Interest In Plastic Surgery Research Articles

Zoom Boom or Bust? Understanding Post-Pandemic Interest in Facial Plastic Surgery via Google Trends.

To understand post-pandemic interest in plastic surgery procedures via Joinpoint analysis of Google Trends search data. Google Trends was used to quantify search volumes from January 2019-December 2022 for select cosmetic face and body procedures in the United States. A keyword analytic tool (Keywords Everywhere) extracted absolute search volumes (average monthly searches). Joinpoint analysis assessed search trends over time reported as monthly percentage change (MPC). All procedures queried, including a non-cosmetic control (cataract surgery), demonstrated expected declines at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. Blepharoplasty, face lift, neck lift, and Botox demonstrated statistically significant increase in search volumes that remained elevated relative to pre-pandemic levels. Rhinoplasty, fillers, and abdominoplasty interest increased initially followed by return to pre-pandemic levels by the end of 2022. The remainder of search terms did not show a clear temporal associated with COVID-19 lockdowns. The "Zoom Boom" appears to be a real phenomenon reflected by sustained increase in public interest in relation to facial plastic procedures. NA Laryngoscope, 2024.

Gender gap among plastic surgery residents: the Italian experience

Aim: Despite the significant increase in the proportion of graduating female physicians in recent decades, gender representation in surgical training remains imbalanced. The initial rise in female interest in plastic surgery has reached a plateau. Gender bias, affecting women’s confidence and opportunities, negatively impacts training and career prospects. This study aims to quantify and analyze disparities in surgical training opportunities, workplace treatment, and career advancement among male and female plastic surgery residents in Italy. Methods: Our study involved all Italian plastic surgery residents contacted between February and March 2024. A 21-item survey assessed professional, surgical, and personal aspects, focusing on gender gap differences. Responses were expressed in percentages and compared utilizing the Fisher Exact test. Results: A total of 551 surveys were distributed to Italian plastic surgery residents, with 46 responses each among women and men. Gender disparities persisted in workplace treatment, with more women reporting discrimination. Significant differences were identified in treatment inequality by hospital personnel and patients, the occurrence of inappropriate comments in the workplace, inquiries regarding work-life balance and career advancement opportunities, an augmented gender gap in surgical vs . clinical programs, and the perception of a negative impact of gender on surgical training. Conclusion: In conclusion, our study emphasizes the pervasive gender inequality in plastic surgery training, urging action against systemic biases hindering female surgeons’ progress. Gender equity efforts should combat discrimination, promote work-life balance, and foster inclusive training environments. Addressing these issues can create a field that empowers all surgeons to thrive.

Accuracy of Smartphone-Based Three-Dimensional Facial Scanning System: A Systematic Review.

Recently, the integration of 3D face scanning into smartphones has raised vast interest in plastic surgery. With the release of smartphones featuring 3D face scanning technology, users now can capture detailed 3D models of their faces using their smartphones. However, trueness and precision of this system is less well established. PubMed, Cochrane Library, Embase, ScienceDirect, Scopus, and Web of Science databases were searched for studies evaluating 3D scanning of smartphone devices and conventional 3D imaging systems from January 1, 2017, to June 1, 2023. A qualitative systematic review was conducted by two review authors after independently selecting studies, extracting data, and assessing the risk of bias of included studies. A total of 11 studies were included, all focusing on the accuracy of smartphone 3D facial scanning. The results show that although smartphones perform poorly on deep and irregular surfaces, they are accurate enough for clinical applications and have the advantage of being economical and portable. Smartphone-based 3D facial scanning has been basically validated for clinical application, showing broad clinical application prospects in plastic surgery. 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 .

D92. The Impact of a Shadowing Program on Medical Students’ Interest in Plastic Surgery

D92. The Impact of a Shadowing Program on Medical Students’ Interest in Plastic Surgery

Accuracy of Three-dimensional Scan Technology and Its Possible Function in the Field of Hand Surgery.

