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Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery.... Jul 2020There are multiple subspecialties that residents can pursue after core plastic surgery training, including 5 major fellowship categories: aesthetic, burn, craniofacial,...
There are multiple subspecialties that residents can pursue after core plastic surgery training, including 5 major fellowship categories: aesthetic, burn, craniofacial, hand, and microsurgery. Hand surgery remains the only plastic surgery subspecialty to date, with a formal accreditation process following fellowship. The purpose of this study was to review the literature regarding the accreditation and match process of plastic surgery fellowship programs, the process of hand surgery certification, and future directions pertaining to certification in other plastic surgery subspecialties.
PubMed: 32802636
DOI: 10.1097/GOX.0000000000002893 -
EBioMedicine Mar 2020
Topics: Australia; Career Choice; England; Female; Humans; Male; Narration; Sexism; Surgery, Plastic
PubMed: 32143181
DOI: 10.1016/j.ebiom.2020.102681 -
Journal of Plastic, Reconstructive &... Nov 2021Ramifications of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) on the re-structuring of healthcare are widespread, including delivery of surgical services across all specialties,...
BACKGROUND
Ramifications of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) on the re-structuring of healthcare are widespread, including delivery of surgical services across all specialties, including plastic surgery. Re-deployment of personnel and cessation of elective services are commonplace. However, there is a continued need for both emergency and oncological surgery. A national review of practice was conducted during the COVID-19 pandemic, to assess impact on services, staffing and training.
METHODS
Key aspects of current plastic surgery practice in the United Kingdom were examined in this cross-sectional study; operating capacity, location of theatre lists (national health service or outsourced private institutions (PIs)), differences across sub-specialties, change in anaesthesia practices, staffing, re-deployment, on-call provision and impact on training.
RESULTS
Three-hundred and forty-four plastic surgeons in the United Kingdom provided practice data across 51 units. Theatre capacity and outpatient services were markedly reduced. Outsourcing of operating lists to PIs was widely utilised. Increased use of local anaesthetic hand procedures, the prioritisation of shorter operations with reduced microsurgery in both head and neck/lower limb and almost complete cessation of breast reconstruction were noted, together with marked regional variations. Re-deployment occurred at all staffing levels, whilst telemedicine played a critical role in both patient management and training.
CONCLUSIONS
COVID-19 has enforced unprecedented changes to surgical care delivery and training, as identified by examination of plastic surgery nationally in the United Kingdom. Novel means to support continued elective and emergency services, including oncology have been identified. Lessons learned will allow phased return of services and improved preparation for the future.
Topics: COVID-19; Cross-Sectional Studies; Humans; Operating Rooms; Pandemics; Personnel Staffing and Scheduling; Practice Patterns, Physicians'; Plastic Surgery Procedures; Surgery, Plastic; Surveys and Questionnaires; United Kingdom
PubMed: 34130913
DOI: 10.1016/j.bjps.2021.03.109 -
The Journal of Craniofacial Surgery Sep 2022Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has had far reaching impacts on all aspects of the healthcare system, including plastic surgery training. Due to reduction...
PURPOSE
Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has had far reaching impacts on all aspects of the healthcare system, including plastic surgery training. Due to reduction in the number of elective surgery cases and need for social distancing, plastic surgery education has shifted from the operating room to the virtual learning environment. Although these changes have been qualitatively described, the authors present a quantitative analysis of plastic surgery training changes due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Our study has identified residents' greatest impediments and inquired about suggestions for further improvements. Our goal is to help residency programs through the COVID-19 pandemic era and contribute to future guidelines when residency education encounters additional unexpected changes.
METHODS
An institutional review board approved anonymous survey using Qualtrics was forwarded on April 23, 2020 to US plastic surgery program directors to be distributed to plastic surgery residents and fellows. Questions centered on the impact of COVID-19 on residents' well-being, education and career plans results were collected for data analysis. Residents were given the option to be in a raffle to win a $50 amazon gift card. Completion of the survey was both anonymous and voluntary.
