Background and Objectives: Upper eyelid blepharoplasty is a surgical procedure that addresses both aesthetic and functional concerns, offering transformative potential for patients’ overall well-being. This study systematically evaluates the comprehensive impact of upper eyelid blepharoplasty on patients’ quality of life, employing rigorous methodologies and standardized assessment protocols. Materials and Methods: A prospective, randomized controlled trial was conducted, involving 348 patients aged 49 to 87 years. Patients were randomly assigned to receive either continuous or intradermal sutures following upper eyelid surgery. Validated FACE-Q questionnaires were used to assess various outcomes, including early-life impact, expectations, satisfaction with eyes, overall face satisfaction, satisfaction with the outcome, psychological function, social function, and adverse effects. Results: Results indicate significant improvements in multiple domains of patient-reported outcomes following upper eyelid blepharoplasty, including satisfaction with eyes, overall face satisfaction, satisfaction with the outcome, psychological function, and social function. Notably, no significant differences were observed between suturing techniques regarding patient satisfaction and well-being. Adverse effects were minimal and improved over time. Conclusions: The study underscores the transformative nature of upper eyelid blepharoplasty in enhancing patients’ quality of life, addressing both cosmetic and functional concerns. Utilizing standardized assessment tools like the FACE-Q questionnaire facilitates a comprehensive understanding of treatment outcomes and enables patient-centered care. Overall, this research contributes to the growing evidence supporting the positive impact of upper eyelid blepharoplasty on patients’ well-being, emphasizing the importance of continued research and standardized assessment protocols in advancing patient care in cosmetic surgery.

Most skin tumors are not fatal, but if not treated in a timely manner, they can lead to significant morbidity. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic and in order to create more capacities for the treatment of COVID-19-positive patients as well as to contain the spread of the virus, the healthcare system was reorganized worldwide, leading to decreased access to preventive screening programs. The aim of this study was to evaluate the impact of the pandemic on healthcare accessibility to cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma patients in Serbia. This retrospective study was conducted at the Clinic for Burns, Plastic, and Reconstructive Surgery, University Clinical Center of Serbia in Belgrade. Patient demographics and pathohistological findings of tumors of patients living in and outside the capital in the period before, during, and after the pandemic were compared. The two groups did not show any differences regarding the largest tumor diameter prior and during the pandemic; however, this difference became extremely noticeable after the pandemic (15 mm vs. 27 mm; p < 0.001). While cSCCs are commonly slow-growing tumors, the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic is not negligible. This study found a population at a significant risk of cSCC metastasis, with additional evidence likely to emerge in the upcoming years.

Background: Many European countries’ epidemiological data on burns were analyzed. This research aimed to analyze the key epidemiological characteristics of hospitalized burn patients in Serbia’s major burn unit over 10 years, as well as to create the very first national epidemiological dataset with the basic requirements for future epidemiological studies. Methods: A retrospective cross-sectional study was conducted, and demographic, clinical, and burn characteristics, as well as predictors of mortality, were analyzed. Results: A total of 996 patients were included. The mean age of the population was 54.65 ± 27.15 years. Regarding etiology, flame was the most common (49.0%). Patient comorbidities were noted on admission in 50.1% of cases. The mean % of total burn surface area (TBSA) was 16.89 ± 18.72%. Inhalation injury was confirmed in 7.5% of patients, and a total of 10.3% of patients required mechanical ventilation during hospitalization. The requirement for mechanical ventilation support was the strongest independent predictor of mortality, while other independent predictors of mortality were male gender, higher %TBSA, deep burns, mechanism of injury, an extended total length of stay (LOS), the occurrence of complications during hospitalization, and conservative treatment modalities. Conclusion: Burn injury mortality remains high, and %TBSA, burn depth, mechanical ventilation requirement, inhalation injury, and the presence of comorbidities on admission unfavorably influence mortality rates.

