Preface

Abstract

This issue (Part II) and the previous issue (Part I) of the Clinics in Plastic Surgery are not dedicated to one topic, as is customary in the series, but they include various topics that describe the new directions in plastic surgery. Even within the expanded length of two issues, some page restrictions remained, and therefore, it was this Editor's choice to select those topics that would be most appreciated by you, the reader. The entire spectrum of plastic surgery is studied in these two issues, and equal attention is given to cosmetic and reconstructive surgery. Some of the articles address practices or technology already in place and gaining wide appeal, and others present more recent developments with a promising future. As a whole, these issues are designed to show how today's experts are shaping the future of plastic surgery—which some may say is already here! The previous issue covered topics related to surgery of the aging face, the use of bioresorbable material in craniofacial surgery, management of cleft lip, reconstructive microsurgery, breast implant surgery, facial contouring using external ultrasound, pediatric surgery, and skin care. This issue also included an article on new frontiers in plastic surgery research—an important process which adds value to our work, and enhances validity in the public eye. It is the Editor's hope that these new techniques will continue to be further refined by plastic surgeons and will eventually stand the test of time. This second issue includes articles on endoscopic transumbilical subglandular augmentation mammaplasty, bone regeneration, skin resurfacing, laser therapy, new microsurgical applications, abdominoplasty, breast reconstruction (tissue engineering), and a discussion of legal issues, which are always a major factor in the practice of plastic surgery. This article will address some changes in litigation that offer a ray of hope. Self-procalimed “experts” are finally being held accountable for their fraudulent actions by boards of medicine. They are being identified and questioned by not only the media, but by their peers. Regulators on the state and national levels are keenly aware of this problem, and are working on creating a system of accountability. Another aspect of the new era of plastic surgery concerns office-based surgery. The state of Florida has been recently hit with new regulations regarding safety, certification and credibility. New regulatory measures such as these will soon be seen across the nation as the demand increases for safety and quality assurance in office-based surgery and in hospitals. The authors who were selected to contribute to these issues are well recognized in their fields. They also represent two aspects of plastic surgery: the academic arena and the private practice community, the latter (private practice) dominating the field and guiding our approach to patient care. I would like to extend sincere appreciation to the authors for their hard work on these two issues.