Call to Action: Accreditation of Microsurgery Fellowship

Kandi, Lyndsay A.; Struve, Sara L.; Casey, William J.; Rebecca, Alanna M.; Teven, Chad M.

doi:10.1097/gox.0000000000003874

Cited by 3 publications

(3 citation statements)

References 3 publications

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“…7 14 Incorporation of nonclinical forms of learning may become increasingly prevalent as the demand for trained microsurgeons rises, reconstructive procedures become more complex, and factors such as strict work hour regulations and decreasing resident autonomy become more commonplace. 14 24 While nonclinical lymphedema surgical education may not directly translate to proficient clinical performance, it can provide a foundational knowledge base to improve future patient care and foster early interests in lymphatic reconstruction, potentially leading residents to pursue microsurgery fellowship. Additionally, it may be a concept included within the yearly inservice and the plastic surgery written board examinations .…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Lymphedema Surgical Education and Faculty Demographics in United States Plastic Surgery Residency Programs

Finkelstein,

Clark,

et al. 2023

J Reconstr Microsurg

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Background: Recent advancements in supermicrosurgery and promising preliminary outcomes have led to a surge in physiologic lymphedema surgery. This study is the first to evaluate lymphedema surgical education among United States plastic surgery residency programs, along with the background and experience of plastic surgeons subspecializing in the field. Methods: Cross-sectional evaluation of 103 accredited United States plastic surgery residency programs was performed in January 2023. Web-based searches of program curricula, faculty profiles, and main institutional pages indicated whether a program provided nonclinical or clinical exposure to lymphedema surgery. Review of online faculty profiles, surname searches, Doximity, and Scopus determined the perceived demographics, academic productivity, and procedures performed by lymphedema surgeons. Results: Compared to the 11 programs that incorporated lymphedema surgery into their online curriculum, 67 programs had a rotation site with a surgeon performing lymphedema procedures. Of the 33 programs without evidence of clinical exposure, 76% (n=25) did not provide or specify providing elective time. Faculty perceived to be female or a race underrepresented in plastic surgery had significantly more assistant professor titles (p<0.0214) and significantly fewer years of experience (p<0.0293) than their counterparts. Conclusion: Great variation in lymphedema surgical education exists among US plastic surgery residency programs. While few programs incorporate lymphedema surgery into their advertised curriculum, programs without clinical exposure frequently did not provide elective time to obtain it. Faculty that were female or a race underrepresented in plastic surgery were most often early in their career, suggesting lymphedema surgeons may grow increasingly diverse in years to come.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Lymphedema Surgical Education and Faculty Demographics in United States Plastic Surgery Residency Programs

Finkelstein,

Clark,

et al. 2023

J Reconstr Microsurg

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“…3 There has been increasing consensus among members within PRS for the need to develop standardized microsurgery fellowship training. 2 Although microsurgery has been practiced since the 1980s, and the DIEP flap first described in 1989, there remains no established microsurgery curriculum or agreed upon method for training of this procedure. 4,5 For surgical fellowships that may include microsurgery training, there may be variation in caseload, diversity, and resources.…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

“…1 Because not all plastic and reconstructive surgery (PRS) trainees have the chance to be trained at a center with a high volume of autologous free tissue transfer for breast reconstruction or with established microsurgery fellowship programs, many residents may go through their training without sufficient exposure to the fundamentals of microsurgical reconstruction. 2 The intricate steps of the DIEP flap surgery involve a great deal of technical finesse, especially regarding the delicate harvesting of perforators and performing the microsurgical anastomosis of the free flap's vasculature. Thus, there is a significant learning curve that primarily improves with experience.…”

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confidence: 99%