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Medicinal leech therapy in plastic surgery

The medicinal leech (Hirudo medicinalis) has played a role in treating illness for over 3500 years [1]. It has survived rapid paradigm shifts in medical sciences and knowledge. In Ancient Rome, the use of leeches for bloodletting was propagated by...

Thread veins and varicose veins: medical or aesthetic?

I was recently attending a national aesthetics conference when I got talking to a very well-known opinion leader in the aesthetics world. During the conversation, I was astounded to be asked: “What do you think now that NICE has agreed...

2nd Chance: reconstructive surgery for life reconstruction

Many populations throughout the developing world have no access to the specialist healthcare needed by patients who have suffered severe burns, war injuries or congenital disorders. The specialties of plastic and maxillofacial surgery can make a vital contribution and PMFA...

Hair removal: a summary of techniques with a particular emphasis on the importance and versatility of electrolysis

Background and causes of excess or unwanted hair The management of unwanted body and facial hair has been a constant challenge for the human species since the dawn of human culture in the Neolithic era. Of note this was the...

The role of angiogenesis in wound healing, scarring and tissue regeneration

In the UK alone there are 175,000 people who visit Accident & Emergency departments with burns each year. This results in around 13,000 hospital admissions, of which 1000 are due to severe burns [1]. Over half of these admissions are...

Facial contouring with fillers

With the advent of hyaluronic acid fillers, safe and effective non-surgical facial rejuvenation has been advanced. Hyaluronic acid fillers are becoming increasingly popular amongst patient who seek facial enhancement. In 2013, there were over 1.8 million treatments using hyaluronic acid...

Looking unusual: what it’s like and how skin camouflage can help

Appearance matters, nowadays more than ever. We live in a global culture where a smooth, blemish-free and consistent complexion, symmetrical features and perfect teeth are highly prized and believed to be the passport to happiness and success. If you are...

A comparison of academic output of Welsh burns and plastic surgery trainees pre- and mid-COVID-19 pandemic: a cross-sectional study

The COVID-19 pandemic has affected the work of doctors worldwide, with surgical resources being diverted and non-emergency surgeries postponed. With surgical activity at 33.6% of expected levels in 2020, this sudden, vast decrease in surgical activity may have granted some...

Reconstruction of complex wounds in the trunk and pelvis (part 1)

This is the first part of a two-part article looking at the challenges of reconstruction of complex defects in the torso. The articles are based on a presentation given at the World Union of Wound Healing Societies held in Yokohama...

Stratifying preoperative risk in revision augmentation: the six Cs

Breast augmentation is the most frequently performed cosmetic surgical procedure in the UK [1], and with an increasing number of providers, plastic surgeons are managing revisions without information pertaining to the original procedure. Anticipating the features of successive generations of...

From PIP to DC-CIK to the Sorcerer’s Apprentice: a medico-political minefield

Poly Implant Prothese (PIP) was a French company that manufactured silicone breast implants that were surgically implanted mainly for cosmetic breast augmentation. Of note, ‘cosmetic’ is used in the strict sense of the word meaning false and artificial and does...