Three-dimensional (3D) technology has become a standard manufacturing element in many industries and has gained significant interest in plastic surgery. The 3D scans are widely used for patient communication, virtual surgery planning, and intraoperative tool manufacturing, providing a more comprehensive view of procedures and their outcomes compared with 2D visualization. We evaluated the performance of six commercially available 3D scanners by acquiring 3D models of a human hand and a 3D-printed replica of a human hand. We performed objective comparisons between the 3D models of the replica using color mapping techniques. Moreover, we compared the results of the human hand 3D scans. We achieved the highest precision with the Artec Space Spider 3D scanner (Artec 3D) when scanning the 3D-printed replica. The SD was ±0.05 mm, and the scan did not have major defects that needed manual correction. On the human hand scan, we achieved the best results using the Artec Eva (Artec 3D), the resulting scan was an accurate digital representation of the scanned human hand. In our study, the Artec Space Spider 3D scanner demonstrated superior precision when scanning a 3D-printed replica, deviating only slightly from the original data, making it an optimal choice for nonmoving objects such as casts or medical instruments. For scanning human hands, the Artec Eva 3D scanner exhibited the highest performance, offering accuracy comparable to the Artec Space Spider, but with the added benefit of being able to scan larger objects.

Human-Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells in Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery.

A hallmark of plastic and reconstructive surgery is restoring form and function. Historically, tissue procured from healthy portions of a patient's body has been used to fill defects, but this is limited by tissue availability. Human-induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs) are stem cells derived from the de-differentiation of mature somatic cells. hiPSCs are of particular interest in plastic surgery as they have the capacity to be re-differentiated into more mature cells, and cultured to grow tissues. This review aims to evaluate the applications of hiPSCs in the plastic surgery context, with a focus on recent advances and limitations. The use of hiPSCs and non-human iPSCs has been researched in the context of skin, nerve, vasculature, skeletal muscle, cartilage, and bone regeneration. hiPSCs offer a future for regenerated autologous skin grafts, flaps comprised of various tissue types, and whole functional units such as the face and limbs. Also, they can be used to model diseases affecting tissues of interest in plastic surgery, such as skin cancers, epidermolysis bullosa, and scleroderma. Tumorigenicity, immunogenicity and pragmatism still pose significant limitations. Further research is required to identify appropriate somatic origin and induction techniques to harness the epigenetic memory of hiPSCs or identify methods to manipulate epigenetic memory.

The impact of a shadowing program on medical students' interest in plastic surgery

Given the lack of formal education on plastic surgery servicesduring the preclinical years of medical school, many medical students commonly misunderstand the breadth and depth of the field. Shadowing is highly impactful in shaping students' desire to pursue surgery, but the impact of plastic surgery shadowing remains unexplored. The study design utilized an anonymous web-based survey containing questions surrounding prior interest in surgery, race, gender, medical school progress, and clinical versus OR shadowing. All medical students who participated in an ongoing, voluntary plastic surgery shadowing program over a two-year period were invited to complete the survey. Of the 54 students who shadowed during the study period, 43 (79.6%) returned the survey. Students reported an overall greater impact of OR shadowing than clinic shadowing on their interest in plastic surgery, approaching significance (p=0.0527). On simple and multivariate regression, the number of times a student shadowed in the OR was the only statistically significant predictor of students' interest in plastic surgery (p=0.0003). In general, the majority of students reported that their shadowing experience "significantly increased" (24.2%) or "somewhat increased" (45.5%) their interest in pursuing a career in plastic surgery. The impact of shadowing, particularly in the operating room, on students' interest in plastic surgery demonstrates the value of structured shadowing programs. Additionally, given the particularly influential effect of shadowing in the operating room, our results indicate that efforts may benefit most from facilitating student exposure to the hands-on aspects of the field.

