Conversion Rate of Abstracts Presented at Plastic Surgery The Meeting From 2010 to 2019: A 10-Year Analysis of Factors for Success.

BACKGROUND: Presentations are an important means of knowledge generation. Publication of these studies is important for dissemination of findings beyond meeting attendees. We analyzed a 10-year sample of presented abstracts at Plastic Surgery The Meeting and describe factors that improve rate and speed of conversion to peer-reviewed publication. METHODS: Abstracts presented between 2010 and 2019 at Plastic Surgery The Meeting were sourced from the American Society of Plastic Surgery Abstract Archive. A random sample of 100 abstracts from each year was evaluated. Abstract information and demographics were recorded. The title or author and keywords of each abstract were searched using a standardized workflow to find a corresponding published paper on PubMed, Google Scholar, and Google. Data were analyzed for trends and factors affecting conversion rate. RESULTS: A total of 983 presented abstracts were included. The conversion rate was 54.1%. Residents and fellows constituted the largest proportion of presenters (38.4%). There was a significant increase in medical student and research fellow presenters during the study period (P < 0.001). Conversion rate was not affected by the research rank of a presenter's affiliated institution (ß = 1.001, P = 0.89), geographic location (P = 0.60), or subspecialty tract (P = 0.73). US academics had a higher conversion rate (61.8%) than US nonacademics (32.7%) or international presenters (47.1%) (P < 0.001). Medical students had the highest conversion rate (65.6%); attendings had the lowest (45.0%). Research fellows had the lowest average time to publication (11.6 months, P = 0.007). CONCLUSIONS: Lower levels of training, factors associated with increased institution-level support, and research quality affect rate and time to publication. These findings highlight the success of current models featuring medical student and research fellow-led projects with strong resident and faculty mentorship.

Common Peroneal Nerve and Tarsal Tunnel Release Surgery in an Adolescent Male with Hunter Syndrome: Illustrative Case.

BACKGROUND: Children with Hunter syndrome have a high prevalence of nerve compression syndromes given the buildup of glycosaminoglycans in the tendon sheaths and soft tissue structures. These are often comorbid with orthopedic conditions given joint and tendon contractures due to the same pathology. While carpal tunnel syndrome and surgical treatment has been well-reported in this population, the literature on lower extremity nerve compression syndromes and their treatment in Hunter syndrome is sparse. OBSERVATIONS: We report the case of a 13-year-old male with a history of Hunter syndrome who presented with toe-walking and tenderness over the peroneal and tarsal tunnel areas. He underwent bilateral common peroneal nerve and tarsal tunnel releases, with findings of severe nerve compression and hypertrophied soft tissue structures demonstrating fibromuscular scarring on pathology. Post-operatively, the patient's family reported subjective improvement in lower extremity mobility and plantar flexion. LESSONS: In this case, peroneal and tarsal nerve compression were diagnosed clinically and treated effectively with surgical release and postoperative ankle casting. Given the wide differential of common comorbid orthopedic conditions in Hunter syndrome and the lack of validated electrodiagnostic normative values in this population, the history and physical examination and consideration of nerve compression syndromes are tantamount for successful workup and treatment of gait abnormalities in the child with Hunter syndrome.

Is the h-Index Enough? A Comprehensive Bibliometric Analysis of 871 Academic Plastic Surgeons and Their Departments/Divisions.

BACKGROUND: In plastic surgery academia, research output is heavily used as a metric of accreditation, from assessing residency applicants to evaluating faculty for promotion. The h index, defined as an author's h papers with at least h citations, is commonly used as a measure of academic success. However, the index itself disfavors junior researchers, favors publication quantity, and discounts highly cited works. Given the importance of bibliometrics within plastic surgery, there is a paramount need to adopt additional metrics to measure research productivity. The authors sought to validate the use of time-independent bibliometrics to complement the h index in measuring citation impact. METHODS: The genders and academic titles of plastic surgeons affiliated with US plastic surgery programs were recorded. Author publications were retrieved from Scopus. Bibliometrics software was used to calculate the following metrics per surgeon: h index, e index, and g index. Time-adjusted versions of these indices were used to correct for the number of years since first publication. Medians and interquartile ranges (IQRs) are reported. Departmental ranks were determined using the cumulative sum of time-corrected indices and compared with Doximity departmental research rankings. P < 0.05 was deemed significant. RESULTS: Indices were calculated for 871 academic plastic surgeons in 85 departments/divisions. Men had statistically greater h index (median, 13.0 [IQR, 7.0-21.0] vs 6.0 [IQR, 3.0-13]; P < 0.001), e index (18.3 [IQR, 10.0-28.7] vs 11.1 [IQR, 5.5-18.4]; P < 0.001), and g index (23.0 [IQR, 11.0-39.0] vs 11.0 [IQR, 5.0-22.0]; P < 0.001) than women. Professors had the highest median time-uncorrected indices. After adjusting for the number of years since an author's first publication, there were no significant differences in m quotient (men: 0.66 [IQR, 0.40-0.98] vs women: 0.57 [IQR, 0.33-0.90]; P = 0.05) and ec index (men: 0.93 [IQR, 0.62-1.3] vs women: 0.87 [IQR, 0.50-1.3]; P = 0.08) between genders. Departmental chairs had significantly higher indices than other faculty after correcting for time. The calculated program rankings were low to moderately correlated with that of Doximity (correlation coefficient τ = 0.49 [95% confidence interval, 0.37-0.59; P < 0.001]). CONCLUSIONS: Men and women have statistically similar citation patterns after correcting for the time. Citation differences between academic levels are less pronounced when controlling for time, suggesting comparable research quality between academic roles.

