Grants We Funded
Grant applicants for the 2023 cycle requested a total of nearly $4 million dollars. The PSF Study Section Subcommittees of Basic & Translational Research and Clinical Research evaluated nearly 140 grant applications on the following topics:
The PSF awarded research grants totaling over $1 million dollars to support nearly 30 plastic surgery research proposals.
ASPS/PSF leadership is committed to continuing to provide high levels of investigator-initiated research support to ensure that plastic surgeons have the needed research resources to be pioneers and innovators in advancing the practice of medicine.
Research Abstracts
Search The PSF database to have easy access to full-text grant abstracts from past PSF-funded research projects 2003 to present. All abstracts are the work of the Principal Investigators and were retrieved from their PSF grant applications. Several different filters may be applied to locate abstracts specific to a particular focus area or PSF funding mechanism.
Reversible Chemical Myotomy for Lateral Abdominal Wall Release
Hooman Soltanian MD
2009
Case Western Reserve University - School of Medicine
Pilot Research Grant
General Reconstructive
Repair of large abdominal wall defects pose a difficult surgical problem with limited operative options. Ideal repair of hernias would involve using native tissue, maintaining the dynamic nature of the abdominal wall and preventing recurrence. A commonly applied method (components separation), requires cutting the external oblique muscles to achieve mechanical release and thus defect closure. This method is invasive and has a significant recurrence rate. Loss of function of the external oblique muscles may be a factor for recurrence since the abdominal wall can no longer properly counteract periods of increased intra-abdominal pressure, as occurs during sneezing or coughing. Botulinum toxin has been used clinically to paralyze selected muscles. Using a swine model, we will examine the effect of Botulinum toxin on the external and internal oblique muscles. Under general anesthesia and using a minimally invasive approach, the space between the external and internal oblique will be accessed on each side. A preparation of Botulinum toxin will be administered on one side and saline solution on the other side. The operating surgeon will be blinded to the treatment (Botulinum toxin) side. After 2 weeks, we will examine the abdominal wall for elasticity and muscle activity. We will also evaluate the safety of administering Botulinum toxin to a large muscle group by monitoring and recording all adverse effects. The proposed use of Botulinum toxin may help a large group of patients. It may obviate the more invasive approach used in components separation and its associated complications. An advantage of replacing permanent surgical transection of the abdominal wall muscles with Botulinum toxin is that its effects are temporary but of long enough duration to allow for tissues involved in the repair to achieve near maximum strength. Recuperation of normal muscle function will provide patients with the dynamic function often lost in current major abdominal wall reconstruction.
After graduating from medical school in Munich, Germany, Dr. Soltanian completed his Plastic Surgery residency at Albany Medical Center, Albany, NY. He received fellowship training in Surgery of the Hand and Microsurgery at NYU Medical Center. He joined the Department of Plastic Surgery at Case Western Reserve University in 2006. Dr. Soltanian’s clinical and research interests include microsurgery, repair of complex abdominal wall defects, computer 3D modeling and surgical simulation.