Background and Objectives: The careful selection of adequate SLNB candidates not only aims at reducing the surgical risk while identifying SLN metastasis, but also plays a crucial role in identifying the patients eligible for adjuvant therapy. Objectives: The purpose of our study was to investigate the clinical and histologic aspects of primary melanomas that correlate with the likelihood of a positive SLNB result. Materials and Methods: A total of 101 primary melanoma patients who underwent sentinel lymph node biopsies were included in the study. General patient demographics were obtained as well as localization and melanoma-specific characteristics of primary melanoma from histologic reports in addition to data derived from SLNB melanoma histopathology reports. Results: The patients with positive SLN results had a statistically significant increased Breslow thickness (3.8 mm vs. 1.97 mm, p = 0.002), higher mitotic index rate (5/mm² vs. 2/mm², p = 0.009), as well as the presence of ulceration (68.4% vs. 31.6%, p = 0.007). Univariate regression analysis showed the Breslow thickness (p = 0.008), the mitotic index rate (p = 0.054), the presence of ulceration (p = 0.009), as well as the pT3-4 stage (p = 0.009) to be significant predictors of SLN positivity. The optimal cut-off values for Breslow thickness and the number of mitoses scores were determined based on ROC curve analysis. Using the Breslow thickness, mitotic index rate, presence of ulceration, and pT3-4 stage significant coefficients from the univariate regression model, a chance prediction score was developed. Conclusions: The newly developed and proposed scoring system can aid in patient selection for SLN biopsy by facilitating a more efficient risk assessment in the detection of lymph node metastases in melanoma patients.

Background: Burn wound dressing and debridement are excruciatingly painful procedures that call for appropriate analgesia—typically multimodal. Better post-procedural pain management, less opioid use, and consequently fewer side effects, which could prolong recovery and increase morbidity, are all benefits of this type of analgesia. Intravenously administered ketamine can be effective as monotherapy or in combination with opioids, especially with procedural sedation such as in burn wound dressing. Methods: This observational study investigated the effect of ketamine administered in subanesthetic doses combined with opioids during burn wound dressing. The study was conducted from October 2018 to October 2021. A total of 165 patients met the inclusion criteria. A total of 82 patients were in the ketamine group, while 83 patients were dressed without ketamine. The main outcome was the effect of ketamine on intraprocedural opioid consumption. The secondary outcome included the effect of ketamine on postprocedural pain control. Results: Patients dressed with ketamine were significantly older (p = 0.001), while the mean doses of intraoperatively administered propofol and fentanyl were significantly lower than in patients dressed without ketamine (150 vs. 220 mg, p < 0.001; and 0.075 vs. 0.150 mg, p < 0.001; respectively). Conclusions: Ketamine was an independent predictor of lower intraoperative fentanyl consumption, according to the multivariate regression analysis (p = 0.015). Contrarily, both groups of patients required postoperative tramadol treatment, while intraoperative ketamine administration had no beneficial effects on postoperative pain management.

This prospective case-control study investigated gender-related differences in dry eye symptoms following surgery for involutional ectropion and entropion. A total of 109 patients, aged between 65 and 89, were categorized by eyelid condition and gender. Postoperative assessments included the Tear Film Break-Up Time (TBUT) test, Schirmer I test results, corneal and conjunctival staining, eyelid margin characteristics, and scores from the Ocular Surface Disease Index (OSDI) questionnaire. The analysis revealed notable gender-related differences in dry eye manifestations. Initially, men exhibited lower TBUT scores but higher Schirmer test readings compared to women; however, these disparities diminished over time. No significant gender differences were detected in corneal and conjunctival staining, indicating similar levels of ocular surface damage across genders. Males showed significantly higher values in several eyelid margin characteristics (LMI, LMT) at various postoperative time points. According to the OSDI questionnaire, women experienced more severe symptoms of dry eye both pre- and post-operatively, suggesting a greater subjective symptom burden. When comparing surgical outcomes for ectropion and entropion, both conditions showed improvement in eyelid positioning and dry eye symptoms post-surgery. Despite these improvements, women with either condition reported more severe dry eye symptoms compared to men throughout the postoperative period. This study highlights the gender-specific variations in dry eye symptoms following eyelid malformation surgery and emphasizes the importance of adopting gender-sensitive approaches in postoperative care to improve outcomes and ocular health.