Regional Anesthesia for Breast and Abdominal Plastic Surgery

Abstract

The purpose of this Evidence Review column is to provide information about current literature of relevance to plastic and aesthetic nurses.

Gender Confirmation Surgery

“…The specific steps involved in transition vary among individuals. Not all transgender individuals choose to align their physical body with their gender identity by undergoing medical treatment (e.g., hormone therapy) or gender confirmation surgery (Van Wicklin, 2023).…”

“…Women take androgens (i.e., male hormones), which cause them to develop facial hair and gain a masculine appearance. Men take estrogens (i.e., female hormones) and antiandrogens (i.e., medicines that counteract the effect of male hormones), which cause them to develop breasts and gain a feminine appearance (Van Wicklin, 2023).…”

“…Gender identity is the sense an individual has of being a woman, a man, both a man and a woman, neither a man or a woman, or anywhere else along the gender spectrum (Van Wicklin, 2023). Plastic surgeons and other health care providers involved in a patient's transition process may require that patients seeking gender confirmation surgery are formally diagnosed with gender dysphoria (i.e., discomfort or distress that occurs in individuals whose gender identity differs from their sex-related physical characteristics or the sex they were assigned at birth (Mayo Clinic, 2022).…”

Surgical Flaps 101

“…The term flap is used by plastic surgeons to describe tissue that has been detached from a donor area of the body and transferred to a recipient area of the body (Van Wicklin, 2022). Plastic surgeons may design flaps in many different shapes and sizes.…”

Consider Becoming a Peer Reviewer!

“…The I Have a Question! column addresses Le Fort fracture classification (Van Wicklin, 2022c) and the Evidence Review column discusses evidence related to regional anesthesia for breast and abdominal plastic surgery (Van Wicklin, 2022d). In a very interesting article, East (2022) discusses the importance of appreciating your own as well as your client's beautiful, unique face.…”