, forming an arcade between them. The ligation of one of them during a surgical intervention usually has no clinical repercussions. However, when both arteries flow are interrupted, there is another clinical scenario. Material and Methods We describe the case of a 74 years-old woman who was admitted for an elective surgery of fourth recurrence of a midline eventration (M2-5W3 European Hernia Society Classification). We treated using preoperative botulinum toxin and Rives-Stoppa surgical technique. On the second postoperative day, the patient suffered a cardiorespiratory arrest due to a pulmonary embolism, therefore anticoagulation was necessary. After anticoagulation the patient showed severe anemia (Hemoglobin 5 g/dL) and tomography computed scan images revealed a big hematoma of the abdominal wall with active bleeding. Results Embolization of both epigastric, right mammary and left pectoral arteries was performed by interventional radiologists. After 12 days, the patient showed cutaneous surgical wound dehiscence and serohematic foul-smelling fluid. We detected necrosis of the rectus muscles when we debrided the wound. It was treated with daily cures and vacuum therapy without mesh removal, achieving a progressive closure. After six months of follow-up, there are no signs of recurrence. Conclusions Ischemia of the rectus muscles is a severe complication after eventroplasty that can be treated with debridament of necrotic muscle and vacuum therapy, without removal of mesh if it is sufficiently extended along the healthy abdominal wall and cover the necrotic defect.

PC33. Comparison of Ex Vivo Normothermic Preservation of Vascularized Composite Allografts in A Porcine Model: 12 vs 24 Hour Perfusion

PURPOSE: Ex vivo normothermic perfusion (EVNP) extends the ischemia time for soft tissue flaps. We hypothesized that extended EVNP of flaps for 24-hour was feasible and outcomes were equivalent to 12-hour preservation. METHODS: Eighteen superior epigastric artery flaps were procured from Yorkshire pigs. Flaps were preserved by EVNP for 12 (PFP12; n=5) and 24 hours (PFP24; n=4). Contralateral flaps were preserved at 4°C as static cold storage controls (SCS;(n=9). Outcome measures, including perfusate dynamics, flap temperature, gases, metabolites, electrolytes, and flap weight, were monitored and evaluated using Mann-Whitney U test. Indocyanine Green (ICG) angiography was utilized to analyze skin perfusion before division of the pedicle and at perfusion endpoint. RESULTS: Warm ischemia time for PFP12 and PFP24 was 15.7±5.2min and 13.50±7.05min (p=0.42), respectively. Flap temperatures were 29.0±1.9°C (PFP12) and 28.15± 2.06 (PFP24)(p= 0.84). Average arterial pressures were 45±12 mmHg (PFP12) and 35.75±4.11 mmHg (PFP24)(p=0.19). Arterial PaO2 was 453±77mmHg(PFP12) and 580±35.52(PFP24)(p=0.56). Perfusate pH was not significantly different between groups (7.30±0.04 and 7.39±0.06;p=0.41). Lactate was 5.1±0.8 mmol/L(PFP12) and 7.37±0.52(PFP24)(p=0.99). Creatine kinase increased (TP0.5 864±468 U/L vs. TP12 6340±1764 U/L (PFP12)(p=0.001); TP0.5 1593±5.41 U/L vs. TP24 5467±2966 U/L (PFP24)(p=0.001). Potassium and sodium were not significantly different (PFP12)3.9±0.22mEq/L; (PFP24)3.75±0.31(p=0.13) and (PFP12)159±3mEq/L;(PFP24)155±0.82(p=0.71) between groups. Flap weight did not change between groups (TP0 0.222±0.041kg vs. TP12 0.223±0.044kg(p=0.48);[PFP24]TP0.5 0.18±0.06 vs. TP24 0.18±0.06; p=0.99). ICG angiography fluorescence scores were significantly higher in the PFP24 ([PFP12]21.23±13.26 vs. (PFP24)34.95±2.90; p=0.03). CONCLUSION: EVNP can preserve soft tissue flaps for 24 hours. Outcome at 24 hours were not significantly different from 12 hours.

Perforator-Based Cross-Midline Flaps of the Trunk: A Paradigm Shift in Flap Design.

The traditional design for truncal perforator flaps is ipsilateral without midline decussation. The presumed rationale is to minimize the risk of distal flap necrosis. In this article, the authors present their experience and results with contralateral truncal perforator flaps designed and raised crossing the midline. This retrospective analysis included 43 patients (25 men and 18 women) who underwent reconstructive surgery from 1984 to 2021 using a contralateral flap design crossing the midline in the anterior trunk and upper back. Considerations included pathology, location, and the dimensions of the defect and flap. Arithmetic and weighted means with their 95% confidence intervals were estimated to compare ipsilateral and contralateral techniques. Contralateral flaps used included the internal mammary perforator flap ( n = 28) superficial superior epigastric artery flap ( n = 8), superior epigastric perforator flap ( n = 2), and the second or ninth dorsal intercostal artery perforator flap ( n = 5). All of these flaps, excluding the superficial superior epigastric artery flap, demonstrated length and coverage surface averages that were significantly greater than those of traditional ipsilateral flaps. However, with the contralateral superficial superior epigastric artery, both measures were statistically similar to those of traditional ipsilateral flaps. The anatomical variation design suggests that the trunk midline is not a barrier and that perforator flaps in these two regions may be raised on different longitudinal axes without compromising vitality. Therapeutic, IV.

