The Impact of Outcomes Research in Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery

Objectives The objectives of this study include characterizing the practice patterns and testing strategies of facial plastic and reconstructive surgery (FPRS) fellowship directors (FDs) secondary to COVID-19 and to quantify the impact of COVID-19 on FPRS fellowship training. Study Design Cross-sectional survey. Setting Online. Methods A survey was sent to all American Academy of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery FDs and co-FDs in September 2020. Descriptive analyses were performed. Results Of 77 eligible FDs, 45 responded (58.4%) representing a diverse group across the United States. All but 1 FD routinely screened patients for COVID-19 in the preoperative setting. FDs largely believed that universal preoperative testing was cost-effective (66.7%), improved patient safety (80.0%) and health care worker safety (95.6%), and was not burdensome for patients (53.3%). With regard to volume of cosmetic/aesthetic, reconstructive, facial nerve, and trauma surgery, FDs indicated largely no change in volume (34.9%, 71.0%, 68.4%, and 80.0%, respectively) or fellow experience (67.4%, 80.6%, 84.2%, and 80.0%). Half (50.0%) of the FDs reported decreased volume of congenital/craniofacial surgery, but 75.0% did not believe that there was a change in fellow experience. Overall, of the 15 responses indicating “worsened training” across all domains of FPRS, 14 were located in the Northeast (93.33%). Conclusions The COVID-19 pandemic has had the least impact on the volume of reconstructive procedures, facial nerve operations, and trauma surgery and a negative impact on congenital/craniofacial surgery volume, and it has accelerated the demand for cosmetic/aesthetic operations. Overall, the majority of FDs did not feel as though their fellows’ trainings would be adversely affected by the ongoing pandemic.

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A Critique of the Impact Factor and Ramifications of Its Misuse in Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery

Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery ◽

10.1097/prs.0000000000004774 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 142 (4) ◽

pp. 566e-568e ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Lakshmi Nair ◽

Oluwaseun A. Adetayo

Keyword(s):

Impact Factor ◽

Reconstructive Surgery ◽

Plastic And Reconstructive Surgery ◽

The Impact

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The Impact of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery

Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery ◽

10.1097/prs.0000000000001223 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 135 (5) ◽

pp. 1501-1504 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Rod J. Rohrich ◽

Aaron Weinstein

Keyword(s):

Reconstructive Surgery ◽

Plastic And Reconstructive Surgery ◽

The Impact

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4140 Medical Students Perception of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery and the Impact of Social Media Influencing their Opinion

Journal of Clinical and Translational Science ◽

10.1017/cts.2020.217 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 4 (s1) ◽

pp. 64-64

Author(s):

Fara Dayani ◽

Paymon Rahgozar

Keyword(s):

Social Media ◽

Medical Students ◽

San Francisco ◽

Reconstructive Surgery ◽

Primary Care Physicians ◽

Conflicts Of Interest ◽

Plastic And Reconstructive Surgery ◽

Primary Specialty ◽

The Impact

OBJECTIVES/GOALS: The discipline of plastic and reconstructive surgery (PRS) is poorly understood by the public, primary care physicians, and nurses. The aim of our study is to assess medical students’ knowledge and perceptions of PRS as a discipline and explore factors influencing these opinions. METHODS/STUDY POPULATION: To assess medical student’s knowledge and perception of PRS, we distributed an online survey to all medical students at all training levels (i.e. first year to fourth year) enrolled at UCSF School of Medicine, San Francisco, CA during 2019-2020 academic year. In the survey, participants were asked to match 12 surgical subspecialties with 36 operative procedure scenarios. In addition, the survey included questions investigating the most common social medical platform used by medical students and the role of medical social media accounts in contributing to their knowledge of surgical subspecialties. RESULTS/ANTICIPATED RESULTS: Medical students demonstrated a profound gap in knowledge in plastic surgery. The majority of respondents correctly identified plastic surgeons as the primary surgeons performing the cosmetic procedures listed (abdominoplasty, facelift, and liposuction). PRS was identified as the primary specialty involved in breast reconstruction (94.4%) and burns surgery (88.9%). There was poor understanding of the role of plastic surgeons in hand surgery(16.6%), craniofacial surgery(14.8%), and head and neck cancer surgery(9.3%). 52.4% of respondents follow medical social media accounts and 45.6% of respondents indicated that social media contributed to their knowledge of surgical subspecialties. DISCUSSION/SIGNIFICANCE OF IMPACT: Medical students, who form the next generation of doctors, have limited knowledge regarding versatile applications of PRS. Misconceptions about the discipline of PRS negatively impacts resource allocation and hinders the delivery of care to patients that would profoundly benefit from this specialty. CONFLICT OF INTEREST DESCRIPTION: No authors have financial disclosures or conflicts of interest to declare.

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The Impact of COVID-19 on the Surgical Wait Times for Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery in Ontario

Plastic Surgery ◽

10.1177/22925503211064381 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 229255032110643

Author(s):

Moaath M. Saggaf ◽

Dimitri J. Anastakis

Keyword(s):

Reconstructive Surgery ◽

Wait Time ◽

Baseline Period ◽

Wait Times ◽

Surgical Volume ◽

Time Data ◽

Plastic And Reconstructive Surgery ◽

Percent Change ◽

The Mean ◽

The Impact

Purpose: The aim of this study was to assess the impact of COVID-19 on surgical wait times for Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery (PRS) in Ontario, Canada. Methods: Ontario's wait time data has fourteen reporting categories for PRS. For each category, the mean wait time for consultation and for surgery were reported. Each category was given a priority ranging from 1 to 4. Two periods, three-month and six-month, were selected and compared to the same calendar months of the previous year. Wait times, surgical volume and percent change to the provincial wait time target were reported and compared to the baseline data. Results: This study reviewed 9563 consults and 15,000 operative cases. There was a 50% reduction in the volume of surgical consults during the study period compared to the baseline period (P = 0.004). The reduction ranged from 46% to 75% based on the reporting category. The volume of surgical cases decreased by 43% during the study period compared to the baseline period (P = 0.005). A statistically significant increase in the mean wait times for surgery was observed, involving priorities 2 to 4 (overall mean = 32 days, P ≤ 0.01). There was a 15% decrease in the percentage of surgeries meeting the provincial target times (P < 0.0001). Conclusion: COVID-19 has caused a significant reduction in the volume of cases performed in the majority of PRS categories with an overall increase in the wait times for consultation and for surgery. Recovery following COVID-19 will require strategies to address the growing volume of cases and wait times for surgery across all PRS categories.

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