Browsing by Author "Hulsman, Luci"

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    80. Lymphatic Preconditioning: Novel Investigation Of A “Lymphatic Delay Phenomenon”
    (Wolters Kluwer, 2024-04-19) Hulsman, Luci; Mohan, Ganesh; Ahmed, Shahnur; Jorge, Miguel D.; Sullivan, Steven J.; Mohammed, Imran; Sinha, Mithun; Hassanein, Aladdin H.; Surgery, School of Medicine
    Background: The vascular delay phenomenon is a well-described concept of flap physiology with many clinical applications used to increase flap viability. The approach employs a staged surgical procedure with selective partial disruption of the flap’s blood supply to increase the robustness of the remaining blood supply, followed by interval flap transfer 7-10 days later. While this vascular delay phenomenon has been thoroughly studied, no investigation has been performed to determine if a similar “delay phenomenon” exists for lymphatic vessels. Lymphedema frequently occurs following injury of lymphatics during lymph node dissection. The purpose of this study was to evaluate whether lymphatic preconditioning with staged disruption of lymphatics can be protective against lymphedema. Methods: The standard murine tail lymphedema model was utilized which involves creating a 3 mm circumferential skin excision by the base of the tail and surgically clipping two lymphatics. This standard model was used for a control (Group 1, Control A, n=6). A second control (Group 2, Control B, n=5) had 3 mm circumferential skin excision, one tail lymphatic clipped at that level, and an immediate second hemi-circumferential skin excision on the more proximal tail with disruption of the other remaining lymphatic. Group 3 (experimental lymphatic preconditioning, n=6), had a 3 mm full thickness skin excision by the base of the tail, disruption of one tail lymphatic at that level (leaving one lymphatic vessel intact) followed by staged hemi-circumferential skin excision with disruption of the remaining lymphatic vessel 7 days later. Tail volume was assessed with tail measurements using the truncated cone equation. Immunohistochemistry and histology was sent. Results: Group 3 (experimental lymphatic preconditioning) had a change in tail volume of 79.1 mm3 compared to Group 1 (Control A) 154.6 mm3 (p=0.03) and Group 2 (Control B) 126.6 mm3 (p=0.05) at 28 days post-lymphatic injury. Conclusion: Mice that underwent lymphatic preconditioning with partial lymphatic injury followed by staged completion of lymphatic disruption 7 days later exhibited less tail swelling. This study demonstrates evidence for a novel concept of “lymphatic delay phenomenon” parallel to the well-known vascular delay phenomenon. Lymphatic preconditioning has potential translational clinical applications for protective effects to minimize lymphatic dysfunction.
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    The Case of the Vanishing Yoni Pearl
    (2022-03) Brown, Lucy; Heitz, Adaline; Cox, Natalie; Hulsman, Luci; Christman, Megan
    Case: A 41-year-old female presented to the Emergency Department (ED) with a retained vaginal foreign body (VFB). She reported inserting a detoxifying “yoni” pearl 36 hours prior. She was unable to remove it herself. She denied fever, vaginal pain, discharge, or dysuria. A gynecologist was consulted, and the VFB was removed manually without complications. Conclusions: The authors reviewed 29 case studies and series. Overall, tampons, condoms, menstrual cups, items used for sexual gratification, and unconventional items used for barrier contraception (e.g., aerosol caps) are among the most common VFBs in premenopausal adult women. Among postmenopausal adult women, medical devices such as pessaries can be neglected in the vagina leading to retained VFB. While most cases had no contributing risk factors, associated medical and social determinants include mental health disorders, history of sexual assault, and uninsured status. This is the first documented case of a detoxifying vaginal pearl VFB. Clinical Significance: VFB is a common presentation in the United States; from 2010 to 2014, 89,160 female patients presented to the ED with a vulvar/vaginal foreign body, many requiring gynecologic or urologic consultations and invasive procedures. Although this case was without complications, VFBs can have significant morbidity. Depending on the consistency of the foreign body, VFBs can serve as a nidus for infection with subsequent sepsis, most notably toxic shock syndrome. Other serious complications of VFBs are compression of tissue, which can lead to compromise of blood flow to that region, necrosis, perforation, and fistulas (i.e., rectovaginal or vesicovaginal). Fistula formation has also been reported as a direct result of the surgical trauma from removal of the VFB. Prevention efforts should be aimed at education about what can safely be placed in the vagina, and providers should focus on dispelling misinformation surrounding vaginal detoxification and cleanliness.
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    Impact of Dobbs Decision on Retention of Indiana Medical Students for Residency
    (Elsevier, 2023-10-08) Hulsman, Luci; Bradley, Paige K.; Caldwell, Amy; Christman, Megan; Rusk, Debra; Shanks, Anthony L.
    Background: As medical students consider residency training programs, access to comprehensive training in abortion care and the legal climate influencing abortion care provision are likely to affect their decision process. Objective: This study aimed to determine medical students' desire to stay in a state with an abortion ban for residency. Study design: A cross-sectional survey was distributed to all medical students at a large allopathic medical school. Anonymous survey questions investigated the likelihood of seeking residency training in states with abortion restrictions and the likelihood of considering obstetrics and gynecology as a specialty. Qualitative responses were also captured. Results: The survey was distributed to 1424 students, and 473 responses yielded a 33.2% completion rate; 66.8% of students were less likely to pursue residency training in Indiana following a proposed abortion ban. Moreover, 70.0% of students were less likely to pursue residency in a state with abortion restrictions. Approximately half of respondents (52.2%) were less likely to pursue obstetrics and gynecology as a specialty after proposed abortion restrictions. Qualitative remarks encompassed 6 themes: comprehensive health care access, frustration with the political climate, impact on health care providers, relocation, advocacy, and personal beliefs and ethical considerations. Conclusion: Most medical students expressed decreased likelihood of remaining in Indiana or in states with abortion restrictions for residency training. The field of obstetrics and gynecology has been negatively affected, with medical students indicating lower likelihood to pursue obstetrics and gynecology. Regardless of specialty, the physician shortage may be exacerbated in states with abortion restrictions. The overturn of Roe v Wade has the potential for significant effects on medical student plans for residency training location, thereby shaping the future of the physician workforce.
