Did She or Didn't She? Perceptions of Operative Status of Female Genitalia.

Background: Although extensive research has explored why women undergo labiaplasty, little attention has been paid to societal and professional abilities to distinguish between altered and unaltered labia, impacting both patient concerns and broader societal perceptions.

Objectives: This study aimed to evaluate the accuracy of the general public and healthcare professionals in identifying labiaplasty and to pinpoint the misconceptions driving their perceptions. The goal was to inform more effective patient counseling strategies and challenge existing stigmas around cosmetic genital surgery.

Feminization of the Forehead: A Scoping Literature Review and Cohort Study of Transfeminine Patients.

Background: Facial feminization may be performed to alleviate gender dysphoria among transfeminine patients. The upper third of the face has several characteristics, including hairline shape and position, brow position, and forehead protrusion, that may confer feminine identity. The purpose of this study is to conduct a scoping literature review of techniques performed for forehead feminization and to additionally study clinical outcomes within an institutional cohort.

TNF-α Preconditioning Promotes a Proangiogenic Phenotype in hiPSC-Derived Vascular Smooth Muscle Cells.

Introduction: hiPSC-VSMCs have been suggested as therapeutic agents for wound healing and revascularization through the secretion of proangiogenic factors. However, methods of increasing cell paracrine secretion and survivability have thus far yielded inconsistent results. This study investigates the effect of pre-conditioning of hiPSC-VSMCs with TNF-α and their integration into 3D collagen scaffolds on cellular viability and secretome.

Drop-off in axonal regeneration along the length of a cross-face nerve graft: An experimental study in rats.

Introduction: The average nerve graft length utilized in cross-face nerve grafting for reconstruction of facial nerve palsy is 20-22 cm. While the graft length is thought to be one of the greatest determinants of muscle strength, the mechanism through which this happens remains unknown. We studied changes in axonal regeneration along the length of a 2 cm cross-face nerve graft in a rat model.

How Consistent are International Rotations Between Plastic Surgery Training Programs?

Unlabelled: Institutional partnerships between plastic surgery residency programs in the United States and providers in low- and middle-income countries can serve as bilateral and longitudinal capacity-building relationships. In the United States, obtaining approval for international rotations by a home institution and national review committee is highly encouraged but not required before resident international engagement. Acquiring approval at the institutional level is the first step to allow trainees to participate in international rotations on elective time rather than on vacation time.

Hospital volume as a predictor of outcomes following pediatric thyroidectomy.

Background: Pediatric thyroidectomy (PT) is an uncommon procedure with a risk of significant morbidity. This study utilizes a national database to identify factors associated with short-term (30-day) post-thyroidectomy complications in children with thyroid cancer.

Methods: The 2016 and 2012 Kids' Inpatient Databases (KID) were used in this study.

Coronavirus Disease 2019 and the Yale Response: A Semistructured Interview Study on Plastic Surgery Resident Education and Departmental Adaptation to the Lockdown.

Background: Sooner-than-expected progression to statewide lockdown at the height of the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic left minimal time for medical specialty boards, including The American Board of Plastic Surgery, to issue guidance for their respective programs. As a result, programs were tasked with developing creative alternatives to their standard resident curricula and department schedules.

Objective: To capture attending and resident experience of the coronavirus disease 2019 lockdown in narrative form and to understand what specific changes enacted to maintain adequate education should be considered for continuation after the pandemic's conclusion.

Malignant Melanoma in Older Adults: Different Patient or Different Disease?

Objective In this study, we aimed to compare the clinical outcomes between older and younger patients with melanoma and to evaluate for differences in tumor genetic makeup that might explain differences in clinical behavior between older and younger cohorts. Materials and methods A consecutive sample of patients diagnosed with melanoma at a single institution from 1984 to 2019 was categorized by age into younger, middle, and older cohorts. Tumor characteristics, melanoma-specific survival, and recurrence-free survival were assessed while accounting for differential follow-up and death from other causes using Kaplan-Meier analysis with log-rank testing.

A 16-Year Review of Clinical Practice Patterns in Liposuction Based on Continuous Certification by the American Board of Plastic Surgery.

Background: The American Board of Plastic Surgery has collected data on cosmetic surgery tracers as part of the Continuous Certification process since 2005. The current study was performed to analyze evolving trends in liposuction from the American Board of Plastic Surgery database.

Methods: Tracer data from 2005 through 2021 were reviewed and grouped into an early cohort (EC) (2005-2014) and a recent cohort (RC) (2015-2021).

The Impact of Social Determinants of Health on Pressure Injury Progression: A Retrospective Chart and Scoping Review.

Objective: To understand the effects of nutrition security and social determinants of health (SDOHs) on pressure injury (PI) progression through a scoping review and retrospective review of patients reporting to New England's largest healthcare system.

Methods: Authors performed a scoping review for full-text, original articles reporting outcomes data specific to PIs in patients with socially informed nutrition insecurity. Investigators also performed a retrospective review of all patients from 2012 to 2021 to search for patients with PI documentation and International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision Z codes related to the SDOHs.

