Abstract
Purpose
While plastic surgeons have been historically indispensable in reconstruction of posttraumatic defects, their role in Level I trauma centers around the world has not yet been clearly approved. This study aims to assess the contribution of plastic surgeons in major trauma care by evaluating the characteristics of trauma patients underwent plastic surgery at a Level I trauma center.
Method
From November 2014 to October 2020, we conducted a retrospective review of our hospital’s Trauma Registry System for patients with an Injury Severity Score (ISS) of 9 or higher. Of all of 7174 patients, the plastic surgery (PS) department treated 870 patients; the 6304 patients not treated by the PS were classified as the Non-PS. Then, we performed propensity score matching to reduce the statistical bias, after the death in the emergency room and the missing value were considered exclusion criteria.
Result
The mean ISS showed no significant difference between two groups (16.29 ± 7.04 in the PS vs. 16.68 ± 9.16 in the Non-PS, p = 0.3221). According to investigate the Abbreviated Injury Scale, both head and neck (65.0%) and face (46.4%) categories showed significantly higher in the PS group than the Non-PS group (p < 0.0001), and its contribution ratio was 2.151 and 21.822 times, respectively.
Conclusion
This study revealed the specialty of plastic surgery was face area in trauma care. We thus argue that plastic surgical care is imperative for trauma patients, and expect to be implicated in trauma system planning.
Publisher
Public Library of Science (PLoS)
Reference26 articles.
1. To serve Those Who Served: Advances in Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery During War and Peace;L Levine;J Craniofac Surg,2020
2. Sir Harold Delf Gillies-The Surgeon Artist.;SG Gebran;Ann Plast Surg,2020
3. Plastic Surgery Response in Natural Disasters;S Chung;J Craniofac Surg,2015