Underrepresentation of African Americans in Plastic Surgery: Examining Demographics, Specialty Factors, and Medical School Experiences

Racial representation among medical trainees translates into physicians that are able to communicate with diverse patient populations and are perceptive to health disparities. This is important within plastic surgery where an optimal physicianpatient relationship is essential to health outcomes. The purpose of this study is to address underrepresentation of African Americans (AA) in plastic surgery through improving understanding of factors that may contribute to AA medical student interest in plastic surgery. This was a voluntary, cross-sectional survey. An online survey was designed to collect information on demographics, specialty factor importance, medical school experiences, and plastic surgery interest among medical students. The survey was distributed to medical students within three national medical organizations between August 2018 and February 2019. The following groups of respondents were statistically COMPARED: AAs interested vs. AAs not interested in plastic surgery and AA vs. Caucasian medical students both interested in plastic surgery. Online survey for medical students in the United States. All 428 participants were medical students that belonged to at least 1 of the 3 national medical organizations between August 2018 and February 2019. The survey was completed by 428 participants of which 142 were excluded for incomplete surveys, leaving 286 (66.8%) participants to be included in the study. Among AA medical students, 128 (75.3%) were not interested in Plastic Surgery and 42 (24.7%) were interested. The 2 groups were similar demographically but differed significantly across multiple specialty factors and medical school experiences (p < 0.05). When compared to interested Caucasian medical students (n = 30), interested AA medical students differed significantly in demographics, specialty factors, and medical school experiences (p < 0.05). This study supports the implementation of medical school interventions emphasizing specialty factors and medical school experiences unique to AA medical students interested in plastic surgery to promote their application into the specialty.

Changing Faces: Factors Associated with the Intention to Pursue Plastic Surgery and Practice in Underserved Areas.

De-identified data for US medical school graduates were obtained from the Association of American Medical Colleges for students who matriculated in academic years 2007-2008 and 2011-2012. Data collected included self-reported demographic and future practice intentions. Multivariate analysis was conducted to determine indicators of students' interest in plastic surgery, and their intention to practice in underserved areas. Of the 57,307 graduating US medical students in our cohort who completed the Graduation Questionnaire, 532 (0.9%) reported an intention to pursue plastic surgery. Hispanic [adjusted odds ratio (aOR): 1.45; 95% confidence interval (95% CI), 1.07-1.98] and multiracial (aOR: 1.59; 95% CI, 1.03-2.45) students were more likely to pursue plastic surgery compared with other surgical specialties. Among students interested in plastic surgery, compared with non-Hispanic White students, Black (aOR: 6.15; 95% CI, 1.96-19.26) students were more likely to report intention to practice in underserved areas. Students with community-engagement experiences were more likely to report intention to practice in underserved areas. Diversity among medical trainees pursuing plastic and reconstructive surgery is critical for maintaining and expanding plastic surgery services rendered in underserved areas. These findings suggest that student demographics and experiences with community-engagement experiences are positive indicators of practicing in underserved communities.

Effect of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Global Interest in Plastic Surgery

Due to the SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) pandemic, many elective surgeries were canceled, including most aesthetic plastic surgery procedures. Although studies have shown COVID-19's effect on plastic surgery in the United States, no study to date has examined the international interest in plastic surgery procedures after the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. Thus, we sought to find this effect using the Google Trends tool. The most common cosmetic procedures and top countries with the highest plastic surgery volume were selected from the International Society of Plastic Surgeons report and used as the search terms for Google Trends. Weekly search data from each procedure and country were collected from March 18, 2018 to March 13, 2022, split into 2 periods according to the start of the US COVID-19 lockdown, and compared. Among the countries, the United States had the most plastic surgery interest after the COVID-19 pandemic, with India and Mexico closely following. On the other hand, Russia and Japan had the fewest changes in procedure interest. Regarding specific procedures, interest in breast augmentation, forehead lift, injectable filler, laser hair removal, liposuction, microdermabrasion, and rhytidectomy increased in all countries after the COVID-19 pandemic. After COVID-19, there has been increasing interest in almost all plastic surgery procedures globally, especially nonsurgical procedures and facial plastic surgery, with the greatest increases in the United States, India, and Mexico. These results can help inform plastic surgeons which procedures to focus on and which devices or technologies to invest in that are specific to their country.