Practice Patterns in Operative Flexor Tendon Laceration Repair: A 15-Year Analysis of Continuous Certification Data from the American Board of Plastic Surgery.

Unlabelled: The American Board of Plastic Surgery has been collecting practice data on operative repair of flexor tendon lacerations since 2006, as part of its Continuous Certification program.

Methods: Data on operative repair of flexor tendon lacerations from 2006 to 2014 were reviewed and compared with those from 2015 to 2020. National practice trends observed in these data were evaluated and reviewed alongside published literature and evidence-based medicine.

The effect of COVID-19 on the pressure injury reporting gap.

Responsibilities placed on nurses increased during the COVID-19 pandemic. Hospital-acquired PI monitoring was deferred in favor of more critical patient needs. It was hypothesized that a counterintuitive dip in HAPI reporting would be observed despite maximum hospital capacity across much of the United States.

Top Surgery and Chest Dysphoria Among Transmasculine and Nonbinary Adolescents and Young Adults.

Importance: Transgender and nonbinary (TGNB) adolescents and young adults (AYA) designated female at birth (DFAB) experience chest dysphoria, which is associated with depression and anxiety. Top surgery may be performed to treat chest dysphoria.

Objective: To determine whether top surgery improves chest dysphoria, gender congruence, and body image in TGNB DFAB AYA.

Sociodemographic Disparities in Access to Cleft Rhinoplasty.

Various sociodemographic factors affect patient access to care. This study aims to assess how factors such as government-funded insurance and socioeconomic status impact the ability of adolescents with cleft lip-associated nasal deformities to access secondary rhinoplasty procedures. Patients older than 13 years old with a history of cleft lip/palate were identified in the National Inpatient Sample database from 2010 to 2012.

Development and Initial Validation of a Novel Professional Aesthetic Scale for the Female Abdomen.

Background: A growing body of literature describes abdominal aesthetic goals to tailor surgical and nonsurgical treatment options to meet patient goals. The authors aimed to integrate layperson perceptions into the design of a novel professional aesthetic scale for the abdomen.

Methods: An iterative process of expert consensus was used to choose five domains: abdominal muscle lines, abdominal shape, scar, skin, and umbilicus.

A 12-Year Review of Clinical Practice Patterns in Dupuytren Contracture Based on Continuous Certification by the American Board of Plastic Surgery.

Background: The American Board of Plastic Surgery collects data on 20 common plastic surgery operations as part of the Continuous Certification process. The goal of this study was to describe clinical trends in Dupuytren contracture repair since 2008 as they relate to evidence-based medicine articles published in this timeframe.

Methods: Cumulative tracer data for Dupuytren contracture were reviewed for the period from February of 2008 to March of 2020 and compared with evidence-based medicine articles published in Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery .

A 15-Year Review of Clinical Practice Patterns in Carpal Tunnel Syndrome Based on Continuous Certification by the American Board of Plastic Surgery.

Background: The American Board of Plastic Surgery has been collecting practice data on carpal tunnel syndrome treatment since 2004 as part of its Continuous Certification Program. These data allow plastic surgeons to compare their surgical experience to national trends and analyze those trends in relation to current evidence-based medicine.

Methods: Data on carpal tunnel syndrome treatment from 2004 to 2014 were compared to those from 2015 to 2020.

A Fourteen-year Review of Practice Patterns and Evidence-based Medicine in Operative Metacarpal Fracture Repair.

Unlabelled: The American Board of Plastic Surgery has been collecting practice data on metacarpal fracture operative repair since 2006 as part of its Continuous Certification process. These data allow plastic surgeons to compare their surgical experience to national trends. Additionally, these data present the opportunity to analyze those trends in relation to evidence-based medicine.

A Preliminary Management Algorithm for Velopharyngeal Insufficiency in Cleft-Orthognathic Patients.

Purpose: Patients born with a cleft palate often suffer from velopharyngeal insufficiency (VPI) due to the soft palate musculature's abnormal structure. Surgical correction of the palate at a young age can hinder maxillary growth, requiring surgical correction of the maxillomandibular discrepancy at skeletal maturity. Orthognathic surgery can then cause or further exacerbate VPi in these patients.

Does International Surgical Mission Involvement During Residency Predict Involvement in Practice?

Despite efforts to incorporate global health rotations during residency, it is unclear whether this experience affects the likelihood that plastic surgeons will continue such missions during practice. The authors conducted a survey of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons and the American Council of Academic Plastic Surgeons members regarding the impact of international experiences before practice upon future involvement. 138 surveys were analyzed.

A 15-Year Review of Clinical Practice Patterns and Evidence-Based Medicine in Carpometacarpal Joint Arthroplasty.

Background: The purpose of this study was to help understand national practice patterns in carpometacarpal (CMC) arthroplasty and how they have evolved with evidence-based recommendations over the past 15 years.

Methods: The American Board of Plastic Surgery (ABPS) started collecting practice data on primary CMC joint arthroplasty in 2006 as a portion of its continuous certification (CC) process. Data on primary CMC arthroplasty from May 2006 through December 2013 were reviewed and compared to those from January 2014 to March 2020.