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Oxtex medical

The Oxtex soft tissue expander has the potential to replace existing tissue expanders, transform how some plastic surgery is done and open a market for entirely new procedures. 

The concept of soft tissue expansion is very well established in this area. Oxtex offers surgeons a superior solution to currently available expanders, namely a self-inflating device whose expansion can be better controlled and whose expansion profile can be tailored to the individual surgical application. Oxtex soft tissue expanders reduce the number of times a patient has to visit the hospital thereby increasing patient benefit and reducing costs.

Reconstructive Surgery

Soft-tissue expansion is a well-established concept in reconstructive surgery and surgeons have made use of this natural phenomenon for some time. It is a reliable method to provide additional cutaneous tissue which has the same texture, skin tone, colour, hair follicle density and distribution as the adjacent tissue. In the reconstructive domain, Oxtex soft tissue expanders address a wide range of surgical applications. Click here for selected applications:

Breast reconstruction

Breast reconstruction should be offered to all women who have had a partial or total mastectomy - either immediately (i.e. at the time of their oncologic surgery) or as a delayed procedure (i.e. once they have recovered from their initial surgery). It is normally performed by using the woman's own tissue (either regional or distant flaps, which may be pedicled or free) or by utilising tissue expansion in a two-staged process. Step 1 is the insertion of the tissue expander device, which is then gradually inflated over a period of weeks or months. Step 2 entails expander removal and replacement with a permanent silicone or saline filled prosthesis. All reconstructive procedures may be completed by reconstruction of the nipple-areola complex. Oxtex devices offer an improvement over currently used balloon expanders because of their controlled self-inflating expansion profile.

Scar and burn revision

Scar reconstruction generally requires release and/or excision of the old scar with the introduction of new skin either in the form of a skin graft or a flap. Flaps may be local, regional or distant. Tissue expansion is a method of developing loco-regional skin flaps which have the advantage of being of similar tone, quality and texture as the skin being reconstructed. Oxtex expanders can help to expand skin adjacent to the repair site. Once inserted, the expansion has a delayed onset of action to facilitate wound healing. The device expands at a controlled rate with full expansion taking place from one to several weeks to maximise skin quality and minimise the possibility of cutaneous necrosis.

Congenital deformities

Surgical procedures for congenital deformities cover a wide range of indications, from cleft palates and giant moles (congenital nevus) to fused fingers (syndactyly) and nasal hypoplasia (Binder’s syndrome). All these applications will benefit from the Oxtex soft tissue expansion technology with its controlled expansion profile and anisotropic directionality.

Ears, nose and throat applications

Oxtex devices also offer soft tissue expansion solutions for a range of craniofacial and orthognathic applications following trauma or tumour removal. Due to their controlled expansion properties they will allow new soft tissue to be generated, something hitherto not achievable with currently available expanders.

Cosmetic Surgery

Cosmetic surgery for aesthetic purposes is a growing market worldwide. The most common surgical procedure in which soft tissue expanders may be used is breast augmentation. An implant is inserted in a pocket either behind the pectoral muscle against the chest wall or behind the breast tissue above the pectoral muscles. Implants contain either saline solution or silicone gel. 

Breast augmentation

Breast implant surgery is the most common type of cosmetic surgery carried out on women in the UK. Breast implants can be used for two purposes, reconstructive – to reconstruct the breast mound following total or partial mastectomy (the surgical removal of the breast often used to treat breast cancer) or cosmetic – to enhance the size and shape of the breast for aesthetic purposes.

Chin and nose applications

Chin augmentation (genioplasty) using surgical implants can alter the underlying structure of the face, providing better balance to the facial features. This operation is often, but not always, performed at the time of a rhinoplasty (nose correction) to help balance the facial proportions. Chin augmentation and nose corrections are popular because they are relatively easy operations for the patient while producing noticeable changes in the silhouette of the face. 

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What is tissue expansion?

A short explanation is available here.