“Losses must be replaced in kind.” Sir Harold Gillies Historical Background Advances in regenerative medicine have opened a new era and enabled reconstruction of devastating soft and bony tissue defects…

Radiation Principles Radiotherapy is the medical use of ionizing radiation, generally as part of cancer treatment to control or kill malignant cells. Ionizing radiation is composed of particles that individually…

Background The process of tissue expansion in reconstructive surgery was first reported by Charles Neumann, who described its application for auricular soft tissue reconstruction in 1957. Neumann simply applied concepts…

Introduction The atypical skin lesions are a diverse group of tumors that are uncommon but clinically important. They include a spectrum from benign lesions through to those that demonstrate local…

Introduction Nonmelanoma skin cancer (NMSC) is the most common malignancy amongst Caucasians and occurs sporadically in all other populations. NMSCs are comprised predominantly of basal cell (BCC) and squamous cell…

Introduction The reconstructive options for today’s plastic surgeons are unprecedented in history. Despite this reality, the ideal reconstruction for many patients and defect types does not yet exist. The traditional…

Epidemiology Over the past four decades, melanoma has shown a consistent increase in incidence in white populations, becoming one of the most frequent cancers in light skin populations. The incidence…

Introduction Flap surgery is the commonest procedure in plastic surgery and is the essence of the discipline. Critical to its success is a sound understanding of soft tissue’s blood supply,…

General Principles Living cells respond to physical and biochemical cues, e.g., hormones, cell–cell signaling molecules, and with the physical environment through the extracellular matrix (ECM), enabling them to adapt to…

Introduction Local anesthetic agents cause reversible blockade of the neuronal sodium (Na + ) channel, thereby blocking transmission of nerve impulses from nociceptive afferents. Mechanism of Action of Local Anesthetics…