Impact of COVID-19 on Aesthetic Plastic Surgery Practice in the United Kingdom

Extended Superolateral Cheek Lift With a Short Preauricular Scar: A Local Anesthesia-based Practicable Technique for the Correction of Moderate-degree Facial Aging Signs

An ideal technique applicable to middle-aged individuals with a moderate degree of facial aging signs has not yet been established. This study aimed to evaluate the utility of an extended superolateral cheek lift with a short preauricular scar technique for the correction of facial aging signs. A total of 200 female patients (mean age: 43 y, range 27-56 y) who underwent a local anesthesia-based extended superolateral cheek lift for the correction of facial aging signs confined to the malar and nasolabial area, lower eyelid, jawline, and neck were included. Data on the Global Aesthetic Improvement Scale, patient-reported outcomes, and complications were recorded at 1, 6, 12, and 24 months postoperatively. The Global Aesthetic Improvement Scale scores revealed exceptional improvement in 90% of patients along with no complications at month 24. None of the patients developed a depressed scar, skin necrosis, breaking of the superficial musculoaponeurotic system plication sutures, asymmetry, or facial nerve problems. At postoperative month 24, the appearance was reported to be very much improved by 90% of patients, and 94% of patients reported that they were very satisfied with the treatment and that they would recommend this treatment to friends and acquaintances. Our findings revealed the potential utility of an extended superolateral cheek lift with a short preauricular scar as a local anesthesia-based practicable technique for the correction of facial aging signs in middle-aged patients, offering a favorable postoperative outcome, lack of complications and high patient satisfaction in addition to invisible scars and a short-term postoperative recovery.

Necrotizing Skin and Soft Tissue Infection after Gluteal Augmentation in a Perioperatively Asymptomatic COVID-19 Patient-Complications of the Post-Lockdown Era? A Case Report

Introduction: Aesthetic surgery procedures are generally done in a relatively healthy population and carry a rather low risk compared to other surgical specialties. The incidence of complications in aesthetic surgery varies greatly depending on the type, wound cleanliness regarding the anatomical site, complexity of the surgery, patient's age, and comorbidities but is generally considered low. The overall incidence of surgical site infections (SSIs) in all aesthetic surgical procedures is around 1% in most of the literature while cases of necrotizing soft tissue infections are mostly found as individual reports. In contrast, treating COVID-19 patients is still challenging with many diverse outcomes. Surgical stress and general anesthesia are known mediators of cellular immunity impairment while studies regarding COVID-19 infection unquestionably have shown the deterioration of adaptive immunity by SARS-CoV-2. Adding COVID-19 to the modern surgical equation raises the question of immunocompetence in surgical patients. The main question of the modern post-lockdown world is: what could be expected in the postoperative period of perioperatively asymptomatic COVID-19 patients after aesthetic surgery? Case report: Here, we present a purulent, complicated, necrotizing skin and soft tissue infection (NSTI) after gluteal augmentation most likely triggered by SARS-CoV-2-induced immunosuppression followed by progressive COVID-19 pneumonia in an otherwise healthy, young patient. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of such adverse events in aesthetic surgery related to COVID-19. Conclusion: Aesthetic surgery in patients during the incubation period of COVID-19 or in asymptomatic patients could pose a significant risk for surgical complications, including severe systemic infections and implant loss as well as severe pulmonary and other COVID-19-associated complications.

Trend of Academic Productivity in Plastic Surgery and the Impact of COVID-19: A Bibliometric Analysis

BACKGROUND

Plastic surgery has grown rapidly over the past decade, with increasing scientific output. The emergence of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has a considerable impact on plastic surgery.

OBJECTIVE

To identify trends in published literature in plastic surgery from 2011 to 2021. To explore the impact of COVID-19 on scientific research output through bibliometric analysis methods.

METHODS

Web of Science was searched by authors on December 23, 2021. Published papers about plastic surgery over the last decade were analyzed. The search output was imported into VOSviewer for science mapping.

RESULTS

The actual number of papers related to plastic surgery during the COVID-19 period was higher than expected one. For scientific outputs in plastic surgery, keywords about surgical practice had a high frequency. "Reconstruction," "effect," "flap," "tissue," "defect," "model" maintained a high level of heat before and after COVID-19. The heat of "risk," "complication," "review," "infection," "cohort," and "meta-analysis" increased after the outbreak of COVID-19. The international collaboration showed an upward trend despite the impact of COVID-19. From the perspective of the volume of plastic surgery publications, some journals had a more positive performance compared to the pre-epidemic period. The proportion of original articles decreased after the spread of COVID-19 from 70.26% to 63.84%.

CONCLUSION

Although the COVID-19 has a profound impact on the healthcare industry, the bibliographic data reveals an increasing scientific output in the field of plastic surgery over time. For plastic surgery, high-frequency terms, research hotspots, popular journals, article types, and international collaboration have changed under the influence of COVID-19.

Plastic Surgery in the Gulf Cooperation Council Countries: Role of Telemedicine

Internationally, telemedicine is finding its way into common day plastic surgery practice as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. Nonetheless, no data about its practice in the Gulf region are available to date.

Has the COVID-19 pandemic changed attitudes and behaviors concerning cosmetic care and procedures among patients presenting to the dermatology outpatient clinic? A multicenter study with 1437 participants

Background

The rate of cosmetic procedures and use of skincare products is considered to be affected during the pandemic period; however, this has not been investigated yet.

Objective

To determine whether the ongoing pandemic has changed people's habits related to skincare products and cosmetic procedures.

Methods

We conducted a multicenter survey study covering both private and public hospitals. Sociodemographic characteristics and clinical diagnoses of the patients were noted by dermatologists. A survey was used to determine the type and application areas of skincare products and cosmetic procedures before and during the pandemic, whether the patients were concerned about being infected, and any change in the make‐up habits of female patients.

Results

Of the 1437 patients, 86.7% presented to the hospital due to dermatological complaints and 13.3% for cosmetic procedures. The rate of those that did not use skincare products was 0.05% before and 0.06% during the pandemic. Of the participants, 43.2% had undergone cosmetic procedures before and 38.1% during the pandemic. For both periods, the most frequent cosmetic procedure applied was laser epilation, followed by skincare treatment and chemical peeling. While undergoing these procedures, 34.9% of the patients were concerned about contracting coronavirus.

Conclusion

There was no significant difference in the use of skincare products and cosmetic procedures before and during the pandemic. The majority of the patients continued to undergo these procedures despite their fear of being infected. This shows that during the pandemic period, patients are concerned with their appearance and continue to undergo cosmetic procedures and pay attention to their skincare.