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

Abstract

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.