Plastic Surgeon-Led Ultrasound.

Area of Science:

• Plastic Surgery
• Medical Imaging
• Ultrasound Technology

Background:

• Portable high-frequency ultrasound is an accessible imaging tool for plastic surgeons.
• It offers a patient-friendly modality with a short learning curve.
• The technology aids in various aspects of patient management and treatment planning.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review the literature and present clinical cases of surgeon-performed ultrasound in plastic surgery.
• To highlight the utility of portable ultrasound in daily surgical practice.
• To demonstrate the benefits of integrating this imaging modality into plastic surgery.

Main Methods:

• Utilized a Sonosite S-Nerve machine with an L25X transducer (4.3 cm depth).
• Selected clinical cases from the senior author's daily practice, encompassing acute and elective settings.
• Compared surgeon-performed ultrasound cases with those typically referred to radiology.

Main Results:

• Ultrasound proved useful in visualizing neurovascular bundles and tendons for hand trauma.
• Applications included fat grafting assessment, scar release, seroma drainage, and lymph node identification.
• Effectively diagnosed undiagnosed swelling and localized foreign bodies.

Conclusions:

• Portable ultrasound is an invaluable, noninvasive tool for plastic surgeons.
• It has a short learning curve and numerous applications, improving patient care.
• Surgeons are encouraged to adopt ultrasound for enhanced, timely treatment planning.