Examining Racial and Gender Diversity in the Plastic Surgery Pipeline: Where is the Leak?

Background: There is limited information about minority representation throughout the plastic and reconstructive surgery (PRS) pipeline. The aim of this study was to examine trends in representation among minorities at different stages of the PRS training pathway, starting with potential candidates in high school through practicing physicians. Methods: The PRS pipeline was defined as high school; college; medical school applicants, matriculants, and graduates; PRS residency applicants, matriculants, and active residents; and PRS practicing physicians. Racial data for each stage were obtained from the US Census and Association of American Medical Colleges. The proportion of races at each stage were divided by their US population counterpart proportions to produce representation quotients (RQs). Medians and interquartile ranges (IQRs) are reported. Mann-Whitney U tests compared RQ values within identities between successive stages. Results: Black students had high representation in high school (RQ = 1.26 [IQR: 1.21-1.29]) but had significant, stepwise decreases in representation in subsequent stages. A similar trend was observed for Hispanic individuals, who had their highest representation in high school (1.43 [1.37-1.50]), followed by significant decreases in RQ at nearly every subsequent stage up to and including practicing physicians (0.30 [0.28-0.31). Asian individuals were overrepresented at every stage (high school RQ: 1.01 [1.00-1.03]; practicing physician RQ: 2.30 [2.27-2.32]). White individuals were underrepresented before residency but had an RQ that approximated 1 in subsequent stages. Conclusions: Racial minorities experienced decreases in representation at each successive stage in the PRS pipeline following high school. Ongoing diversity efforts should focus on premedical recruitment and professional support for minority students.

The Impact of Venous Reconstruction on Finger Replantation Success Rates Based on Level of Injury.

PURPOSE: The requirement for anatomic venous reconstruction in digit replantation is an ongoing area of research. In this study, we evaluated our institutional experience to study whether replantation success is affected by the presence or absence of vein repair, stratified by the level of injury. METHODS: A retrospective review was performed at an urban, level-1 trauma center of all single-digit replantations performed in adults from 2012 to 2021. Patient demographics, injury mechanism, level of injury, whether a vein was repaired, and replant survival were recorded. RESULTS: Sixty-seven single replanted digits were included. Patients were, on average, 38 years old, and 94% were men. The most common mechanism of injury was a sharp laceration (81%). The overall survival rates for all replantations were 68.7% (46/67) and 60% (12/20) for distal finger replantation. Patients with digital replantations at Tamai zone III or more proximal exhibited a 1.8 times increase in survival rates when one vein was repaired versus zero veins (84.4% vs 46.7%). Patients with digital replantations at Tamai zones I and II exhibited similar survival rates. CONCLUSIONS: Replantations at or proximal to the middle phalanx should be repaired with at least one artery and vein to maximize the chance for success. However, for distal finger replantations, artery-only replantation is a viable option when vein anastomosis is not achievable. TYPO OF STUDY/LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Therapeutic IV.

Ongoing Challenges With Price Transparency in Hospital Charges for Hand Procedures.

In 2020, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services issued a historic rule on price transparency that aimed to better inform Americans about their health care costs by requiring hospitals to publicly provide pricing information on their items and services. In this review article, we describe the current gaps in transparency that persist after the implementation of the rule, from incomplete pricing files to noncompliance despite the issuance of monetary penalties by Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. Price transparency is vital for hand and upper extremity procedures, given their cost variation and patient desire for more financial discussions with their physicians regarding these procedures. Further improvements and interventions by various stakeholders are necessary to improve the current state of hospital price transparency and cost information for these patients and for anyone who seeks to make informed health care decisions. Policymakers should enforce stronger financial interventions and penalties and promote the use of bundled payments to facilitate better compliance by hospitals through a more expanded and accessible display of health care service costs. To help increase health care financial literacy among consumers, hand surgeons and hospital staff should engage in more dialog regarding health care prices and financial considerations with their patients.

