Augmented Reality Microsurgery: Proof of Concept for a Novel Approach to Microsurgical Field Visualization in Plastic Surgery.

Background: Microsurgery is conducted on tiny anatomical structures such as blood vessels and nerves. Over the past few decades, little has changed in the way plastic surgeons visualize and interact with the microsurgical field. New advances in augmented reality (AR) technology present a novel method for microsurgical field visualization.

Impact of ACAPS Coordinated Interview Release Policy: Applicant and Program Attitudes, Adherence, and Interview Trends.

Background: The authors studied the impact of a new, coordinated interview release date for integrated plastic surgery residencies.

Methods: A cross-sectional study of all 2020 integrated plastic surgery residencies and applicants was performed. Voluntary, anonymous surveys were administered following implementation of the interview policy.

An Analysis of Gender Bias in Plastic Surgery Resident Assessment.

Background: Previous studies have shown men and women attending physicians rate or provide operating room (OR) autonomy differently to men and women residents, with men attendings providing higher ratings and more OR autonomy to men residents. Particularly with the advent of competency-based training in plastic surgery, differential advancement of trainees influenced by gender bias could have detrimental effects on resident advancement and time to graduation.

Objective: We determined if plastic surgery residents are assessed differently according to gender.

Assessing the Correlation Between a Surgeon's Ability to Draw a Procedure and Ability to Perform the Procedure.

Objectives: The ability to assess a trainee's technical skill in a manner that maintains patient safety is critical to resident education. To do so, senior plastic surgery educators frequently ask residents to draw their proposed operation, presuming that a surgeon's ability to perform a surgery is reflected in his or her ability to diagram the procedure, independent of artistic ability. The purpose of this study was to delineate the relationship between the ability to draw a surgical procedure and execute it in a simulated model, and to determine if the ability to draw a procedure depends on artistic ability.

Outcomes of Corticosteroid Treatment for Trigger Finger by Stage.

Background: Although steroid injection remains a common first-line treatment of trigger finger, clinical experience suggests that not all cases of trigger finger respond the same. The purpose of this study was to use a classification system for trigger finger that is simple and reproducible, and produces clearly definable, clinically relevant cutoff points to determine whether responsiveness to steroid injection correlates to clinical staging.

Methods: The authors conducted a prospectively collected longitudinal study of trigger finger patients separated into four stages of severity.

Integrated Plastic Surgery Residency Applicant Trends and Comparison With Other Surgical Specialties.

Background: There has been a relatively rapid increase in the number and size of "integrated" residency programs in plastic surgery (PS) over the past decade. The objective of this study is to evaluate trends of US senior applicants of PS compared with other surgical specialties from 2007 to 2016.

Methods: Data were obtained from "NRMP: Main Residency Match" and from "NRMP: Charting Outcomes in the Match.

Learner Perspectives of a Surgical Educators Faculty Development Program Regarding Value and Effectiveness: A Qualitative Study.

Background: The BaylorScott & White Health Division of Plastic Surgery began a faculty development program designed to train clinicians to be better educators. The program consisted of presession reading, 11 small group didactic sessions, and individually chosen educational projects. Cross-discipline collaboration was pursued by enrolling faculty and students from diverse departments.

The Perfect Preceptor.

Every plastic surgeon can become a better teacher. One of the keys to improvement is to have a thoughtfully considered plan of what to teach and how to teach it. This article describes what any surgeon can do before, during, and after a rotation to create an excellent learning environment for a medical student, resident, or fellow.

Prevalence of brachial plexus injuries in patients with scapular fractures: A National Trauma Data Bank review.

Background: Studies investigating the prevalence of brachial plexus injuries associated with scapular fractures are sparse, and are frequently limited by small sample sizes and often restricted to single-centre experience.

Objective: To determine the prevalence of brachial plexus injuries associated with scapular fractures; to determine how the prevalence varies with the region of the scapula injured; and to assess which specific nerves of the brachial plexus were involved.

Methods: The present study was a retrospective review of data from the National Trauma Data Bank over a five-year period (2007 to 2011).

Teaching plastic surgeons how to be better teachers.

The purpose of this article is to introduce plastic surgeons to a theory of adult education. Most surgeons have been hired by their parent institution because of their clinical skills, and rightly so. At the same time, these same surgeons choose or are expected to be involved to varying degrees in the surgical education process with medical students, surgical residents, fellows, and allied health workers.

Climbing the ladder from novice to expert plastic surgeon.

This article reviews the nature of novice and expert thinking and shows how pattern recognition is a key distinction between the two. The article also discusses the ladder that learners climb as they move from medical student to senior staff surgeon and suggests ways of viewing surgical trainees as they progress through the process so that learning activities can be adopted that best fit them.