Plastic and cosmetic surgeryKolle, Frederick Strange
Science
Plastic and cosmetic surgery
Kolle, Frederick Strange
Surgery, Plastic
The cause seems to be a degenerative change in the skin dependent on
pressure upon its underlying tissues. Evidently the pressure of an
overproduction of the connective tissue which has sprung up to replace
the injected mass.
Seemingly the cause is due to an injection being made too close to the
derma where the latter is bound down to the subcutaneous tissue, or a
desire on the part of the surgeon to prevent an injection into the deeper
areolar tissue, especially when the injection is made in the vicinity of
the larger blood vessels, for fear of causing embolisms or phlebitis.
Excluding the use of hard paraffin for such injection, the operator
should be sufficiently experienced to use these injections properly and
without fear, and at all times avoid injecting into the skin instead of
subcutaneously.
Making the puncture first and observing if blood flows freely or
trickles from the detached needle will assure the operator into what
tissues he has thrust his needle.
Should active bleeding follow the puncture, he should withdraw the
needle and wait to inject the site at a later sitting, using the same
precaution; at no time should he be in doubt as to the absolute placing
of the injected mass.
When the injections are done about the lower neck or shoulders great
care must be exercised to avoid the blood vessels, and small quantities
be only injected to prevent reactions that may cause phlebitis of these
vessels; furthermore, the injected mass must be carefully molded to
prevent the formation of uneven elevations or lumps. Without doubt an
injection into one of the blood vessels of the neck would mean certain
death.
Kofman lost a patient by pulmonary embolism twenty-four hours after an
injection of 10 c.c. of paraffin. How many punctures he made to inject
this amount is not stated, but certain it must be that he introduced part
of the mass directly into some blood vessel.
The author advises, when injecting about the neck, to use a stout,
dull-pointed needle introduced under local ethyl chloride anesthesia and
to elevate the tissue with the needle as the injection is made. In this
way the operator can observe the behavior or placing of the injected
mass, at the same time stretching the skin to permit of the injection
without encroaching upon the blood vessels. The mass is immediately
molded after each injection. The further question of the practical method
of making these injections will be fully considered later.
If, however, the pigmentation under consideration has taken place,
electrolysis with a fine needle may be resorted to, with the object of
whitening the discoloration by producing scar tissue, in the form of
punctations, in the discolored area.
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