title: Sheets, 3-D strands, trimensional (3-D) shapes, and sutures of either reinforced or nonreinforced expanded polytetrafluoroethylene for facial soft-tissue suspension, augmentation, and reconstruction.
abstract: Expanded polytetrafluoroethylene (e-PTFE) is an expanded, fibrillated polymer recently used in facial reconstruction. This material is produced in two compositions: pure e-PTFE, for sheets, 3-D strands, and sutures; and e-PTFE reinforced with fluorinated ethylene propylene (FEP) for sheets and trimensional (3-D) shapes. This material has been used for facial soft-tissue suspension, augmentation, and reconstruction and has demonstrated advantages over autologous grafts due to its optimal tissue incorporation, low infection risk, and biological inertness.
authors.affiliation: Department of Plastic Surgery, University of Virginia School of Medicine, Charlottesville 22908, USA.
authors.forename: R P
authors.initials: RP
authors.lastname: Lewis
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Schweitzer
authors.forename: B C
authors.initials: BC
authors.lastname: Odum
authors.forename: W C
authors.initials: WC
authors.lastname: Lara
authors.forename: R F
authors.initials: RF
authors.lastname: Edlich
authors.forename: T J
authors.initials: TJ
authors.lastname: Gampper
mesh_terms: D005145:Face / Q000601:surgery; D006801:Humans; D011138:Polytetrafluoroethylene; D019736:Prostheses and Implants; D019651:Plastic Surgery Procedures / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods; D013537:Sutures