[Are autonomous departments better research institutions? Influence of independence on publication performance and study-types in academic Plastic Surgery].

Introduction: Despite its increasing acceptance as an autonomous specialty the field of plastic surgery remains underrepresented in terms of independent departments with a dedicated research infrastructure. The objective of this study was to analyze the current quantitative and qualitative publication performance of academic plastic surgery in Germany in order to compare independent departments and subordinate organizational structures regarding their scientific efficiency.

Material And Methods: Via a pubmed analysis the publication performance between 2014 and 2015 was analyzed.