Capitalizing on social media: An evaluation of the public’s preferences for plastic surgery social media content

The effectiveness of utilizing social media platforms to promote clinical practices and attract patients has been well established. This study aimed to assess what plastic surgery social media content and educational material the public is most responsive to.An anonymous 25-question survey was distributed using REDCap and Amazon's Mechanical Turk to ascertain demographic information, patterns of social media use, levels of interest in plastic surgery, and preferences for plastic surgery content.Of 401 participants, the typical respondent was between 25 and 34 years old and on social media daily. Almost half of the respondents (46.1%) have intentionally viewed plastic surgery content on social media, of which most used Instagram (71.1%) and Facebook (55.4%). Participants grouped as either younger or older than 35 years old were equally likely to have viewed plastic surgery content (p = 0.33). Content categories with the highest interest were before and after results (mean Likert weight 4.00 ± 1.10), patient testimonials (3.73 ± 1.15), and recovery process (3.67 ± 1.14). Content on celebrities (2.89 ± 1.17), comedic videos (2.79 ± 1.19), and surgeons' private lives (2.51 ± 1.08) received negative interest. Photo posts (51.4%) were preferred more than video posts (27.2%). Before and after results on social media were the most influential factor in the selection of a plastic surgeon (45.9%).The importance of social media for plastic surgeons to be able to interact with patients is at unprecedented heights. Understanding patterns of the public's social media content preferences will help plastic surgeons optimize their social media reach and influence their target audience.

Changing Aesthetic Surgery Interest in Men: An 18-Year Analysis.

Historically, men have been shamed if they cared seemingly too much about their appearance and especially, if they pursued aesthetic surgery. However, due to the changing landscape of the culture, this stigma has seemed to decrease. Men have diverse and quickly changing interests in particular procedures that have not been readily explored in the currently available reports. To examine this, we analyzed interest in specific plastic surgery procedures in men over the last two decades using the Google Trends tool. The most common cosmetic procedures were chosen from the American Society of Plastic Surgeons website and served as the search terms for the Google Trends tool from 2004 to 2021. All 19 procedures were examined for overall trends and for changes in the last decade through comparing the data in bisected time periods. Interest in all plastic surgery procedures in men increased since 2004 except for breast reduction. Most notably, jawline filler, Botox, microneedling, lip filler, chemical peel, CoolSculpting, and butt lift had the largest trend increases. In the last decade, all procedures showed a significant increase in interest. While surgical volume data are valuable, our study shows that Google Trends is a beneficial tool to predict quickly changing and specific trends, especially as the patient population of plastic surgery grows with increased diversity and generational changes. Our study shows that there is an increase in male-centered plastic surgery procedures, especially nonsurgical facial procedures. Male interest in plastic surgery will continue to increase with time. 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 .

The perception of plastic surgery during the COVID-19 pandemic—an analysis of online search patterns on a medical information platform

In 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic impacted global life and transitioned economies and societal perceptions of life as we knew it. Professional and social life mostly ground to a nadir during the first lockdown in Europe in March. As a consequence, measures aimed at preventing the spread of the virus were established in medical facilities also and elective plastic surgery procedures were temporarily suspended in our clinic and others. A majority of the population, including those potentially contemplating plastic surgery procedures, spent most of their time at home with ample time available to research information about surgical procedures and other topics online. This investigation analyzes the relevance of plastic surgery during the pandemic on the basis of online search behavior patterns. Online traffic data from the online platform http://www.mooci.org were extracted using Google Analytics over a period of 6 months. The parameters analyzed were: pageviews, session duration, and bounce rate. Additionally, differentiation by areas of interest has been obtained. The data were compared and analyzed before and after the beginning of the first hard lockdown in Austria, Germany, and Switzerland. There were no significant differences in regard to pageviews and session duration when comparing time points before and after the beginning of the hard lockdown. The bounce rate exhibited a significant decrease after the beginning of the lockdown, implying a more conscious search for information and greater absorption and retention. There was no difference that could conclusively be attributed to the pandemic in terms of specific areas of interest researched. Society’s demand for information about plastic-surgical procedures continues to be steadily prevalent—despite, or even in particular, during a global pandemic. Providing reliable and readily available information about plastic surgery procedures is an important component of a functioning doctor–patient relationship and informed consent. This information may reflect society’s increased interest in plastic surgery during the pandemic, or be simply reflective of more spare time at hand to allow for such research. Further studies should investigate the relevance of elective procedures over the entire course of the pandemic.

