Plastic and reconstructive surgery
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Plast. Reconstr. Surg. · Mar 2018
Detection of Perforators for Free Flap Planning Using Smartphone Thermal Imaging: A Concordance Study with Computed Tomographic Angiography in 120 Perforators.
Design and preoperative planning of microsurgical flaps are fundamental steps for successful surgery. Currently, computed tomographic angiography is considered the gold standard, and new technologies such as thermography could complement its usefulness. The aim of this study was to determine the concordance between thermographic images obtained with a smartphone thermal camera and computed tomographic angiography for detecting perforators using the anterolateral thigh flap area as a model. ⋯ Thermographic imaging presented a sensitivity of 100 percent and a specificity of 98 percent in detecting perforators. Thermographic images obtained with a smartphone thermal camera have a high concordance with the method considered the gold standard for perforator detection. In addition, its sensitivity and specificity are comparable to those of computed tomographic angiography, which makes it a very useful method for mapping perforators in free flap planning.
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Plast. Reconstr. Surg. · Mar 2018
Consensus of Leaders in Plastic Surgery: Identifying Procedural Competencies for Canadian Plastic Surgery Residency Training Using a Modified Delphi Technique.
Transitioning to competency-based surgical training will require consensus regarding the scope of plastic surgery and expectations of operative ability for graduating residents. Identifying surgical procedures experts deemed most important in preparing graduates for independent practice (i.e., "core" procedures), and those that are less important or deemed more appropriate for fellowship training (i.e., "noncore" procedures), will focus instructional and assessment efforts. ⋯ This study provides clarity regarding which procedures plastic surgery experts deem most important for preparing graduates for independent practice. The list represents a snapshot of expert opinion regarding the current training environment. As our specialty grows and changes, this information will need to be periodically revisited.
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Plast. Reconstr. Surg. · Mar 2018
Alternative Metrics of Scholarly Output: The Relationship among Altmetric Score, Mendeley Reader Score, Citations, and Downloads in Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery.
The impact of scholarly output is typically measured by the number of citations and, more recently, downloads. Newer metrics have been developed to reflect digital dissemination of knowledge such as the Altmetric and Mendeley reader scores. This article examines the relationship among citations, download rates, Altmetric scores, and Mendeley reader scores in Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery. ⋯ With the growing public desire for evidence-based publications, our study quantifies the unique nature of Altmetric score while discouraging its use in isolation. Download rates are a more rapid measure of publication impact compared with citation number. Mendeley readership is also promising as an alternative index.