Ashley Cardenas/Dr. Hartl- Week 5

This week I shadowed Dr. Spector in the OR. 

One of the surgeries I observed was a fascia graft implantation for facial nerve paralysis. Nerve damage was affecting the Right face and neck. This occurred due to a parotid tumor removal and radiation. Radiation early in the nerve healing process prevented them from being able to heal. They inserted a PTFE graft which is used for herniations. Fat was removed from the belly for the surgery. 


Another surgery I watched was similar to the previously discussed surgery. It was fat graft insertion on the face and a scar revision. For this surgery, fat was removed from the abdomen and legs and there was no facial paralysis. From this surgery,  I collected lipoaspirate which I took to the lab and processed to obtain the stromal vascular fraction. We will use the SVF collected to isolate adipose-derived stem cells for further study. 


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