Emergency burn education: Evaluating a surgical simulation-based intervention

Medical simulation has provided favorable outcomes in the improvement of clinical competence at both the undergraduate and postgraduate levels. The recall of information demonstrably increases when it has been taught in environments similar to the workplace. This study aimed to evaluate the role of a one-day burn simulation session in improving students' knowledge of burn management and interest in plastic surgery as a specialty. A one-day course was designed to deliver multiple lectures covering surgical topics such as the classification and management of burns, followed by a series of practical workshops. Participants were instructed to undergo a pre-course knowledge assessment and a survey focusing on interest in plastic surgery. Students were subsequently instructed to complete a post-course assessment and a survey of knowledge and confidence in managing burns as well as interest in plastic surgery both immediately and 6 weeks post-course. The students' knowledge demonstrated a 54.2% increase in the post-course assessment (p<0.01). 27% of participants (n=14) participated in a 6-week post-course quiz. The knowledge assessment of these participants at 6 weeks post-course also demonstrated a sustained increase of 61.0% (p<0.01). Interest in plastic surgery was increased by 31.4% post-course (p<0.01). At 6 weeks post-course, a sustained increase of 14.7% was demonstrated in comparison to pre-course data (p=0.03). Simulation teaching provides good outcomes in both information retention and interest in plastic surgery as a specialty. Therefore, medical school curriculums may benefit from including burn simulations.

33. Microsurgical Simulation Training Enhances Medical Student Acting Internship Experience

Background: Microsurgical education typically does not begin until surgical residency, and requires significant investment of time and practice.1,2 Various models and simulations have been reported to support microsurgical training, and have mostly focused on post-graduate surgical trainees.3 It has been demonstrated that medical students are capable of learning microsurgical techniques and exposure to microsurgery may improve their interest in plastic surgery.4 There is limited literature on how exposure to microsurgery training influences senior medical students applying to plastic surgery residency. Methods: Fourth year medical students completed a four hour, individual training session with expert microsurgeon (WZ) during their acting internship. Pre-training and post-training survey responses were compared using Wilcoxon signed rank test. Results: Twelve medical students completed the training session. Eighty-three percent of students (10/12) came from institutions without a microsurgery fellowship program. Two-thirds of students had no prior hands-on microsurgery experience. Ninety-one percent of students (11/12) were either extremely or somewhat uncomfortable performing end-to-end anastomoses of synthetic vessels. After the session, 58% of students (7/12) felt extremely or somewhat comfortable, with only 17% feeling somewhat uncomfortable (p=0.003). All students rated the session as very or extremely useful, with 91% finding the level of instruction and skills practiced reasonable. When asked to rank their interest in plastic surgery subspecialties, one-third of students ranked microsurgery higher than they did prior to the training session (p=0.450). Ninety-one percent of students reported that it was important for them to be at a residency program that would prepare them to perform microsurgery independently after graduation. Conclusion: Medical students can successfully learn microsurgical skills, including vessel anastomoses, in just a single training session. Hands-on microsurgical practice opportunities enrich the acting internship experience, and may inspire greater medical student interest in the subspecialty as well as the hosting residency program. A microsurgical curriculum for medical students is in development, with plans to further optimize learning and professional growth.

