Farewell, But Not Goodbye

Abstract

This January, it will be 11 years since I assumed the post of Aesthetic Surgery Journal Editor in Chief. When I accepted the invitation to serve, which was extended to me by the Board of Directors of the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery (ASAPS), I did not give much thought to how long I might be asked to stick around. I simply relished the challenge of taking the reins of this relatively new publication, which only a few years earlier, under the able leadership of my predecessor Bob Bernard, had signed its first publishing contract. At that time, ASJ was well on its way to becoming a vital educational and clinical resource for aesthetic surgeons around the world, but there was much more to come. Today, I write my farewell editorial, as I prepare to retire as Editor in Chief and hand over those well worn reins to my Associate Editor, colleague, and friend, Foad Nahai. Like most retirements, this one inspires mixed emotions. There is some relief in getting out from under those ever-pressing publication deadlines. But the concurrent drop in adrenaline may take a little getting used to. This editorial is not about my personal journey over the last 11 years, or what I plan for my future (now that I have retired both from the Journal and my plastic surgery practice within a period of just a few months). With my last official “pen to paper” opportunity, I would simply like to evoke a certain sense of history regarding the Journal by highlighting a few milestones. The evolution of ASJ as a clinical journal …