RESULTS
A total of 69 trainees responded (52 integrated residents and 17 independent fellows) from 18 states. Fifty-one percent were male and 49% were female. Fifty-six percent of trainees plan to complete a fellowship program after graduation, 31% will join private practice. Nine percent of trainees reported changes in their postgraduation plans due to the pandemic, 67% were senior trainees. Of those whose goals were affected by COVID-19 pandemic, 56% opted to pursue additional fellowship training. They described reduced operative exposure and cancelations of elective surgeries (50%), the limited availability of private practice jobs (37.5%), and financial reasons (12.5%) for their decision. Twelve percent reported being concerned about not meeting the necessary requirements to finish their residency and graduate on time. Seventy-six percent of trainees expressed concerns about the health and safety of themselves, family and loved ones. Forty-nine percent of trainees reported increased levels of stress since the onset of the pandemic. Ninety-seven percent of trainees reported having reduction in their operative time during the COVID-19 pandemic. They utilized their nonoperative time for online education modules (84%), educational readings (82%), and research (80%). Plastic surgery trainees learned about national webinars through emails from professional society (83%), co-resident/fellow (77%), program director emails (74%), and social media (22%). Webinars attended were mostly through virtual platform modalities, among which Zoom and Webex were the most preferred. Less interactions with colleagues and faculty was the biggest barrier to adopting virtual conferences. Despite this, 72% agreed that having grand rounds, didactics and journal clubs online increased attendance. Additionally, 88% of respondents expressed interests in attending professional society sponsored virtual grand rounds in the future.
CONCLUSIONS
Results from our survey demonstrated that the overwhelming majority of plastic surgery residents have had reductions in operative times and widespread curriculum changes during the COVID-19 pandemic. These recent changes have increased residents' stress levels and adversity affected their future career plans. Additionally, COVID-19 has heralded an increase in virtual conferences and learning modules. Plastic surgery trainees expressed a preference for virtual educational platforms and interest in continuing virtual didactics in the future. This may irreversibly change the landscape of future plastic surgery training.
Topics: COVID-19; Fellowships and Scholarships; Female; Humans; Internship and Residency; Male; Pandemics; Surgery, Plastic; Surveys and Questionnaires
PubMed: 35968981
DOI: 10.1097/SCS.0000000000008419 -
Tidsskrift For Den Norske Laegeforening... May 2021Marketing cosmetic surgery is an under-researched topic in a Norwegian context, even though problematic aspects of such marketing have been pointed out in several...
BACKGROUND
Marketing cosmetic surgery is an under-researched topic in a Norwegian context, even though problematic aspects of such marketing have been pointed out in several contexts. This study draws attention to how providers of cosmetic surgery market their services, whom they target and how they do so.
MATERIAL AND METHOD
Critical discourse analysis was used as a framework for a qualitative study of the marketing activity of 36 private clinics. The data material was collected from the Internet and newspapers, and consists of text, still photos and video clips.
RESULTS AND INTERPRETATION
The article identifies the following marketing strategies: The providers refer to customers as patients, normalise cosmetic surgery, draw attention to physical flaws, play on femininity and sensuality, define natural appearance, promise a better self-image and quality of life, and offer package solutions and financing schemes. The underlying messages and patterns that emerge from the identified strategies are interpreted within theories on body and gender, nature and culture.
Topics: Humans; Marketing of Health Services; Norway; Quality of Life; Plastic Surgery Procedures; Surgery, Plastic
PubMed: 34047173
DOI: 10.4045/tidsskr.20.0766 -
The Journal of Craniofacial Surgery Sep 2022Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has been an unprecedented public health crisis. As hospitals took measures to increase their capacity to manage COVID-19...
PURPOSE
Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has been an unprecedented public health crisis. As hospitals took measures to increase their capacity to manage COVID-19 patients, plastic surgeons have also had to modify their routine to continue serving their vital role within the hospital environment. In an effort to reduce exposure to COVID-19 and conserve hospital resources, many plastic surgery programs drastically modified call schedules, restructured inpatient teams, triaged operative cases, and expanded telemedicine encounters. Plastic surgery programs focused on craniofacial procedures were impacted by precautionary preventative protocol and shifts in case load made to protect both the healthcare teams and the patients. At academic centers, plastic surgery trainees of all domains felt the impact of these changes. Recognizing the implications on future craniofacial surgical practice, the pandemic has made, the goal of the authors' study is to measure initial impacts of COVID-19 on plastic surgery trainees using a nationwide survey. The authors' results present the first quantitative analysis of plastic surgery trainees' exposure to COVID-19, deployment to other medical specialties, usage of personal protective equipment, and implementation of telemedicine during the pandemic. While healthcare systems have greatly adapted to pandemic complications and can anticipate vaccination, resurgence of COVID-19 cases linked to the delta variant heightens the authors' urgency in understanding the early pandemic, and its lasting impacts on healthcare. In the months following pandemic onset, telemedicine has become a mainstay in healthcare, trainees have adapted and become integrated in patient care in novel ways, and visits unable to transition to telemedical settings received substantial attention to ensure patient and provider safety.
METHODS
An institutional review board-approved anonymous, multiple-choice and short-answer, Qualtrics survey regarding plastic surgery resident experiences with COVID-19 exposure. It was sent to all US plastic surgery program directors and program coordinators on April 23, 2020 with the request to distribute the survey to their residents. Residents were given the option to participate in a raffle for a $50 gift card. Outcomes measured included demographics, exposure to COVID-19, availability of resources, and adjustments to residency training practices.