An analysis of community-level socioeconomic status effects on pricing transparency and variability of hand surgery procedures.

BACKGROUND: The Hospital Price Transparency final rule requires hospitals to publish pricing information about provided items and services via two methods: a comprehensive machine-readable file (MRF), and a display tool of selected shoppable services. Using MRFs on hospital websites, we examined trends in pricing transparency and variation in association with community-level socioeconomic factors for three common hand surgery procedures among AAMC-affiliated hospitals. METHODS: Available discount cash prices and payer-specific negotiated prices for CPT codes 64721, 26615, and 25111 were recorded. Multivariate analysis was used to stratify hospitals into two groups based on their area's median household income, percent uninsured, and GPCI practice expense scores. Generalized linear mixed effects modeling was used to evaluate price variability against community-level financial characteristics of the patient population. RESULTS: Of hospitals that met selection criteria, a majority did not display discount cash prices and payer-specific negotiated prices for the three procedures. Hospitals in lower-income and higher percentage uninsured areas tended to charge a higher average payer-specific negotiated price for CPT code 25111. They also tended to have greater variation in payer-specific negotiated prices than hospitals found in higher-income and lower percentage uninsured areas. CONCLUSIONS: This study demonstrates that considerable pricing variation and incomplete transparency exists for CPT codes 64721, 26615, and 25111 among AAMC-affiliated hospitals. Patients in lower-income and higher-percentage uninsured areas are more exposed to a higher variability and average of negotiated prices than those in higher-income areas, which may translate to higher out-of-pocket costs for those with higher coinsurance and less socioeconomic prowess.

Surgeon Gender-Related Differences in Operative Coding in Plastic Surgery.

BACKGROUND: Numerous studies in the medical and surgical literature have discussed the income gap between male and female physicians, but none has adequately accounted for the disparity. METHODS: This study was performed to determine whether gender-related billing and coding differences may be related to the income gap. A 10 percent minimum difference was set a priori as statistically significant. A cohort of 1036 candidates' 9-month case lists for the American Board of Plastic Surgery over a 5-year span (2014 to 2018) was evaluated for relationships between surgeon gender and work relative value units, coding information, major and minor cases performed, and work setting. Data were deidentified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery before evaluation. The authors hypothesized that work relative value units, average codes per case, major cases, and minor cases would be at least 10 percent higher for male than for female physicians. RESULTS: Significant differences were found between male and female surgeons in work relative value units billed, work relative value units billed per case, and the numbers of major cases performed. The average total work relative value units for male surgeons was 19.34 percent higher than for female surgeons [3253.2 (95 percent CI, 3090.5 to 3425.8) versus 2624.1 (95 percent CI, 2435.2 to 2829.6)]. Male surgeons performed 14.28 percent more major cases than female surgeons [77.6 percent (95 percent CI, 72.7 to 82.7 percent) versus 90.5 percent (95 percent CI, 86.3 to 94.9 percent); p = 0.0002]. CONCLUSIONS: The authors' findings support the hypothesis that billing and coding practices can, in part, account for income differences between male and female plastic surgeons. Potential explanations include practices focusing on larger and more complex operative cases and differences in coding practices.

Characterizing the Association of Race and Insurance Status with Resource Utilization in Brachial Plexopathy Surgery.

BACKGROUND: Understanding the link between socioeconomic status and immediate postoperative brachial plexus injury (BPI) management outcomes is critical to mitigating disparities and optimizing postoperative recovery plans. The present study aimed to elucidate the association between socioeconomic status and resource utilization following surgery for BPI. METHODS: We conducted a cross-sectional study of adult patients (18 years) with a BPI diagnosis from the 2002-2017 National Inpatient Sample. Primary outcomes included home discharge rates, length of stay (LOS), and cost. We used multivariable regressions to analyze outcome measures. RESULTS: A total of 23,755 BPI admissions were identified, 14.67% of whom received surgical intervention. Patients receiving Medicare had lower odds of home discharge compared with privately insured patients (adjusted odds ratio 0.65, 95% confidence interval 0.58-0.74; P < 0.001). Medicaid, Medicare, and uninsured patients had 6%-32% longer LOS than privately insured patients (P < 0.001, P = 0.004, and P = 0.006, respectively). Patients in the top income quartile had a 12% increase in costs compared with those in the bottom quartile (P < 0.001). Latinx and Other race groups had 11%-14% increased costs compared with White patients (Latinx P < 0.001, Other P = 0.003). CONCLUSIONS: Differences in BPI resource utilization and allocation exist, from increased LOS among non-privately insured and non-White patients to increased BPI treatment costs among patients in higher-income quartiles. Further research is necessary to elucidate how these disparities exist and impact functional outcomes.

