Review Special Issue Series: Recent Advances in Plastic, Reconstructive and Aesthetic Surgery/Aesthetic Medicine

Dear Colleagues,

In recent decades, the field of plastic reconstructive and aesthetic surgery has undergone significant advancements, particularly in the areas of craniofacial surgery, bone biology, wound healing, flap physiology, tissue engineering and nerve repair. Microsurgery has also developed substantially due to a better understanding of flap physiology and perforator arteries anatomy, availability of a larger spectrum of free flaps, new technologies for flap surveillance, and novel biological/prosthetic materials to design the most challenging reconstructions possible. Additionally, the introduction of new imaging techniques such as the ultra-high-frequency ultrasound imaging has transformed  lymphatic surgery.

Novelties in breast reconstructive surgery, achieved through refinement in techniques, new materials (i.e., acellular dermal matrices and new prosthetic materials) and increased communications among breast surgeons, have also helped in ameliorating the effects of breast cancer. The recent developments observed in the domains of nanotechnology, tissue engineering, and regenerative medicine could also help to formulate novel treatments capable of replacing or restoring cell and organ functions. Moreover, the increasing popularity of aesthetic surgery has led to a growing interest in new injectables drugs (i.e., hyaluronic acid, calcium hydroxyapatite, poly L-lactic acid, collagen, botulinum neurotoxin, and polymethyl methacrylate), and adipose tissue is now recognized as a target for antiaging treatments, with new technologies being available for its collection, handling, and reimplantation. Furthermore, as surgical procedures such as the “foxy eye” surgeries, facelift, non-invasive procedures with no pain or complications, centrofacial rejuvenation surgeries, and gluteal augmentation are gaining traction, the search and development of a plethora of materials and techniques in this field are also increasing at a staggering rate.

However, despite several promising findings and growing interest, the prevalence, pathogenesis, and treatment of several diseases requiring reconstructive surgeries, particularly lymphoma,  are yet to be fully understood. It is important to note that social media has been playing a crucial role in the popularity of plastic surgery, and most often, the pressure exerted via social media compels aesthetic surgeons and doctors to find easier and rapid procedures, which are not always corroborated by sufficient evidence in terms of their safety and effectiveness. Thus, there is a dire need for accurate data collection and analysis for a wide range of reconstructive procedures.

Given this context, this Special Issue, titled ‘Recent Advancements in Plastic, Reconstructive and Aesthetic Surgery/Medicine’ invites scholars to submit their original research articles, systematic reviews, meta-analysis as well as overviews that address any of the aforementioned areas.

Dr. Roberto Cuomo
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 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

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.