Robotics · Free-flap anastomosis
Symani-Assisted Microsurgery in Head and Neck Reconstruction: A Systematic Review of Indications, Techniques, and Pooled Analysis of Clinical Outcomes.
Systematic review of 8 early clinical series (157 patients) using the Symani platform for arterial/venous microanastomosis in head & neck free-flap reconstruction. Reported pooled flap loss was low (3.3%) with rare conversion to conventional technique, supporting feasibility while underscoring the need for prospective comparative trials.
Anesthesia paradigm · Physiology-guided reconstruction
WALANT beyond anesthesia: The end of physiological silence in hand, microsurgical and peripheral nerve reconstruction.
Editorial reframes WALANT as more than an anesthetic approach: by keeping patients awake and moving, surgeons can directly assess tendon tension, muscle balance, spasticity, and sensory response intraoperatively. Argues this “physiology-guided reconstruction” may improve functional outcomes in tendon transfer, peripheral nerve, and ambulatory microsurgery.
Breast reconstruction · ADM fixation
Prepectoral Breast Reconstruction with Prosthesis and Acellular Dermal Matrix: A New Technique of ADM Implantation and Fixation
Retrospective comparison (90 reconstructions) of a modified ADM fixation approach versus standard technique in direct-to-implant prepectoral reconstruction. The new method was associated with fewer major complications (notably seroma, skin necrosis, implant loss) and a ~73–76% lower odds of complications on regression analysis.
Adjunctive therapy · Photobiomodulation
Clinical dosimetry and efficacy of LED photobiomodulation for chronic lower-limb wound healing: a systematic review of randomized trials
Systematic review of 6 randomized trials evaluating LED photobiomodulation for chronic lower-limb wounds, with wavelengths 620–950 nm and energy densities 2.4–126 J/cm². Findings suggest potential for wound area reduction and improved wound bed quality—especially in diabetic foot ulcers—but heterogeneity and very-low certainty evidence limit definitive conclusions and point to the need for standardized dose–response trials.
Infection prevention · Antimicrobial stewardship
International guideline on antimicrobial stewardship and the role of microbial-binding dressings in wound care 2026: infection prevention, control, early intervention and treatment.
Consensus guideline (AGREE II + Delphi) synthesizing evidence on microbial-binding dressings (MBDs) for surgical incisions and hard-to-heal wounds, aiming to prevent infection and reduce unnecessary antimicrobial use. Provides practice statements and clinical pathways emphasizing early infection prevention/control to mitigate antimicrobial resistance in wound care.
Mechanism · Autophagy and inflammation
Wound healing in autophagy-deficient mice
Conference abstract using Atg7 knockout mice shows delayed wound closure associated with prolonged inflammatory phase and increased NF-κB activity. Partial rescue with NF-κB inhibition and higher autophagosome burden in healing (vs chronic) human wounds support autophagy as a lever for transitioning from inflammation to repair.
Abdominal wall reconstruction · HADM reinforcement
Principles of Abdominal Wall Reconstruction in Liver Transplant Recipients: A Biologic and Mechanical Approach
Single-institution series (40 patients; 43 encounters) describes component separation plus human acellular dermal matrix (HADM) onlay reinforcement for complex post-transplant ventral hernias. Reported low recurrence (2.3%) at ~34 months follow-up with seroma as the most common surgical site occurrence, suggesting durable repair in an immunosuppressed cohort.
Burn reconstruction · Outcomes meta-analysis
Efficacy of Acellular Dermal Matrix in Improving Clinical Outcomes in Pediatric Burns: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials.
Meta-analysis of 12 studies (884 pediatric burn patients) found ADM use associated with shorter healing time, fewer complications, fewer dressing changes, and lower scarring incidence. High heterogeneity and variable protocols mean benefits should be interpreted cautiously, but the signal supports ADM as a useful adjunct in selected pediatric burn reconstructions.
Biomaterials · Inflammation modulation
Assessment of inflammatory suppression and fibroblast infiltration in tissue remodelling by supercritical CO2 acellular dermal matrix (scADM) utilizing Sprague Dawley models
Preclinical study evaluating supercritical CO2–processed ADM suggests preserved biocompatibility with reduced pro-inflammatory cytokine expression and progressive fibroblast infiltration/collagen deposition over time. Findings support interest in decellularization methods that maintain ECM integrity while dampening inflammatory response in implant-based and soft-tissue substitution settings.
Exosomes · ROS-responsive hydrogel
A Dual-Dynamic Crosslinked Polysaccharide-Based Hydrogel Loaded with Exosomes for Promoting Diabetic Wound Healing
Injectable dual-dynamic hydrogel (borate ester + Schiff-base) incorporates MSC-derived exosomes and releases them on-demand in ROS-rich wound environments while scavenging free radicals. In a diabetic mouse model, the exosome-loaded dressing promoted M2 macrophage polarization, enhanced proliferation, and accelerated closure, highlighting a practical carrier concept for exosome delivery.
Exosomes · Cytokine priming & angiogenesis
Mechanisms underlying the role of TNF-α and IL-1β preconditioned exosomes derived from human umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells in wound healing
Cytokine-primed hUC-MSC exosomes improved wound healing versus conventionally cultured exosomes, driven by increased collagen deposition and CD31 expression (angiogenesis). Mechanistic work implicates miR-215-5p and a WNK1/p-Smad3/VEGF-A axis as a potential targetable pathway for optimizing exosome preparations.
