Defining Predictors of Future Academic Productivity in Plastic Surgery Residency.

Background: Research is a valued component of applications to plastic surgery residency. No prior studies have explored factors associated with increased resident research productivity. This study aims to compare the academic productivity levels of plastic surgery residency graduates based on their pre- and postresidency experiences.

The Influence of Patient and Surgeon Characteristics on Press Ganey Provider Ratings in Plastic Surgery.

Background: Although patient satisfaction ratings are increasingly used as hospital and provider performance metrics, these ratings may be affected by factors extraneous to surgeon performance.

Objectives: The aim of this study was to assess whether outpatient Press Ganey ratings for plastic surgery providers were tied more to provider or patient characteristics.

Methods: All Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems Clinician & Group Survey (CG-CAHPS) responses for plastic surgery providers from 2017 to 2023 from a single institution were analyzed.

Efficacy of Prophylactic Postoperative Antibiotics in Tissue Expander-Based Breast Reconstruction: A Propensity Score-Matched Analysis.

Background: Conflicting evidence exists regarding the utility of prophylactic postoperative antibiotics in tissue expander (TE)-based breast reconstruction. This study evaluated the risk of surgical-site infection between patients receiving 24 hours of perioperative antibiotics alone versus prolonged postoperative antibiotics within a propensity score-matched cohort.

Methods: Patients undergoing TE-based breast reconstruction receiving 24 hours of perioperative antibiotics alone were propensity score-matched 1:3 to patients receiving postoperative antibiotics based on demographics, comorbidities, and treatment factors.

Air or Saline? A Propensity Score-Matched Analysis on the Effect of Tissue Expander Fill on Complications in Immediate Breast Reconstruction.

Background: Tissue expander fill medium and volume have implications for the pressure exerted on mastectomy skin flaps. This study evaluated the influence of initial fill medium (air vs. saline) on complications in immediate breast reconstruction within a propensity score-matched cohort.

The Influence of Age on Complications After Correction of Congenital Breast Deformities: A National Analysis of the Pediatric and Adult NSQIP Data Sets.

Background: Timing of surgical intervention is controversial among patients seeking correction of congenital breast deformities.

Objectives: This study aimed to assess the influence of age on 30-day complications and unplanned healthcare utilization after reconstruction of congenital breast deformities.

Methods: Female patients undergoing breast reconstruction for congenital breast deformities and Poland syndrome were identified on the basis of International Classification of Diseases (ICD) codes in the 2012 to 2021 pediatric and adult National Surgical Quality Improvement Project (NSQIP) data sets.

Evaluating Disparities in Pathways to Breast Reconstruction.

Background:  Rates of postmastectomy breast reconstruction have been shown to vary by racial, ethnic, and socioeconomic factors. In this study, we evaluated disparities across pathways toward breast reconstruction.

Methods:  All women who underwent mastectomy for breast cancer at a single institution from 2017 to 2018 were reviewed.

Mapping Patient Encounters in Breast Cancer Care: An Analysis of 8800 Clinical Encounters Among Patients Undergoing Mastectomy.

Background: Transitions toward value-based systems require a comprehensive definition of the complexity and duration of provider effort required for a given diagnosis. This study modeled the numbers of clinical encounters involved in various treatment pathways among breast cancer patients undergoing mastectomy.

Methods: Clinical encounters with medical oncologists, radiation oncologists, breast surgeons, or plastic surgeons ≤4 years after diagnosis among all patients undergoing mastectomy from 2017 to 2018 were reviewed.

Tracking Complications and Unplanned Healthcare Utilization in Aesthetic Surgery: An Analysis of 214,504 Patients Using the TOPS Database.

Background: Tracking surgical complications and unplanned healthcare utilization is essential to inform quality initiatives in aesthetic surgery. This study used the Tracking Operations and Outcomes for Plastic Surgeons database to characterize rates and predictors of surgical complications and unplanned healthcare utilization across common aesthetic surgery procedures.

Methods: The Tracking Operations and Outcomes for Plastic Surgeons database was queried for all patients undergoing breast augmentation, liposuction, blepharoplasty, rhinoplasty, and abdominoplasty from 2008 to 2019.

Defining the Value of Breast Reconstruction Surgeons: Quantifying Clinical Encounter and Operative Volume at an Academic Center.

Unlabelled: Despite growing rates of postmastectomy breast reconstruction, the time contribution of breast reconstruction surgeons in comprehensive breast cancer care is often poorly accounted for by hospital and healthcare systems. This study models encounter volume and operative time utilization of breast reconstruction surgeons among patients undergoing postmastectomy breast reconstruction.

Methods: All clinical encounters and operative time from a consecutive sample of breast cancer patients undergoing mastectomy and reconstruction were analyzed.

The Association Between Metabolic Derangement and Wound Complications in Elective Plastic Surgery.

Introduction: The incidence of metabolically unhealthy obesity is rising nationally. In this study, we compare wound and overall complications between metabolically unhealthy obese and healthy patients undergoing elective plastic surgery and model how operative time influences a complication risk.

Methods: Patients undergoing elective breast and body plastic surgery procedures in the 2009-2019 National Surgical Quality Improvement Program (NSQIP) dataset were identified.

Predicting Academic Performance during Plastic Surgery Residency: Can Step 2 Scores Reliably Replace Step 1?

Objective: Step 1 will transition to a pass/fail system in 2022. This study aimed to characterize the effects of this change on integrated plastic surgery program directors' selection criteria and assess whether Step 2 Clinical Knowledge (CK) can replace Step 1 as an application selection metric.

Design: Online survey that was administered to a collaborative group of ten plastic surgery program directors collecting USMLE Step 1, Step 2 CK, In-Service, and written board scores for 3 years of graduated integrated residents.

Analysing user-reported data for enhancement of SmokefreeTXT: a national text message smoking cessation intervention.

Objective: This observational study highlights key insights related to participant engagement and cessation among adults who voluntarily subscribed to the nationwide US-based SmokefreeTXT program, a 42-day mobile phone text message smoking cessation program.

Methods: Point prevalence abstinence rates were calculated for subscribers who initiated treatment in the program (n=18 080). The primary outcomes for this study were treatment completion and point prevalence abstinence rate at the end of the 42-day treatment.

Health plan enrollment and mortality in the Medicare program.

Prior studies have found that Medicare health maintenance organization (HMO) enrollees have lower mortality (over a fixed observation period) than beneficiaries in traditional fee-for-service (FFS) Medicare. We use Medicare Current Beneficiary Survey (MCBS) data to compare 2-year predicted mortality for Medicare enrollees in the HMO and FFS sectors using a sample selection model to control for observed beneficiaries characteristics and unobserved confounders. The difference in raw, unadjusted mortality probabilities was 0.