13. PREPPED: Plastic Surgery Research, Education, and Preparation Promoting Equity and Diversity

Background: Addressing healthcare disparities in plastic surgery requires improving physician workforce diversity. Evidence has emerged that despite an interest in plastic surgery, minority applicants face bias, socioeconomic barriers, and lower access to mentors that results in overall lower matriculation into plastic surgery. This study describes the creation and initial outcomes of the PREPPED (Plastic Surgery Research, Education, and Preparation Promoting Equity and Diversity) course, aimed at supporting under-represented students with their transition to sub-interns and residency applicants. Methods: The PREPPED course was a 2-day course hosted in San Diego, CA in 2022. Students received a 40-question survey both before and after the event. Qualitative and quantitative data analysis was performed. Results: Forty students participated, of which 72.7% identified as ethnically under-represented in medicine (UIM) and 48.5% of students did not have a home integrated plastic surgery program. Students reported significantly greater confidence describing a successful sub-intern and understanding the plastic surgery residency application process following the event (p<0.001). Students were significantly more comfortable identifying resources in plastic surgery education and identifying at least 3 mentors in the field following the event (p<0.001). Students showed significant improvement in the post PREPPED assessment in all subspecialties (p<0.05) except for the hand category, which trended towards improvement but was not significant (p=0.10) Conclusion: The PREPPED program is a promising avenue to improve recruitment of UIM students into plastic surgery. Further investigation as well as future PREPPED events will elucidate how this program may be effective in improving sub-internship performance and match outcomes.

The use of Google Trends and Twitter data as a tool for evaluating public interest in hyaluronic acid eyelid filler

Google Trends and the Twitter Academic Research Product Tract (TARPT) are free, online tools that can be used to evaluate public interest in plastic surgery procedures. The aim of the study was to evaluate the correlation between online public interest in hyaluronic acid eyelid filler on two popular web platforms (Google and Twitter) and hyaluronic acid filler procedure volumes in the United States. The Google Trends database and the TARPT tool were used to calculate the number of annual Google searches and Twitter tweets, respectively, related to 10 search terms associated with hyaluronic acid eyelid filler injections from January 2010 to December 2020. Annual procedure volumes for hyaluronic acid filler injections were obtained from the American Society of Plastic Surgery (ASPS). Univariate linear regression was used to correlate Google searches to ASPS procedure volumes and Twitter tweet volumes to ASPS procedure volumes. Significant positive correlations were found between Google Trends data and ASPS procedure volumes for 8/10 search terms and between Twitter tweet volumes and ASPS procedure volumes for 6/10 search terms, respectively. Online public interest in eyelid filler related search terms increased significantly over time according to an exponential model (P < 0.0001). We observed statistically significant positive associations between public interest related to eyelid filler on two online platforms, Google and Twitter, and hyaluronic acid soft-tissue filler procedure volumes. The Google Trends and TARPT databases represent free information sources for surgeons that may be used to inform marketing and advertising decisions and to anticipate patient inquiries during the patient encounter. Information provided by the Google Trends and TARPT tools can be used by surgeons to (1) inform marketing and advertising strategies and (2) gain insight into which procedures patients are researching during a given time period, preparing them to best address the evolving needs of patients.

