Background: Posttraumatic acquired facial deformities require surgical treatment, with optionsincluding scar revision, fat grafts, implant insertion, and flap coverage. However, each techniquehas specific advantages and disadvantages. Methods: From 2016 to 2018, 13 patients (eight with scar contracture and five with a depressedscar) were treated using dermofat grafts from the groin. The harvested dermofat was then insertedinto the undermined dead space after the contracture was released, and a bolster suture wasdone for fixation considering the patient’s contour and asymmetry. A modified version of the VancouverScar Scale and satisfaction survey were used to compare deformity improvements beforeand after surgery. Results: In most cases, effective volume correction and an aesthetically satisfactory contourwere maintained well after dermofat grafting, without any major complications. In some cases,however, lipolysis proceeded rapidly when inflammation and infection were not completely eliminated.A significant difference was found in the modified Vancouver Scar Scale before and aftersurgery, with a p-value of 0.001. The average score on the satisfaction survey was 17.07 out of 20points. Conclusion A dermofat graft with the groin as the donor site can be considered as an effectivesurgical option that is the simplest and most cost-effective method for the treatment of acquiredfacial deformities with scar contracture.

No abstract available.
Diabetes Mellitus, Type 1* ; Genotype* ; Humans ; Korea* ; Thyroid Diseases* ; Thyroid Gland*

BACKGROUND: There have been limited reports on the effectiveness of 5% lidocaine patches (L5Ps) for treating a few types of chronic pain. We utilized L5Ps for chronic pain patients with various diagnoses and who had incompletely responded to their current treatment regimen. This study aimed at describing the results of a retrospective review of an open-label L5P trial to assess L5Ps' effectiveness and safety for treating various chronic pain patients. METHODS: The chronic pain patients with pain lasting longer than 6-month duration were offered a 2-week L5P treatment trial. The patients were maintained on their other analgesic regimens. The treatment effect was measured according to the change from the baseline visual analog scale (VAS) to the week 2 VAS. After a 2-week trial, the patients were asked if they perceived pain improvement with L5Ps by using a four-item Pain Relief Scale (1 = a lot of relief, 2 = slight relief, 3 = no change, 4 = worse pain). RESULTS: In the combined patient population (n = 177), 2-week treatment with the L5Ps significantly improved the week 2 VAS (P = 0.000). Significant improvement in the VAS was reported by the chronic pain patients with postherpetic neuralgia, intercostal neuralgia, degenerative osteoarthritis at knee joint, and other maladies. A higher proportion of the chronic pain patients reported improving their pain by the L5Ps. Seven patients experienced mild or moderate patch-related adverse events. CONCLUSIONS: The L5P provided clinically meaningful pain relief in some refractory chronic pain patients without any severe adverse events.
Chronic Pain ; Humans ; Knee Joint ; Lidocaine ; Neuralgia ; Neuralgia, Postherpetic ; Osteoarthritis ; Retrospective Studies