RESULTS
Sixty-nine plastic surgery residents throughout all years of training from 18 states responded. Gender, year of training, and location did not significantly impact these reports.Sixteen percent of residents reported covering a COVID-19 team. Twelve percent reported covering a shift not within their scope of practice. From these reports, residents mostly worked in the intensive care unit (50%) and the emergency department (29%).Half of the residents believe they were exposed to high-risk patients. This was reported in a variety of settings: the emergency department for plastic surgery consults (34%), caring for plastic surgery inpatients (16%), performing trauma reconstruction surgery (16%), cancer reconstruction surgery (12%), elective surgery (6%), and intraoperative consults (6%).Seventy-two percent of residents reported adequate access to personal protective equipment. Equipment type varied by patient exposure. When attending to a non-COVID-19 inpatient, most residents used a standard mask (62%) rather than an N95 mask (21%). N95 masks were generally used in patients with unknown COVID-19 status. Residents reported using eye and face shields when attending to non-COVID-19 ICU patients (17%), patients with unknown COVID-19 status (27%), and in the operating room (34%).Forty percent of residents implemented telemedicine to see patients for new consults, follow-up visits, postop checks, and wound checks. Eighty-five percent of residents report that they would continue to incorporate telemedicine in the future. Most significant reported barrier to using telemedicine is the limited ability to perform a physical examination (33%) followed by limited patient access to telemedicine (21%). Other challenges included poor ease of use for patients or providers, billing questions, and lack of interpersonal connection with patients.
CONCLUSION
This study, to the best of the authors' knowledge, is the first to quantitatively investigate how plastic surgery residents have been affected by the widespread impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. It reports resident exposure to COVID-19 and their associated concerns, resident access to and perceived adequacy of personal protective equipment, as well as changes to clinical practice.
Topics: COVID-19; Humans; Internship and Residency; Pandemics; SARS-CoV-2; Surgery, Plastic; Telemedicine
PubMed: 35762598
DOI: 10.1097/SCS.0000000000008471 -
Ophthalmology Sep 2020
Topics: Betacoronavirus; COVID-19; Coronavirus Infections; Cosmetic Techniques; Delivery of Health Care; Disease Transmission, Infectious; Face; Humans; Orbit; Pandemics; Pneumonia, Viral; Plastic Surgery Procedures; Rhytidoplasty; SARS-CoV-2; Surgery, Plastic; Telemedicine
PubMed: 32348831
DOI: 10.1016/j.ophtha.2020.04.035 -
Archives of Plastic Surgery Mar 2022In Japan, there is a large regional disparity in plastic surgery availability. In order for plastic surgery to be widely available for all citizens, it is essential...
In Japan, there is a large regional disparity in plastic surgery availability. In order for plastic surgery to be widely available for all citizens, it is essential for at least one plastic surgery facility to be located in each secondary medical zone. Using the Japan Society of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery homepage and some databases, we extracted data on secondary medical zones that do not have a plastic surgery facility. The national and regional coverage rates were calculated. The coverage rate for each group divided by the degree of population concentration was also calculated. We found that 147 of 344 secondary medical zones did not have a plastic surgery facility, and the area coverage rate was found to be 57.27% nationwide. The coverage rate in terms of population was 87.07% (correlation coefficient of area and population coverage = 0.983). The area coverage rates in Hokkaido-Tohoku, Kanto, Chubu, Kansai, Chugoku-Shikoku, and Kyushu-Okinawa districts were 47.46, 72.15, 76.47, 62.79, 52.08, and 32.81%, respectively. The corresponding population coverage rates were 79.92, 91.62, 94.27, 90.59, 80.68, and 69.54%, respectively. The area coverage rates in metropolitan areas, provincial cities, and rural areas were 98.08, 75.90, and 15.87%, respectively. In contrast, the area coverage rate of dermatology was 62.79% and that of orthopaedics was 97.09%. Unfortunately, it is estimated that more than 40% of secondary medical zones are underserved by plastic surgery, and 13% of the population is not able to fully benefit from this specialty in Japan.
PubMed: 35832681
DOI: 10.1055/s-0042-1744415 -
Aesthetic Plastic Surgery Aug 2021Medical tourism is expanding on a global basis, with patients seeking cosmetic surgery in countries abroad. Little information is known regarding the risks and outcomes... (Review)
Review
INTRODUCTION
Medical tourism is expanding on a global basis, with patients seeking cosmetic surgery in countries abroad. Little information is known regarding the risks and outcomes of cosmetic tourism, in particular, for aesthetic breast surgery. The majority of the literature involves retrospective case series with no defined comparator. We aimed to amalgamate the published data to date to ascertain the risks involved and the outcomes of cosmetic tourism for aesthetic breast surgery on a global basis.