81. The Effect of Masculinizing Hormone Therapy On Wound Healing in Sterilized Mice

Purpose: Wound healing is a topic of great interest in plastic surgery. Prior work has demonstrated sex-dependent differences in wound healing, but mechanisms underpinning these differences are poorly understood. There is general agreement among experts that transgender men on masculinizing hormone therapy heal wounds worse than those who aren’t. The morbidity of this poor wound healing is high and includes problems such as unsightly hypertrophic scars and urethral stenosis. It is known that androgens are associated with an increased local inflammatory response, decreased collagen matrix deposition, and delayed cutaneous wound healing. To further understand this phenomenon, we designed a novel mouse model and studied the effects of trans-sex hormones on wound healing in castrated mice. Methods: CB57BL/6J mice were randomized to 6 groups based on gender, hormone regimen and surgical castration (total n = 75). Ovariectomies, gonadectomies or sham occurred on day 0 and mice were assigned to receive either no-, mono-, or bi-weekly exogenous testosterone for 3 weeks. Bilateral dorsal excisional wounding (6mm punch biopsy) occurred on day 14, and wound were stented open with plastic 6mm rings (secured with suture) to ensure healing via reepithelization as opposed to contraction. Wounds were harvested on day 21 and assessed for planimetry, histology (H&E, trichrome), immunofluorescence, and qPCR (TNFα). Serum testosterone levels were obtained with mass spectrometry. All protocols were approved by Johns Hopkins ACUC. Difference in means was tested with one-way ANOVA with significance set at 0.05. Results: There was a statistically significant difference in mean normalized TNFα concentrations between the six groups (F = 2.50, F critic = 2.35, P = 0.039). Wound sample TNFα concentration was highest in female mice that were on exogenous testosterone. Wound histologic analysis showed poorer wound healing (decreased re-epithelization, larger wound size, increased granulation tissue) in female mice that received exogenous testosterone versus female groups that did not. Conclusion: Preliminary results in our novel murine transgender wound healing model suggest that testosterone increases inflammation and impairs wound healing with significantly more detrimental effects in XX as compared to XY mice, even with identical hormone levels. These effects may be in part mediated by TNFα activity. Ongoing work is focused on characterizing the hormone-mediated effects of TNFα in wound healing in transgender models and developing topical therapeutic interventions.

Publication Times and Integrated Plastic Surgery Applicant Planning.

Integrated plastic surgery is one of the most competitive residencies, with 57% of applicants matching in 2021.1 Research productivity is a shared feature of applicants with matched US MD seniors producing 19.1 abstracts, presentations, and publications compared with 11.5 for unmatched seniors in 2020.1 This reflects a substantial increase from only 3.4 for matched applicants in 2007.2 In this Viewpoint, we will analyze publication times in a major plastic surgery journal pre and post-pandemic, with the goal of determining how early applicants must start plastics research to be competitive, taking these contemporary publication cycle times into account. As per Chawla et al, 35 articles published between January 1, 2019, and November 1, 2021, in Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery were chosen at random. Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery was selected as it is the highest impact factor journal in the specialty with an impact factor of 4.763. One original research article per monthly issue was reviewed. Articles accepted before March 2020 were categorized as “pre-COVID,” between March 2020 and August 2020 as “quarantine,” and September 2020 to the present as “postquarantine.” Two-tailed T-testing assessed differences. Mean submission-to-acceptance time significantly increased from 30.97 weeks pre-COVID to 56.80 weeks postquarantine (P < 0.05), whereas acceptance-to-publication time significantly decreased from 32.67 to 25.59 weeks (see Table 1). Table 1. - Mean Submission-to-acceptance and Acceptance-to-publication Times for January 2019 to November 2021 Issues of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery Mean Submission-to-acceptance Time, wk (SD) Mean Acceptance-to-publication Time, wk (SD) Pre-COVID (n = 21) 30.97 (10.24) 32.67 (8.26) Quarantine (n = 6) 38.10 (9.79) 29.64 (4.80) Postquarantine (n = 8) 56.80 (21.46)* 25.59 (4.34)* *Significant (P < 0.05) difference between value and respective pre-COVID value. Submission-to-acceptance times were analyzed separately from submission-to-publication times, as applicants can list accepted work as publications in ERAS and PSCA applications. Further, in 2018, Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery was found to have a mean acceptance-to-publication time of 25.8 weeks, longer than the mean among all plastic surgery journals in 2018 of 10.32 weeks.3 The same study reported a mean submission-to-acceptance time of 23.3 weeks for Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery and 21 weeks for all plastic surgery journals, suggesting this metric is more generalizable. Overall, our data suggest that article submission-to-acceptance time postquarantine is greater than 1 year. This trend is supported by a selection of general journals, which demonstrated a significantly longer submission-to-acceptance time postquarantine compared with articles from 2019 at 91.35 and 75.79 days, respectively.4 This trend is exacerbated in plastic surgery journals, which significantly lag compared to other surgical subspecialty journals with median submission-to-publication time in 2018 of 208 days versus 22.1, respectively.3 With Step 1 transitioning from numerical to pass/fail scoring in 2022, further emphasis will be placed on research.5 We recommend expressing an interest in plastic surgery 2 years before applications are due. This is early M2 year for the average US senior and allows sufficient time to start multiple research projects and go through the submission-to-acceptance process in the postquarantine era. Further, we recommend research-related gap years be taken at least 2 years before the application cycle, if applicable (between M2 and M3 year) to allow for maximum publication productivity. A final consideration is for the applicant to look at publication cycle metrics/turnaround times of target journals before submission to best evaluate how these mesh with application cycle deadlines. DISCLOSURE The authors have no financial interests to declare in relation to the content of this article.