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    Implant-based Breast Reconstruction Salvage with Negative Pressure Wound Therapy with Instillation: An Evaluation of Outcomes
    (Wolters Kluwer, 2024-09-03) Ahmed, Shahnur; Hulsman, Luci; Imeokparia, Folasade; Ludwig, Kandice; Fisher, Carla; Bamba, Ravinder; Danforth, Rachel; VonDerHaar, R. Jason; Lester, Mary E.; Hassanein, Aladdin H.; Surgery, School of Medicine
    Background: Implant infection is problematic in breast reconstruction. Traditionally, infected tissue expanders (TE)/implants are removed for several months before replacement, resulting in breast reconstruction delay. Salvage involving device removal, negative pressure wound therapy with instillation and dwell (NPWTi-d) placement, and early staged TE/implant replacement within a few days has been described. The purpose of this study was to compare outcomes of the NPWTi-d salvage pathway with traditional implant removal. Methods: A retrospective review was performed on patients who underwent implant-based reconstruction and developed TE/implant infection/exposure requiring removal. Patients were divided into two groups. Group 1 had TE/implant removal, NPWTi-d placement, and TE/implant replacement 1-4 days later. Group 2 (control) underwent standard TE/implant removal and no NPWTi-d. Reinfection after TE/implant salvage, TE/implant-free days, and time to final reconstruction were assessed. Results: The study included 47 patients (76 TE/implants) in group 1 (13 patients, 16 TE/implants) and group 2 (34 patients, 60 TE/implants). The success rate (no surgical-site infection within 90 days) of implant salvage was 81.3% in group 1. No group 1 patients abandoned completing reconstruction after TE/implant loss versus 38.2% (13 of 34) in group 2 (P = 0.0094). Mean implant-free days was 2.5 ± 1.2 in group 1 versus 134.6 ± 78.5 in group 2 (P = 0.0001). The interval to final implant-based reconstruction was 69.0 ± 69.7 days in group 1 versus 225.6 ± 93.6 days in group 2 (P = 0.0001). Conclusions: A breast implant salvage pathway with infected device removal, NPWTi-d placement, and early TE/implant replacement was successful in 81.3%. Patients experienced 132 less implant-free days and faster time to final reconstruction.
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    The Lymphedematous Limb as a Donor Site for Breast Fat Grafting
    (Wolters Kluwer, 2024-05-17) Ahmed, Shahnur; Mohan, Ganesh; Hulsman, Luci; Greene, Arin K.; Shaheen, Muhammad; Sinha, Mithun; Hassanein, Aladdin H.; Surgery, School of Medicine
    Breast cancer-related lymphedema results in chronic upper limb swelling with subcutaneous deposition of fluid and fibroadipose tissue. Morbidity includes psychosocial distress, infection, and difficulty using the extremity. Operative management includes excisional procedures such as suction-assisted lipectomy to reduce abnormal subcutaneous fibroadipose tissue to improve limb volume. Patients who have had postmastectomy breast reconstruction often benefit from fat grafting. This report introduces the concept of fat grafting the breast using the lymphedematous arm as a donor site. This technique improves the volume of the limb by removing the excess subcutaneous adipose, and at the same time reconstructs the breast without adding a donor site not related to the breast cancer-related lymphedema.
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    Topical tissue nanotransfection of Prox1 is effective in the prophylactic management of lymphedema
    (Elsevier, 2024-01-18) Mohan, Ganesh; Khan, Imran; Neumann, Colby R.; Jorge, Miguel D.; Ahmed, Shahnur; Hulsman, Luci; Sinha, Mithun; Gordillo, Gayle M.; Sen, Chandan K.; Hassanein, Aladdin H.; Surgery, School of Medicine
    Lymphedema is chronic limb swelling resulting from lymphatic dysfunction. There is no cure for the disease. Clinically, a preventive surgical approach called immediate lymphatic reconstruction (ILR) has gained traction. Experimental gene-based therapeutic approaches (e.g., using viral vectors) have had limited translational applicability. Tissue nanotransfection (TNT) technology uses a direct, transcutaneous nonviral vector, gene delivery using a chip with nanochannel poration in response to a rapid (<100 ms) focused electric field. The purpose of this study was to experimentally prevent lymphedema using focal delivery of a specific gene Prox1 (a master regulator of lymphangiogenesis). TNT was applied to the previously optimized lymphedematous mice tail (day 0) directly at the surgical site with genetic cargo loaded into the TNT reservoir: group I (sham) was given pCMV6 (expression vector backbone alone) and group II was treated with pCMV6-Prox1. Group II mice had decreased tail volume (47.8%) compared to sham and greater lymphatic clearance on lymphangiography. Immunohistochemistry showed greater lymphatic vessel density and RNA sequencing exhibited reduced inflammatory markers in group II compared to group I. Prox1 prophylactically delivered using TNT to the surgical site on the day of injury decreased the manifestations of lymphedema in the murine tail model compared to control.