Sheckter CC

[OBJECTIVE] Conducting research in plastic and reconstructive surgery (PRS) is challenging, particularly for those without PRS resources or mentorship opportunities locally. Virtual research laboratories (VRLs) facilitate cross-institution …

[INTRODUCTION] Autologous breast reconstruction (ABR) has increased in recent decades, although concerns for access remain. As such, our goal is to trend national demographics and operative characteristics of ABR in the United States. [MET…

[BACKGROUND] Commercial rates for free flap reconstruction were not known publicly before the 2021 Hospital Price Transparency Final Rule. The purpose of this study was to examine commercial facility payments to characterize nationwide vari…

[BACKGROUND] Surgical treatment of lymphedema has outpaced coding paradigms. In the setting of ambiguity regarding coding for physiologic procedures [lymphovenous bypass (LVB) and vascularized lymph node transplant (VLNT)], we hypothesized …

[BACKGROUND] The transversus abdominus plane (TAP) block reduces postoperative donor site pain in patients undergoing autologous breast reconstruction with an abdominally based flap. This study aimed to determine the effect of TAP blocks on…

[BACKGROUND] Commercial payer-negotiated rates for cleft lip and palate surgery have not been evaluated on a national scale. The aim of this study was to characterize commercial rates for cleft care, both in terms of nationwide variation an…

[INTRODUCTION] The location of trainees' plastic surgery residency or fellowship has implications on their subsequent careers, which can inform future trainees and faculty decisions, and may affect access to care nationwide. This study expl…

[BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES] Given advances that streamline breast reconstruction (e.g., prepectoral placement, acellular dermal matrix [ADM], oncoplastic surgery), there is concern that nonplastic surgeons are performing a growing proportio…

[BACKGROUND] As a surgical discipline without anatomic boundaries, plastic surgery overlaps with several other specialties. This study aims to measure longitudinal trends in the proportion of commercially reimbursed procedures performed by …

[BACKGROUND] Commercial payments for implant-based breast reconstruction have increased within the past decade, whereas reimbursements have stagnated for microsurgical techniques. The physician payment-to-work relative value unit ratio allo…

Cranioplasty lies at the intersection of neurosurgery and plastic surgery, though little is known about the impact of plastic surgery involvement. The authors hypothesized that adult cranioplasty patients at higher volume plastic surgery fa…

[BACKGROUND] As interest in surgical simulation grows, plastic surgical educators are pressed to provide realistic surgical experience outside of the operating suite. Simulation models of plastic surgery procedures have been developed, but …