An Evaluation of the Public’s Preferences: What Plastic Surgery Social Media Content Is Most Effective?

PURPOSE: The effectiveness of utilizing social media platforms to promote clinical practices, educate the public, and attract patients has been well established. Accordingly, this study aimed to extensively evaluate public preferences regarding plastic surgery social media content and educational material in order to provide guidance for plastic surgeons seeking to enhance their social media presence. METHODS: Survey participants were recruited during February 2021 using Amazon’s Mechanical Turk (mTurk) crowdsourcing service and REDCap’s survey manager. An anonymous 25-question survey was distributed to ascertain demographic information, levels of interest in plastic surgery, patterns of social media use, and plastic surgery social media content preferences. Statistical analysis was performed using the chi-Square test and multivariate regression. RESULTS: Of the 401 total participants, the typical respondent was a woman, aged between 25 and 34 years, married, with a Bachelor’s degree, earning an annual income between $50,000 to $99,999, and on social media daily. Of the 273 (68.1%) respondents who considered having plastic surgery or cosmetic procedures in the last 5 years, most were interested in non-surgical procedures (39.9%) and face and neck surgery (37.5%). Almost half of respondents (48.4%) had viewed plastic surgery content on social media, of whom 44.3% reported doing with the intention of learning more about a specific procedure they are interested in having. Additionally, 42.8% of respondents who had viewed plastic surgery content on social media follow a plastic surgeon on at least one platform, with the most popular being Instagram (71.1%) and Facebook (55.4%). Respondents who had viewed plastic surgery content on social media were 5.6 times more likely to had underwent or considered plastic surgery than those who did not (95% CI: 3.3–9.6, P < 0.001). Women were 2.0 times more likely to had viewed plastic surgery content (95% CI: 1.3–2.9, P = 0.001) than men, and those between the ages of 18 and 34 years were 2.0 times more likely to follow a plastic surgeon on social media compared with those 35 and older. On a five-point Likert scale (one: dislike, five: very interested), the three plastic surgery social media content categories with highest interest were before and after results (mean Likert weight 4.00 ± 1.10), patient testimonials (3.73 ± 1.15), and recovery process or follow-up visits (3.67 ± 1.14). Three content categories had a negative interest on average: celebrity plastic surgery (2.89 ± 1.17), comedic videos (2.79 ± 1.19), and content about surgeons’ private lives (2.51 ± 1.08). Overall, photo posts (51.4%) were most preferred, followed by video posts (27.2%), links to external content (12.5%), and text-only posts (9.0%). When asked what aspect of a social media account plays the most influential role in selecting a plastic surgeon, the overwhelming majority selected before and after results (45.9%), followed by links to reviews (16.2%), number of posts and followers (14.2%), and links to professional practice websites (12.7%). CONCLUSIONS: The relevance and importance of social media for plastic surgeons today to be able to interact with patients are at unprecedented highs. Understanding patterns of the public’s plastic surgery social media content preferences will help plastic surgeons optimize their social media reach and influence on their target audience.