Biofilm + regeneration · Multifunctional dressing
Self-healing quaternized chitosan-phenylboronic hydrogel with ceria nanozymes and stem-cell exosomes simultaneously eradicates MRSA biofilm and regenerates diabetic wounds.
Multifunctional self-healing hydrogel combines antibacterial quaternized chitosan, ROS-scavenging ceria nanozymes, and embryonic stem cell-derived exosomes. In MRSA-infected diabetic wounds, the platform cleared biofilm and achieved near-complete closure by day 12 with improved collagen deposition—an integrated approach that addresses infection, oxidative stress, and regeneration together.
Subdermal tightening · Helium plasma RF
Helium Plasma Radiofrequency for Aesthetic Subdermal Treatment: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
Meta-analysis (34 studies; 3508 patients) suggests helium plasma RF for subdermal skin laxity has pooled patient satisfaction ~92% and a generally favorable safety profile, with complication rates influenced by whether combined with liposuction/excisional procedures. Heterogeneity remains substantial, but pooled GAIS-style endpoints support meaningful clinical improvement with appropriate patient selection.
Skin tightening · Head-to-head RCT
Efficacy and safety of a novel monopolar radiofrequency device for skin tightening: a multicenter, randomized, 6-month, assessor blind, positive parallel-controlled, non-inferiority trial
Multicenter randomized non-inferiority trial (n=212 analyzed) compared a new monopolar RF device (YOUMAGIC) with Thermage for facial wrinkle/skin laxity improvement. Both arms showed high GAIS response rates at 90 days with no serious adverse events, supporting comparable short-term efficacy and safety to an established benchmark device.
Energy-based liposuction · Targeted RF delivery
Liposuction and Skin Tightening by Plastic Internal Low-angular Retraction Technique to Direct Skin Retraction with Monopolar Radiofrequency
Prospective observational cohort (100 patients) describes a targeted RF-assisted liposuction approach (PILAR) designed to direct and concentrate subdermal energy. Compared with conventional RF-assisted liposuction, PILAR used less total energy with similar weight reduction and was reported to improve efficiency and lower complications, though controlled validation is needed.
Mechanobiology · Large-volume fat grafting
Porous Architecture and Pressure-Induced Latent Injury: New Insights into Large-Volume Fat Grafting.
Bench-to-animal study proposes that large-volume fat graft survival depends on a porous interstitial network supporting diffusion to ~8 mm depth, which is disrupted by applied pressure. Pressure-conditioned grafts showed more necrosis/fibrosis in vivo despite similar gross retention, suggesting “latent injury” from mechanical stress may drive later fibrosis and highlighting handling/implantation technique as a modifiable variable.
Breast reconstruction · Processing methods RCT
Clinical Outcomes Following Autologous Fat Grafting for Breast Reconstruction: An Interim Analysis From a Randomized Controlled Trial Comparing Lipoaspirate Processing Techniques.
Randomized trial interim analysis compares active wash/filtration (AWF), low-pressure decantation (LPS), and a surfactant-assisted wash (AWFS) processing method for breast fat grafting. At 3 months, average retention ranged ~55–63% without significant differences, suggesting technique selection may prioritize workflow and fat quality considerations rather than short-term volumetrics alone.
Adjunct biomaterial · Type III collagen
Recombinant Humanized Type III Collagen Enhances Fat Graft Retention by Promoting Angiogenesis and Adipocyte Viability in a Nude Mouse Model.
Preclinical model mixing lipoaspirate with recombinant humanized type III collagen showed dose-dependent improvements in histologic quality and vascularization, with an apparent optimum at 4 mg/mL for retention and adipocyte viability. Suggests ECM-mimetic biomaterials could standardize outcomes by boosting angiogenesis and modulating immune remodeling.
AI in practice · Tools and workflow
AI Tools in Plastic Surgery: A Scoping Review.
Scoping review catalogs AI applications across clinical efficiency, imaging/documentation, communication/workflow, and research. Highlights emerging use cases from postoperative virtual assistants and documentation reduction to imaging-based surgical planning and free-flap monitoring, while emphasizing the need for standardization and validation in real-world practice.
Education · LLM-generated microlearning
AI-Generated Microlearning for Plastic Surgery Residency: Single-Arm Pre-Post Feasibility Study.
Pilot study (11 residents over 12 weeks) tested biweekly AI-generated microlearning modules with faculty review of multiple-choice questions. Residents reported high acceptability and showed improvements in self-perceived confidence (and medium effect sizes for knowledge), suggesting a scalable way to supplement training when paired with expert oversight.
Guidelines alignment · Patient-facing chatbot risk
Are large language models consistent with the ASPS and AAPS guidelines? A comparison of AI chatbot recommendations and plastic surgery clinical guidance.
Study tested ChatGPT-4, Llama 3.1, and Microsoft Copilot against prompts derived from five ASPS/AAPS clinical guidelines and found up to ~30% of responses were not guideline-aligned. Results support the need for specialty society involvement and guardrails as patients increasingly rely on chatbot advice.