Mammaplasty — Electrical Stimulation for Improving Postoperative Breast Sensation
Citation(s)
Chan KM, Curran MW, Gordon T The use of brief post-surgical low frequency electrical stimulation to enhance nerve regeneration in clinical practice. J Physiol. 2016 Jul 1;594(13):3553-9. doi: 10.1113/JP270892. Epub 2016 Mar 24.
Chan KM, Gordon T, Zochodne DW, Power HA Improving peripheral nerve regeneration: from molecular mechanisms to potential therapeutic targets. Exp Neurol. 2014 Nov;261:826-35. doi: 10.1016/j.expneurol.2014.09.006. Epub 2014 Sep 16.
Gahm J, Hansson P, Brandberg Y, Wickman M Breast sensibility after bilateral risk-reducing mastectomy and immediate breast reconstruction: a prospective study. J Plast Reconstr Aesthet Surg. 2013 Nov;66(11):1521-7. doi: 10.1016/j.bjps.2013.06.054. Epub 2013 Aug 13.
Gordon T, Amirjani N, Edwards DC, Chan KM Brief post-surgical electrical stimulation accelerates axon regeneration and muscle reinnervation without affecting the functional measures in carpal tunnel syndrome patients. Exp Neurol. 2010 May;223(1):192-202. doi: 10.1016/j.expneurol.2009.09.020. Epub 2009 Oct 1.
Gordon T, Brushart TM, Chan KM Augmenting nerve regeneration with electrical stimulation. Neurol Res. 2008 Dec;30(10):1012-22. doi: 10.1179/174313208X362488.
Interventional studies are often prospective and are specifically tailored to evaluate direct impacts of treatment or preventive measures on disease.
Observational studies are often retrospective and are used to assess potential causation in exposure-outcome relationships and therefore influence preventive methods.
Expanded access is a means by which manufacturers make investigational new drugs available, under certain circumstances, to treat a patient(s) with a serious disease or condition who cannot participate in a controlled clinical trial.
Clinical trials are conducted in a series of steps, called phases - each phase is designed to answer a separate research question.
Phase 1: Researchers test a new drug or treatment in a small group of people for the first time to evaluate its safety, determine a safe dosage range, and identify side effects.
Phase 2: The drug or treatment is given to a larger group of people to see if it is effective and to further evaluate its safety.
Phase 3: The drug or treatment is given to large groups of people to confirm its effectiveness, monitor side effects, compare it to commonly used treatments, and collect information that will allow the drug or treatment to be used safely.
Phase 4: Studies are done after the drug or treatment has been marketed to gather information on the drug's effect in various populations and any side effects associated with long-term use.
