Level of Evidence in Facial Plastic Surgery Research: A Procedure-Level Analysis.
Aesthetic
Facial plastic
Level of evidence
RCT
Randomized controlled
Reconstructive
Journal
Aesthetic plastic surgery
ISSN: 1432-5241
Titre abrégé: Aesthetic Plast Surg
Pays: United States
ID NLM: 7701756
Informations de publication
Date de publication:
10 2020
10 2020
Historique:
received:
20
03
2020
accepted:
08
04
2020
pubmed:
25
4
2020
medline:
7
1
2021
entrez:
25
4
2020
Statut:
ppublish
Résumé
As evidence-based medicine has taken hold across medical specialties, the level of evidence within the facial plastic surgery literature has risen, but remains weak in comparison. There has not yet been a systematic, critical appraisal of the relative strength of evidence among subsets of the practice of facial plastic surgery. The current study is a systematic review, designed to evaluate the level of evidence observed in the facial plastic surgery literature. Five journals were queried using facial plastic surgery terms for four selected years over a 10-year period. Following screening, articles were assigned to a category regarding subject matter, assessed for the presence of various methodological traits, and evaluated for overall level of evidence. Comparisons were made in regard to level of evidence across the breadth of facial plastic surgery subject matter. A total of 826 articles were included for final review. Studies on operative facial rejuvenation and rhinoplasty had significantly fewer authors on average than studies on cancer reconstruction or craniofacial topics. Craniofacial studies demonstrated higher levels of evidence relative to all other categories, with the exception of facial paralysis and facial trauma studies, from which there was no significant difference. In general, reconstructive studies had significantly more authors and higher levels of evidence than did articles with an aesthetic focus. Level of evidence in facial plastic surgery remains relatively weak overall. Reconstructive and particularly craniofacial studies demonstrate higher mean level of evidence, relative to other subsets of facial plastic surgery. This journal requires that authors assign a level of evidence to each article. For a full description of these Evidence-Based Medicine ratings, please refer to the Table of Contents or the online Instructions to Authors www.springer.com/00266.
Sections du résumé
BACKGROUND
As evidence-based medicine has taken hold across medical specialties, the level of evidence within the facial plastic surgery literature has risen, but remains weak in comparison. There has not yet been a systematic, critical appraisal of the relative strength of evidence among subsets of the practice of facial plastic surgery.
METHODS
The current study is a systematic review, designed to evaluate the level of evidence observed in the facial plastic surgery literature. Five journals were queried using facial plastic surgery terms for four selected years over a 10-year period. Following screening, articles were assigned to a category regarding subject matter, assessed for the presence of various methodological traits, and evaluated for overall level of evidence. Comparisons were made in regard to level of evidence across the breadth of facial plastic surgery subject matter.
RESULTS
A total of 826 articles were included for final review. Studies on operative facial rejuvenation and rhinoplasty had significantly fewer authors on average than studies on cancer reconstruction or craniofacial topics. Craniofacial studies demonstrated higher levels of evidence relative to all other categories, with the exception of facial paralysis and facial trauma studies, from which there was no significant difference. In general, reconstructive studies had significantly more authors and higher levels of evidence than did articles with an aesthetic focus.
CONCLUSION
Level of evidence in facial plastic surgery remains relatively weak overall. Reconstructive and particularly craniofacial studies demonstrate higher mean level of evidence, relative to other subsets of facial plastic surgery.
LEVEL OF EVIDENCE III
This journal requires that authors assign a level of evidence to each article. For a full description of these Evidence-Based Medicine ratings, please refer to the Table of Contents or the online Instructions to Authors www.springer.com/00266.
Identifiants
pubmed: 32328745
doi: 10.1007/s00266-020-01720-3
pii: 10.1007/s00266-020-01720-3
doi:
Types de publication
Journal Article
Systematic Review
Langues
eng
Sous-ensembles de citation
IM