Mission restores smiles in Rwanda
Surgeon Jose Barrera of the San Antonio Military Medical Center and Humble Surgical Hospital recently went on a surgical trip to Rwanda as part of the Canadian Foundation for Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery's Face the Future Missions. The team performed 30 reconstructive surgeries over four days and trained local surgeons in new techniques. "Some of these deformities were extensive to the degree that the patients were really shunned by their society," Barrera said. UltimateLakeHouston.com (Houston) (3/7)

Medicare EHR payments will take a hit from sequestration
Sequestration will reduce by 2% the EHR incentive payments going to Medicare providers, starting April 1. On average, the cuts would cost Medicare-only hospitals, which are averaging $1.87 million in incentive payments, about $37,500, and physicians receiving Medicare EHR incentives would lose a few hundred dollars on average. Medicaid EHR incentives will not be affected. Modern Healthcare (subscription required) (3/5)

Health Quality & Advocacy

System defines severity of nipple displacement
A new classification system can help surgeons determine the extent of high nipple-areola complex and the type of revision surgery needed. The system is based on vertical distance from the top of the breast to the nipple compared with the vertical height of the whole breast, as well as the relationship to the sterna notch and inframammary fold. The system is described in the journal Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery. MedWire News (U.K.) (3/5)

Research & Technology

OsteoMed launches new filler for bone gaps
OsteoMed's OsteoVation QWIK bone gap filler is a mix of calcium phosphate and calcium sulfate granules and is available in impact or injectable form, according to the company. BeckersASC.com (3/6)

Self-retaining surgical ratchet from Symmetry is launched
Symmetry Medical has announced the launch of its Bookwalter Self-Retaining Rotilt Ratchet, which allows for retraction in any position and supports multiple configurations. The surgical device was unveiled at a recent perioperative nurses conference in San Diego. BeckersASC.com (3/5)

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