Background & Aims: In patients with cirrhosis, sleep disturbances are assumed to result from hepatic encephalopathy (HE). The effects of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) on cognition, sleep parameters, or driving in patients with cirrhosis are unclear. Methods: We performed a cross-sectional, prospective study of 118 subjects. Subjects were assigned to 1 of 4 groups: those with OSA and cirrhosis (without HE or ascites, n=34), those with only cirrhosis (n=30), those with only OSA only (n=29), and those without OSA or cirrhosis (controls, n=25). None of OSA patients were receiving continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) therapy. Subjects underwent cognitive testing (paper–pencil tests for psychomotor speed and attention, as well as executive function tests), sleep assessment (daytime sleepiness and night-time sleep quality) and a monotonous driving simulation (worsening lane deviations over time indicate poor performance). We also tested patients with OSA, with cirrhosis (n=10) and without cirrhosis (n=7), before and after CPAP therapy. Results: Daytime sleepiness and sleep quality were worse in subjects in the OSA groups (with or without cirrhosis) than subjects with cirrhosis alone or controls. Of subjects with only OSA, 36% had impaired psychomotor speed and attention, compared to >60% of subjects in both cirrhosis groups. In contrast, executive function was uniformly worse in subjects with OSA, with or without cirrhosis, than groups without OSA. Simulator performance (lane deviations) worsened over time in both OSA groups. CPAP therapy significantly increased executive function and sleep quality, and reduced simulator lane deviations and sleepiness, in subjects with and without cirrhosis. After CPAP therapy, performance on the paper–pencil test performance improved significantly only in subjects with OSA without cirrhosis. Conclusion: OSA should be considered in evaluating sleep impairment in patients with cirrhosis. In patients with cirrhosis and OSA, psychomotor speed and attention issues are likely related to the cirrhosis, whereas executive function and simulator performance are affected by the OSA. CPAP therapy improves executive function and simulator performance in patients with OSA, regardless of cirrhosis.

Surgical technique and technology frequently coevolve. The brief history of blood vessel anastomosis is full of famous names. While the techniques pioneered by these surgeons have been well described, the technology that facilitated their advancements and their inventors deserve recognition. The mass production of laboratory microscopes in the mid-1800s allowed for an explosion of interest in tissue histology. This improved understanding of vascular physiology and thrombosis laid the groundwork for Carrel and Guthrie to report some of the first successful vascular anastomoses. In 1916, McLean discovered heparin. Twenty-four years later, Gordon Murray found that it could prevent thrombosis when performing end-to-end anastomosis. These discoveries paved the way for the first-in-human kidney transplantations. Otolaryngologists Nylen and Holmgren were the first to bring the laboratory microscope into the operating room, but Jacobson was the first to apply these techniques to microvascular anastomosis. His first successful attempt in 1960 and the subsequent development of microsurgical tools allowed for an explosion of interest in microsurgery, and several decades of innovation followed. Today, new advancements promise to make microvascular and vascular surgery faster, cheaper, and safer for patients. The future of surgery will always be inextricably tied to the creativity and vision of its innovators.

OSA can contribute to sleep disturbance in cirrhosis and should be considered in the differential of sleep disturbances in cirrhosis. Prior HE may synergize with OSA in worsening the sleep architecture.

Background Facial soft tissue filler injections are being performed in the United States with increasing popularity. Objectives This study aimed to characterize the observations of the Aesthetic Society members regarding the potential impact of repetitive panfacial fillers on the outcomes of subsequent facelift surgery. Methods A survey containing closed and open-ended questions was sent to the Aesthetic Society members through email. Results The response rate was 3.7%. The majority of the respondents (80.8%) believed that less than 60% of their facelift patients had previous repetitive panfacial filler injections. One-half (51.9%) reported that a history of panfacial filler injections increased the difficulty of performing facelifts. A large subset (39.7%) of respondents believed that a history of panfacial fillers increased post-operative complication rates, while the remaining either disagreed (28.9%) or were unsure (31.4%). The most common complications following the facelift surgery included undesirable palpability or visibility of filler (32.7%), compromised flap vascularity (15.4%), and decreased longevity of the lifting effect (9.6%). Conclusions This study identified a potential association with repetitive panfacial filler injections and outcomes following facelift surgery, although the exact effect on postoperative outcomes remains unclear. Large prospectively designed studies are needed to capture objective data comparing facelift patients with a history of repetitive panfacial fillers with those facelift patients who have never had injectables. Given the results of the Aesthetic Society Members survey, the authors encourage careful history-taking to elicit an accurate filler injection record including complications after filler injections, as well as engaging patients in a thorough pre-operative discussion regarding the potential of panfacial fillers on the facelift procedure and post-operative outcomes.