Trends in Academic "Ghost Publications" in Plastic Surgery Residency Applications: A 3-Year Study.

Unlabelled: Plastic surgery is an attractive specialty to medical students. Residency training programs have the luxury of selecting their trainees from the "cream of the crop" from United States medical schools. Because of the steep competition for PGY-1 integrated program positions, the temptation exists for applicants to falsify parts of their applications, particularly those parts that are difficult to verify.

Social problems in plastic surgery residents: a management perspective.

Background: It is presumed that plastic surgery residents experience various social problems, just as do their peers in other specialty training programs and in the general public. These issues can occasionally disrupt the resident's personal training experience and sometimes the program as a whole. A survey was performed to assess the magnitude of the problem, and the issues revealed were assessed to assist the program director and the resident in reaching successful completion of the residency.

Pulmonary Function After Pedicled Transverse Rectus Abdominis Musculocutaneous Flap Breast Reconstruction.

Tight abdominal closures, as can be seen during transverse rectus abdominis musculocutaneous (TRAM) flap breast reconstruction, have been shown to increase intra-abdominal pressure, thereby decreasing thoracopulmonary compliance and increasing the workload of breathing. The purpose of this article was to quantitate pulmonary function in patients who underwent pedicled TRAM flap breast reconstruction.A prospective clinical trial was conducted involving 22 women undergoing unilateral or bilateral pedicled TRAM flap breast reconstruction.

Academic plastic surgery: faculty recruitment and retention.

Background: A critical element of a thriving academic plastic surgery program is the quality of faculty. A decline in recruitment and retention of faculty has been attributed to the many challenges of academic medicine. Given the substantial resources required to develop faculty, academic plastic surgery has a vested interest in improving the process of faculty recruitment and retention.

Core measures: implications for plastic surgery.

Background: Perioperative complications are a major source of morbidity, mortality, and expenditures in health care. Many of these complications are preventable with simple, cost-effective measures when implemented in a standardized manner. Surgical specialties are increasing efforts to implement standardized and easily monitored measures to reduce perioperative complications.

Optimizing revenue at a cosmetic surgery centre.

Background: The demand for cosmetic surgery and services has diminished with recent fluctuations in the economy. To stay ahead, surgeons must appreciate and attend to the fiscal challenges of private practice. A key component of practice economics is knowledge of the common methods of payment.

Traumatic palatal perforation after orotracheal intubation: a case report and a review of the literature.

In this report, we describe an unusual case of a traumatic palatal perforation caused by orotracheal intubation. The paucity of reports of palatal perforation resulting from intubation in the literature suggests that it is a rare occurrence. However, recognizing this potential complication and managing the airway appropriately may reduce patient morbidity.

Incidence of breast hematoma after placement of breast prostheses.

Background: Prosthetic breast implants are frequently used by plastic surgeons for reconstructive and aesthetic procedures. One known complication of the procedure is postoperative breast hematoma. However, the incidence and risk factors of this problem are not fully characterized.

A 5-year review of ethics complaints to the American Society of Plastic Surgeons.

Background: The Code of Ethics of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS) exists to encourage and enforce ethical behavior among its members. Complaints against individual members may be filed by patients or their representatives, members of the Society, or other members of the public.

Methods: Data from a total of 677 complaints from 2004 to 2008 were reviewed by the author.

Plastic surgery leadership in an institution: a primer.

Leadership can be defined as not only the position of a leader, but the ability to function as one. This brief review of leadership is focused on what is involved in leading a plastic surgery unit in an institution. Characteristics of a good leader, identified by those who are being led, are discussed.

Through-and-through gunshot wounds to the foot: the "Fearless Fosdick" injury.

Through-and-through gunshot wounds of the foot present the unique problem of needing to fill a defect while at the same time providing coverage of the dorsum and plantar surface of the foot. A series of 5 patients from 2 institutions is presented. These patients all sustained gunshot wounds that penetrated the forefoot, leaving a rim of uninjured soft tissue and bone around the periphery.

TRAM flaps: a reconstructive option after bilateral nipple-sparing total mastectomy.

Background: Transverse rectus abdominis musculocutaneous (TRAM) flaps have commonly been used as a reconstructive option after total mastectomy or modified radical mastectomy, but they can also serve as an appropriate alternative after bilateral nipple-sparing total mastectomy. In this study, performed from 1992 to 2002, 16 patients underwent TRAM flap breast reconstruction after bilateral nipple-sparing total mastectomy.

Methods: The indications for bilateral nipple-sparing total mastectomy all involved benign breast disease; these patients were evaluated using a health outcomes study and the aesthetic evaluations of four judges using postoperative photographs.

Evaluation of abdominal wall strength after TRAM flap surgery.

Evaluation of abdominal wall function after transverse rectus abdominis musculocutaneous (TRAM) flap surgery has been mostly subjective. The purpose of this study was to measure abdominal wall strength objectively and to compare the results with the patient's performance of daily activities. Abdominal wall strength was objectively measured with the B200 IsoStation machine preoperatively and 1 year after TRAM flap breast reconstruction.