The level of evidence presented at plastic surgery meetings: what do we have to learn?

Background: Internationally, plastic surgery societies have placed an increasing emphasis on the importance of evidence-based medicine. The authors aimed to categorize levels of evidence of podium presentations at three major North American plastic surgical meetings, and to assess the factors associated with a higher level evidence.

Methods: Presentations at the 2010/2011 meetings of three of the largest societies of plastic surgeons in North America were evaluated for the area of research, number and origin of authors, subdomain of plastic surgery, number of centers of collaboration, number of subjects, study subtype, and level of evidence.

Levels of evidence in the neurosurgical literature: more tribulations than trials.

Background: The importance of evidence-based medicine has been well documented and supported across various surgical subspecialties.

Objective: To quantify the levels of evidence across publications in the neurosurgical literature, to assess the change in evidence over time, and to indicate predictive factors of higher-level evidence.

Methods: We reviewed the levels of evidence across published clinical studies in 3 neurosurgical journals from 2009 to 2010.

Evidence in the aesthetic surgical literature over the past decade: how far have we come?

Background: Over the past decade, the concepts of evidence-based medicine have become commonplace in surgery. The authors aimed to categorize level of evidence in the aesthetic surgical literature over three intervals during a 10-year period, and to compare this to other surgical specialties. The authors also aimed to assess the quality and predictor factors of higher level evidence.

Anterior segment optical coherence tomography for transepithelial phototherapeutic keratectomy in central corneal stromal scarring.

Purpose: To demonstrate the use of anterior segment optical coherence tomography (ASOCT) in planning phototherapeutic keratectomy (PTK) removal of central corneal stromal scarring.

Methods: A 62-year-old male presented with central corneal scars associated with significant ocular surface disease. Videokeratographies obtained using 3 different systems were not reliable.