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Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery: Clinical Advances and Future Opportunities

A special issue of Journal of Clinical Medicine (ISSN 2077-0383). This special issue belongs to the section "Plastic, Reconstructive and Aesthetic Surgery/Aesthetic Medicine".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 25 February 2026 | Viewed by 191

Special Issue Editor


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Guest Editor
Hansjörg Wyss Department of Plastic Surgery, New York University Langone Health, New York, NY 10016, USA
Interests: plastic & reconstructive surgery; value-based surgery; facial transplantation; vascularized

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Plastic and reconstructive surgery is experiencing unprecedented transformation, propelled by technological innovations, shifting patient needs, and an enhanced focus on comprehensive patient care. This Special Issue seeks to examine the integrated strategies essential for overcoming contemporary challenges in the specialty. Surgeons routinely manage complex cases spanning congenital defect correction (cleft lips and/or palates), post-traumatic reconstruction, aesthetic enhancement, and functional rehabilitation all requiring close interdisciplinary cooperation.

Minimally invasive procedures, robotic-assisted surgery, and improved microsurgical methods have enhanced precision and patient outcomes. While these technological leaps forward offer remarkable benefits, they simultaneously emphasize persistent concerns regarding sustainable functional outcomes, patient-centered satisfaction metrics, and the psychological dimensions of surgical interventions.

In this Special Issue, we welcome authors to submit manuscripts that address the current treatment of Plastic and reconstructive surgery, as well as future directions in the field. This collection will serve as a platform for medical professionals to share solutions.

Dr. Rami S Kantar
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Journal of Clinical Medicine is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • plastic surgery
  • reconstructive surgery
  • cleft lips
  • palates
  • post-traumatic reconstruction
  • facial transplantation
  • craniofacial surgery
  • cleft surgery

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Published Papers (1 paper)

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Research

14 pages, 2442 KB  
Article
Clinical Salvage Approaches for Surgical Site Infection After Autologous Microtia Reconstruction
by Kap Sung Oh, Wonseok Cho, Junekyu Kim and Kyu Nam Kim
J. Clin. Med. 2026, 15(3), 1064; https://doi.org/10.3390/jcm15031064 - 29 Jan 2026
Abstract
Background/Objectives: Surgical site infection (SSI) after autologous rib cartilage microtia reconstruction is an uncommon but potentially devastating complication, as infection of the avascular cartilage framework can rapidly lead to partial or complete framework loss. Traditional management often favored aggressive debridement or framework [...] Read more.
Background/Objectives: Surgical site infection (SSI) after autologous rib cartilage microtia reconstruction is an uncommon but potentially devastating complication, as infection of the avascular cartilage framework can rapidly lead to partial or complete framework loss. Traditional management often favored aggressive debridement or framework removal, resulting in significant deformity. This study aimed to evaluate salvage-oriented management strategies and to propose a structured treatment algorithm for SSI following microtia reconstruction. Methods: A retrospective case series was conducted of patients who developed SSI after autologous rib cartilage microtia reconstruction between March 2021 and November 2025. SSI was defined by clinical and surveillance criteria requiring intervention beyond routine postoperative care. Nine patients were included. Management strategies were analyzed with respect to infection control, framework preservation, and wound healing outcomes. Results: SSI occurred at variable time points, ranging from early postoperative infection to delayed and late-onset presentations. Identified pathogens included Gram-positive cocci and multidrug-resistant Gram-negative organisms. Negative-pressure wound therapy (NPWT) was applied in all cases with wound dehiscence, persistent drainage, or cartilage exposure. Conservative staged debridement was performed only after clear demarcation of nonviable tissue. Overall auricular framework preservation was achieved in 100% of patients, with no cases requiring complete framework removal, although limited cartilage loss occurred in select cases. These outcomes demonstrate the clinical feasibility and effectiveness of salvage-oriented management across heterogeneous infection scenarios. Conclusions: SSI following autologous microtia reconstruction can be effectively salvaged without routine framework removal through a structured, timing-based algorithm emphasizing early culture-guided antimicrobial therapy, NPWT, and conservative staged intervention. This salvage-oriented approach provides a clinically relevant and reproducible framework for preserving auricular structure while minimizing morbidity, even in infections involving multidrug-resistant organisms. Full article
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