A Rare Case of Anterior Abdominal Wall Arteriovenous Malformation

Arteriovenous malformation most commonly affects the central nervous system but can involve any organ. A 28 year old woman presented with complaints of on and off pain in epigastric region since 3 month.skin lesion in epigastric region since one month. local examination, there was multiple clear to hemorrhagic fluid filled blister present in epigastric region. An ill defined mass in the epigastric region, soft to firm in consistency and immobile. On leg raising test, the swelling became prominent. MDCT scan of whole abdomen showed a single lobulated hypodense lesion in anterior abdominal wall. Arterial supply was from superior epigastric artery from both sides and inferior epigastric artery from left side. There was no involvement of rectus sheath or evidence of intra-peritoneal extension. Excision of the epigastric AVM was performed after ligating all the feeders. To our best knowledge, this is the first case of epigastric subcutaneous AVM and such an entity has not been reported in the literature so far. Epigastric AVMs can easily be misdiagnosed as lipoma or epigastric hernia. Ultrasonography is useful as an initial imaging modality, however a CT scan is required to determine the peritoneal and visceral involvement of an epigastric mass.

Ex Vivo Subnormothermic Preservation of Porcine Superior Epigastric Artery Perforator Flaps

Ex Vivo Subnormothermic Preservation of Porcine Superior Epigastric Artery Perforator Flaps

S2558 An Unusual Cause of Upper Gastrointestinal Bleed: Temporary Epicardial Pacing Wire

Introduction: A temporary epicardial pacing wire (TEPW) is frequently placed during cardiac surgery to treat postoperative arrhythmias. Gastrointestinal (GI) complications from TEPW are rare, and only a few have been described. Here we describe a rare case of upper GI bleed from TEPW traversing the stomach. Case Description/Methods: A 76-year-old male with a past medical history of coronary artery disease (CAD) status posts two stents, myocardial infarction, chronic kidney disease, hypertension, and stroke presented to the emergency department with chest pain. The patient had a non-ST-elevation myocardial infarction (NSTEMI); coronary angiography showed multivessel CAD. He underwent coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG), following which the patient had 1200cc dark blood drained through the nasogastric tube. The patient underwent esophagogastroduodenoscopy (EGD), which showed a significant amount of fresh blood (Figure A) and a suspicious linear object entering and exiting the gastric body (Figure B). He underwent a celiac and left gastric artery angiogram with embolization of the injured branch of the left gastric artery. The foreign body removed from the stomach was identified as right ventricle TEPW. Repeat EGD showed no active bleeding. Discussion: Epi-myocardium of the atria and ventricle are common sites for TEPW placement during cardiac surgery. They are tunneled to the outside through the left subcoastal margin. Poor sensing or capture, dislodgement, or retention are the most common complications. Other complication include bleeding from the right ventricular laceration with tamponade, avulsion of a side branch from a saphenous vein coronary bypass graft, and perforation of the superior epigastric artery. GI complications from this procedure are rare. Few reports of bowel perforation presenting as acute abdomen have been described. A case of dyspepsia due to gastric wall injury caused by the migration of TEPW into the gastric cavity has been described. To our knowledge, no case of upper GI bleed secondary to pacemaker wire misplacement has been described. Post-cardiac surgery patients are usually in the ICU. Therefore, if signs of GI bleeding are present in the postoperative period, EGD should be performed for diagnostic purposes. However, rarely displaced pacemaker wire may be one of the causes of GI bleeding, which should be on the physician's radar.Figure 1.: (A) EGD showing pooled blood in stomach giving definitive evidence of upper GI bleed. (B) EGD showing pacemaker wire traversing the stomach.

Endovascular Management of Hematomas in Pediatric Transplant Patients.