METHODS
A systematic review of PubMed, Google Scholar, EMBASE, the Cochrane library and OVID Medline was conducted using the PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-analyses) guidelines. Keywords such as "medical tourism", "cosmetic tourism", "tourism", "tourist", "surgery", "breast" and "outcomes" were used. Seven hundred and seventy-one titles were screened, and 86 abstracts were reviewed leaving 35 full texts. Twenty-four of these met the inclusion criteria and were used to extract data for this systematic review.
RESULTS
One hundred and seventy-one patients partook in cosmetic tourism for aesthetic breast surgery. Forty-nine percent of patients had an implant-based procedure. Other procedures included: mastopexy (n=4), bilateral breast reduction (n=11) and silicone injections (n=2). Two-hundred and twenty-two complications were recorded, common complications included: wound infection in 39% (n=67), breast abscess/ collection in 12% (n=21), wound dehiscence in 12% (n= 20) and ruptured implant in 8% (n=13). Clavien-Dindo classification of the complications includes 88 (51%) IIIb complications with 103 returns to theatre, 2 class IV complications (ICU stay) and one class V death of a patient. Explantation occurred in 39% (n=32) of implant-based augmentation patients.
CONCLUSIONS
Aesthetic breast surgery tourism is popular within the cosmetic tourism industry. However, with infective complications (39%) and return to theatre rates (51%) significantly higher than expected, it is clear that having these procedures abroad significantly increases the risks involved. The high complication rate not only impacts individual patients, but also the home country healthcare systems. Professional bodies for cosmetic surgery in each country must highlight and educate patients how to lower this risk if they do choose to have cosmetic surgery abroad. In this current era of an intra-pandemic world where health care is already stretched, the burden from cosmetic tourism complications must be minimised.
LEVEL OF EVIDENCE III
This journal requires that authors assign a level of evidence to each article. For a full description of these Evidence-Based Medicine ratings, please refer to the Table of Contents or the online Instructions to Authors www.springer.com/00266 .
Topics: Breast Neoplasms; Esthetics; Female; Humans; Mammaplasty; Medical Tourism; Retrospective Studies; Surgery, Plastic; Tourism; Treatment Outcome
PubMed: 33876284
DOI: 10.1007/s00266-021-02251-1 -
Aesthetic Plastic Surgery Feb 2020Advances in medical technology coupled with rapid growth of web-based mass media and social networking services have considerably increased public access to cosmetic... (Meta-Analysis)
Meta-Analysis
PURPOSE
Advances in medical technology coupled with rapid growth of web-based mass media and social networking services have considerably increased public access to cosmetic surgery. In South Korea, in particular, the number of people undergoing cosmetic surgery has been rapidly increasing, and studies related to cosmetic surgery have markedly increased. We report an integrative review of studies examining the relationship between cosmetic surgery and self-esteem in Korea. We aimed to identify relevant variables and determine their overall effect sizes.
METHODS
This study was designed based on the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines. Two researchers separately performed the literature search, selected 16 papers based on the inclusion and exclusion criteria, and analyzed them.
RESULTS
Of the 16 papers on cosmetic surgery and self-esteem, 5 (33.3%) involved both men and women, and the remaining 11 (66.7%) involved only women. The respondents included teenagers and adults. The total number of respondents was 6296, with an average of 393.5 per paper. Most studies (n = 13, 81.3%) used the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale. Self-esteem was correlated with variables grouped into the following six categories: appearance management intention, cosmetic surgery intention, sociocultural attitude, body satisfaction, BMI, and stress. The effect sizes from the meta-analysis with correlation coefficients were 0.157, - 0.118, 0.023, 0.175, - 0.045, and - 0.085.
CONCLUSIONS
Among the relevant variables categorized in this study, sociocultural attitude, BMI, and stress showed weak effect sizes, and the appearance management intention, cosmetic surgery intention, and body satisfaction categories showed intermediate effect sizes. The results of this study are expected to serve as a concrete basis for the development of strategies to minimize the adverse effects of the ever-growing cosmetic surgery industry. This information can help elucidate the psychologic characteristics of individuals seeking cosmetic surgery and contribute to optimal medical outcomes.
LEVEL OF EVIDENCE IV
This journal requires that authors assign a level of evidence to each article. For a full description of these Evidence-Based Medicine ratings, please refer to the Table of Contents or the online Instructions to Authors www.springer.com/00266.
Topics: Adolescent; Adult; Attitude; Body Image; Female; Humans; Male; Republic of Korea; Self Concept; Surgery, Plastic
PubMed: 31637500
DOI: 10.1007/s00266-019-01515-1