The first step toward addressing the issues facing women plastic surgeons is recognition and articulation of the issues. Further research may focus on analyzing geographic variation in the issues and developing appropriate interventions.

Background In 2015, six indicators were proposed to evaluate global progress towards access to safe, affordable and timely surgical and anaesthesia care. Although some have been adopted as core global health indicators, none has been evaluated systematically. The aims of this study were to assess the availability, comparability and utility of the indicators, and to present available data and updated estimates. Methods Nationally representative data were compiled for all World Health Organization (WHO) member states from 2010 to 2016 through contacts with official bodies and review of the published and grey literature, and available databases. Availability, comparability and utility were assessed for each indicator: access to timely essential surgery, specialist surgical workforce density, surgical volume, perioperative mortality, and protection against impoverishing and catastrophic expenditure. Where feasible, imputation models were developed to generate global estimates. Results Of all WHO member states, 19 had data on the proportion of the population within 2h of a surgical facility, 154 had data on workforce density, 72 reported number of procedures, and nine had perioperative mortality data, but none could report data on catastrophic or impoverishing expenditure. Comparability and utility were variable, and largely dependent on different definitions used. There were sufficient data to estimate that worldwide, in 2015, there were 2 038 947 (i.q.r. 1 884 916–2 281 776) surgeons, obstetricians and anaesthetists, and 266·1 (95 per cent c.i. 220·1 to 344·4) million operations performed. Conclusion Surgical and anaesthesia indicators are increasingly being adopted by the global health community, but data availability remains low. Comparability and utility for all indicators require further resolution.

The American Society of Plastic Surgeons and its Journal have recognized that social media may be used to educate and engage. Board-certified plastic surgeons have a great opportunity to promote evidence-based plastic practice by means of #PlasticSurgery in the interests of supporting patients and the profession.

Since the advent of three-dimensional printing in the 1980s, it has become possible to produce physical objects from digital files and create three-dimensional objects by adding one layer at a time following a predetermined pattern. Because of the continued development of inexpensive and easy-to-use three-dimensional printers and bioprinting, this technique has gained more momentum over time, especially in the field of medicine. This article reviews the current and possible future application of three-dimensional printing technology within the field of plastic and reconstructive surgery.

Therapeutic, III.

In this study, the authors present a reconstructive algorithm describing various oncoplastic approaches aimed to provide a guideline in clinical practice when employing oncoplastic surgery.

Background: Research derived from large-volume databases plays an increasing role in the development of clinical guidelines and health policy. In breast cancer research, the Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results, National Surgical Quality Improvement Program, and Nationwide Inpatient Sample databases are widely used. This study aims to compare the trends in immediate breast reconstruction and identify the drawbacks and benefits of each database. Methods: Patients with invasive breast cancer and ductal carcinoma in situ were identified from each database (2005–2012). Trends of immediate breast reconstruction over time were evaluated. Patient demographics and comorbidities were compared. Subgroup analysis of immediate breast reconstruction use per race was conducted. Results: Within the three databases, 1.2 million patients were studied. Immediate breast reconstruction in invasive breast cancer patients increased significantly over time in all databases. A similar significant upward trend was seen in ductal carcinoma in situ patients. Significant differences in immediate breast reconstruction rates were seen among races; and the disparity differed among the three databases. Rates of comorbidities were similar among the three databases. Conclusions: There has been a significant increase in immediate breast reconstruction; however, the extent of the reporting of overall immediate breast reconstruction rates and of racial disparities differs significantly among databases. The Nationwide Inpatient Sample and the National Surgical Quality Improvement Program report similar findings, with the Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results database reporting results significantly lower in several categories. These findings suggest that use of the Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results database may not be universally generalizable to the entire U.S. population.

BackgroundComplication rates after flap coverage for pressure ulcers have been high historically. These patients have multiple risk factors associated with poor wound healing and complications including marginal nutritional status, prolonged immobilization, and a high comorbidities index. This study utilizes the National Surgical Quality Improvement Program (NSQIP) to examine perioperative outcomes of flap coverage for pressure ulcers.MethodsData from the NSQIP database (2005–2015) for patient undergoing flap coverage for pressure ulcers was identified. Demographic, perioperative information, and complications were reviewed. One-way analysis of variance and Pearson chi-square were used to assess differences for continuous variables and nominal variables, respectively. Multivariate logistic regression was performed to identify independent risk factors for complications.ResultsThere were 755 cases identified: 365 (48.3%) sacral ulcers, 321 (42.5%) ischial ulcers, and 69 (9.1%) trochanteric ulcers. Most patients were older male, with some degree of dependency, neurosensory impairment, high functional comorbidities score, and American Society of Anesthesiologists class 3 or above. The sacral ulcer group had the highest incidence of septic shock and bleeding, while the trochanteric ulcer group had the highest incidence of superficial surgical site infection. There was an overall complication rate of 25% at 30-day follow-up. There was no statistical difference in overall complication among groups. Total operating time, diabetes, and non-elective case were independent risk factors for overall complications.ConclusionsDespite patients with poor baseline functional status, flap coverage for pressure ulcer patients is safe with acceptable postoperative complications. This type of treatment should be considered for properly selected patients.