Transcatheter arterial embolization is used to control active hemorrhage at different anatomic locations. Because hematomas can suddenly deteriorate and become life threatening for transplant patients, they require prompt diagnosis and intervention rather than conservative management. Here, we evaluated computed tomography in treatment planning and transcatheter embolization effectiveness for hematoma management in pediatric liver transplant patients. Between June 2012 and December 2021, 10 pediatric liver transplant patients were referred to our interventional radiology unit. Computed tomography and angiograms were reviewed for hematoma location and presence of extravasation. We analyzed correlations between computed tomography and angiography findings and technical and clinical success of the endovascular interventions. Active leak of contrast material during arterial phase was detected on 9/10 CT scans. Although there was no active bleeding on CT in 1 patient, active arterial bleeding was detected on angiography. On the contrary, in 2 patients, although active bleeding was observed on computed tomography, it was not detected on angiography. Source of bleeding was superior mesenteric artery branches in 4, hepatic artery branch in 2, superior epigastric artery in 1, and phrenic artery in 1 patient. Six of 8 patients with active bleeding were treated with endovascular procedures. The remaining 2 patients received surgery: 1 had bleeding from liver cut surface originating from a hepatic artery branch and received open surgery because the bleeding branch was too thin for catheterization, and 1 was hemodynamically unstable and selective catheterization of the internal thoracic artery would take time. Two patients received embolization procedures with N-butyl 2-cyanoacrylate (glue) diluted with iodized oil, and 1 patient had coil and glue with iodized oil. Embolization with coils was performed in 3 patients. Rate of success with transcatheter arterial embolization was 75%. No complications related to patient comorbidities or embolization procedures were shown. No deaths occurred due to progression of the hematoma. Transcatheter arterial embolization is effective and safe for treatment of pediatric liver transplant patients with hematomas. Computed tomography has value in identifying the bleeding source and its anatomic relationships and may enhance our intervention abilities to become quicker, more effective, and more secured.

Genetic ablation of smooth muscle KIR2.1 is inconsequential to the function of mouse cerebral arteries

Cerebral blood flow is a finely tuned process dependent on coordinated changes in arterial tone. These changes are strongly tied to smooth muscle membrane potential and inwardly rectifying K+ (KIR) channels are thought to be a key determinant. To elucidate the role of KIR2.1 in cerebral arterial tone development, this study examined the electrical and functional properties of cells, vessels and living tissue from tamoxifen-induced smooth muscle cell (SMC)-specific KIR2.1 knockout mice. Patch-clamp electrophysiology revealed a robust Ba2+-sensitive inwardly rectifying K+ current in cerebral arterial myocytes irrespective of KIR2.1 knockout. Immunolabeling clarified that KIR2.1 expression was low in SMCs while KIR2.2 labeling was remarkably abundant at the membrane. In alignment with these observations, pressure myography revealed that the myogenic response and K+-induced dilation were intact in cerebral arteries post knockout. At the whole organ level, this translated to a maintenance of brain perfusion in SMC KIR2.1−/− mice, as assessed with arterial spin-labeling MRI. We confirmed these findings in superior epigastric arteries and implicated KIR2.2 as more functionally relevant in SMCs. Together, these results suggest that subunits other than KIR2.1 play a significant role in setting native current in SMCs and driving arterial tone.

Heparin-induced rectus sheath hematoma in a COVID-19 patient with pulmonary emboli: a case report and literature review

Introduction: Rectus sheath hematoma (RSH) is an uncommon cause of acute abdominal pain that is often misinterpreted. Only about 2% of patients who present with acute abdominal pain display this condition. Damage to the superior or inferior epigastric arteries or their branches, as well as direct rupture of the rectus abdominis muscle, causes bleeding into the rectus sheath. In hospitalized COVID-19 patients, anticoagulant prophylaxis with heparin has become a standard part of medical care. This method may raise the risk of bleeding in older people with comorbidities. Case presentation: The patient was a 60-year-old woman with a history of asthma and diabetes mellitus who was referred to the emergency department with shortness of breath and cough. Chest X-Ray demonstrated Covid-19 pneumonia. On the second day of hospitalization, after the exacerbation of tachypnea, computed tomography (CT) angiography was performed, and the results confirmed pulmonary embolism; therefore, the therapeutic dose of heparin was initiated. On the 21st day of hospitalization, the patient experienced abdominal pain and was visited by a general surgeon. A large ecchymosis was observed in the periumbilical; nonetheless, there was no significant tenderness in the abdominal exam. The patient's hemoglobin dropped to 7.9 mg/dl at this time. An abdominal and pelvic CT scan showed a 45 mm hematoma in the left rectus muscle. Conclusion: In patients presenting with acute abdominal pain, any physician in the field of emergency or surgery should include RSH in their differential diagnosis list, especially those who have certain predisposing conditions.

