Reflecting upon the Long-term Impact of COVID-19 on Cosmetic Plastic Surgery and Education

• Type of Material: Article
• Authors: James C. Krupp, Emory University; Ambika Menon, Emory University; Orr Shauly, Emory University; Albert Losken, Emory University
• Language: English
• Date: 2023-10-16
• Publisher: Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc.
• Publication Version: Final Published Version
• Copyright Statement: © 2023 The Authors
• License: Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 4.0 International
• Final Published Version (URL): https://doi.org/10.1097/GOX.0000000000005359
• Title of Journal or Parent Work: Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery-Global Open
• Volume: 11
• Issue: 10
• Start Page: e5359
• Keywords: plastic surgery; surgical treatment; worldwide pandemic; facial cosmetic surgery
• Research Categories: Health Sciences, Medicine and Surgery; Health Sciences, Public Health

Abstract

As we enter a new year, this article serves as an opportunity to ponder on the impact of a worldwide pandemic on physicians and the field of plastic surgery, which began 4 years ago in January 2020. When looking at the data in the general-surgery and reconstructive literature, the surgical treatment of patients with COVID-19 appears safest 8 weeks after infection. It was also found that the so-called Zoom-boom crush of cosmetic surgery cases following pandemic lockdown appeared to be largely due to a backlog of cases. Cosmetic surgery, particularly facial cosmetic surgery, continues to increase in popularity year over year. However, the effects on plastic surgery training remain unclear. Even so, those affected by the pandemic seem more driven than ever to find job stability and security.