Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery - opportunities for technology research to improve patient outcomes

Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery is a technique-based specialty that interfaces with the majority of medical & surgical specialties to deliver skill or technology-based care solutions that enable other therapies or enhance patient-centred outcomes. Its remit includes surgical oncology, trauma, congenital anomalies, ageing, degenerative disease, and wound care, with particular focus upon the complex interplay between physical form, functional restitution, and psychosocial welfare. There is a long history of implementing bioengineering, biomaterials, immunology and translational biological research into clinical practise, in many cases plastic surgeons have been the translational path into widespread adoption by other specialties. Tissue engineering / regenerative medicine approaches and composite tissue allotransplantation / biophysical intelligent prosthetics adoption are seen as critical future directions for plastic surgery. This talk will provide an overview of the specialty as pertains to biomedical research opportunities for enhanced disease understanding, technical refinement, and translational research towards better patient care.