Uvećani perforator režnjevi prednjeg torakalnog i abdomonalnog zida - novi pristup autolognoj rekonstrukciji dojke

Aim. To develop methods for obtaining enlarged perforating flaps on the anterior surfaces of the thoracic and abdominal walls. Material and methods: The study included 16 patients with post-burn breast deformities aged from 5 to 22 years. In the upper part of the anterior surface of the chest, the flaps were formed on the basis of 2, 3 anterior intercostal artery perforator and thoracoacromial artery perforator with the inclusion of the vascular network of the thoracic branch of the supraclavicular artery. In the lower part of the thoracic and upper abdominal wall, there were also enlarged flaps based on the superior epigastric artery perforator with the connection of vascular networks 6, 7 anterior intercostal artery perforator and perforator deep inferior epigastric artery. The obtained flaps were moved by direct advancement, rotation and transposition methods. Results: The largest area of the wound defect was closed with flaps that were moved by rotation and it was 1.8 times larger than the area of wounds closed by direct advancement and 1.3 times larger than if using transposition flaps. The use of stretched perforating flaps from the anterior surface of the thoracic and abdominal walls allowed to obtain a positive result in 90.4% of cases with the short-term treatment, and in all cases with the long-term treatment. Conclusion: A simple technique based on the proposed methods can be widely used for the reconstruction of the upper and lower quadrants of the breast and intermammary and submammary spaces.

Fatal rectus sheath hematoma: a rare autopsy phenomenon

BackgroundRectus sheath hematoma is a condition where blood is accumulated within the sheath of the rectus abdominis muscle. It is caused by the rupture of either the superior or inferior epigastric artery or from a direct tear of the rectus muscle itself. This condition is usually self-limiting and most of the time, the hematoma is small, non-expanding and can be reabsorbed spontaneously over time. However, certain underlying pathology may lead to the expansion of the hematoma or even a recurrence, and without any medical treatment or intervention, this condition can even be fatal. Due to its rarity, only a few published cases of fatality associated with rectus sheath hematoma are reported worldwide.Case presentationWe present a case of non-traumatic fatal rectus sheath hematoma in the presence of underlying lung infection. The deceased complained of abdominal pain 2 days prior to death with a history of prolonged cough. The autopsy revealed the presence of a hematoma within the rectus sheath of the left lower quadrant of the abdomen extending down into the left pelvis and a multitude of small yellow-tan firm lesions scattered throughout the parenchyma of the right lung, suggestive of a lung infection which was later confirmed histologically.ConclusionsThe case serves to increase awareness of fatal rectus sheath hematoma as a cause of death given its rarity in forensic medicine practice. The importance of a thorough post-mortem examination is the key to noticing the fatal hematoma since its enclosed location within the rectus sheath may be obscured to the eye of an inexperienced prosector.

Superior epigastric artery perforator flap for reconstruction of deep sternal wound infection.

The treatment of deep wound sternal infection requires loco-regional pedicled flaps, usually with muscular flaps. Perforator propeller flaps represent the ultimate progress in the history of reconstructive surgery. We report here our experience with the superior epigastric artery perforator (SEAP) flaps to repair sternal defect. Six patients presenting deep sternal wounds infection were treated with SEAP propeller flap, between March 2015 and June 2017. The mean age was 71.5 (range 53-83) years. The mean length and width of the defect were 16.2 × 7 cm (ranging 8-20 × 4-10). An elliptical skin flap pedicled on the SEAP was harvested in the inframammary fold and rotated up to 90° to cover the defect. All SEAP flaps achieved a successful entire coverage of the defect. The mean size of the skin paddle of the flap was 20.2 × 7.3 cm (ranging 14-27 × 6-9). All flaps were able to provide a complete sternal wound cover. Venous congestion was present in five cases and adequately treated by leech therapy; necrosis was distal in one case, and interesting the entire superficial flap in two cases but with deep tissues remaining viable and able to cover the mediastinum: an infected flap required revision. Satisfyingly, at 2-years postoperative follow-up all-patients were alive with a successful mediastinal cover. The SEAP Perforator propeller flap is an alternative to muscle flaps to achieve treatment of deep and large sternal wound infection.

Autologous islanded breast enhancement by reversed abdominoplasty (AIBERA) flap

We present a surgical technique of recuperating tissue from the upper abdominal wall, based on the superior epigastric artery perforators, thereby providing tissue for autologous augmentation of the breasts in combination with reversed abdominoplasty in patients after massive weight loss. A 20-year-old woman was seen in the outpatient clinic with a large residual skin laxity of the superior abdomen following circular abdominoplasty after weight loss of 55 kg. She was dissatisfied with the appearance of her breasts and superior abdomen. Bilaterally, pedicled SEAP flaps were harvested from the epigastric region. In addition, a reversed abdominoplasty was performed. The flaps were secured in a retroglandular pocket superiorly to the anterior chest wall in order to augment the breasts. The islanded pedicled SEAP flap in combination with reversed abdominoplasty is a useful and safe technique for autologous breast augmentation following massive weight loss. In addition, the potential risk of implant-related complications is eliminated as implants are replaced by autologous tissue. Level of evidence: Level V, therapeutic study.