Patient-Provider Communication on Concerns Related to Sexuality Following Upper Extremity Surgery.

BACKGROUND: Sexuality and sexual health are important components of overall quality of life that can be affected by injuries, operations, and disease processes. Much of the research into health-related sexuality has been devoted to patients with spinal cord injuries and urogenital disease processes. There is very little research on the relationship of upper extremity injuries and their impact on a patient's sex life. The purposes of this study are to assess the proportion of patients who experience sexual limitation following upper extremity surgery and to assess the frequency of discussions regarding their sexual function with their surgeons. METHODS: This was a prospective study of a cohort of patients who had hand, shoulder, or arm surgery more than 6 weeks prior to study recruitment. Patients were approached during a follow-up visit with their hand surgeon and were provided with an deidentified survey that focused on upper extremity function, impact of upper extremity injury or surgery on sexual satisfaction, and patient-physician communication surrounding the topic. RESULTS: Of the patients surveyed, 11 (39%) reported that their upper extremity injury frequently negatively affected their sexual satisfaction. In addition, 9 patients (35%) reported that they wanted their surgeon to initiate discussion about recovery from surgery and its impact on sexual activity. CONCLUSIONS: Upper extremity injuries may negatively affect sexual well-being. Many people want their physician to discuss this with them. Additional research is necessary to qualitatively assess what interventions may be useful for this population as well as how to integrate these discussions into hand surgery clinic visits.

Rethinking the Need for Nail Plate Removal: A Comparison of the Risks Between Standard Nail Bed Repair and Nonoperative Management.

PURPOSE: Nail bed injuries are commonly treated with nail plate removal and repair due to concern for future nail deformity. There is controversy whether this is necessary. We compared the outcomes for adult patients with simple nail bed lacerations who underwent either formal nail bed repair or nonoperative management. METHODS: A retrospective cohort study was performed of adult patients with nail bed lacerations from 2012 to 2019. Nail bed lacerations were diagnosed in patients with fingertip injuries resulting in subungual hematoma greater than 50% or in any subungual hematoma in the setting of a distal phalanx fracture. All patients included had an intact nail plate. Patients were treated with nail bed laceration repair or nonoperatively without nail plate removal. The primary outcome was the development of a nail deformity. Secondary outcomes included infection, fracture nonunion, and patient-reported functional outcomes using the quick Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder and Hand score. RESULTS: Thirty-eight patients with nail bed lacerations were treated nonoperatively, and 40 patients were treated with nail bed repair. The average follow-up time was 4.5 weeks in the office. In addition, 1-year evaluation of patients was performed through telephone interview. The patients in the nonoperative group exhibited no statistically significant difference in the calculated risk for nail deformities compared with the nail bed repair group (13% vs 23%, relative risk = 0.58, P = 0.40, 95% confidence interval = 0.42-1.25). There were no significant differences in secondary outcomes or quick Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder and Hand scores between groups. CONCLUSIONS: The authors observed no meaningful difference in the rate of nail deformities in adult patients who underwent nail bed repair compared with those managed nonoperatively.

A 15-Year Review of Clinical Practice Patterns in Carpal Tunnel Syndrome Based on Continuous Certification by the American Board of Plastic Surgery.

BACKGROUND: The American Board of Plastic Surgery has been collecting practice data on carpal tunnel syndrome treatment since 2004 as part of its Continuous Certification Program. These data allow plastic surgeons to compare their surgical experience to national trends and analyze those trends in relation to current evidence-based medicine. METHODS: Data on carpal tunnel syndrome treatment from 2004 to 2014 were compared to those from 2015 to 2020. National practice trends observed in these data were evaluated relative to current literature regarding evidence-based practices. RESULTS: A total of 11,090 carpal tunnel syndrome cases were included from 2004 to 2020. Electrodiagnostic and imaging studies were performed on most patients despite adding little sensitivity and specificity when physical examination tests are performed and not being considered cost-effective. An open "mini" approach has remained the most common surgical technique in carpal tunnel release for the last 15 years, with growing usage (53 percent versus 59 percent, p < 0.001). Splinting has decreased significantly over the last 15 years, from usage in 39 percent of patients to 28 percent (p < 0.001). Formal postoperative hand therapy has declined from 27 percent of patients to 22 percent (p < 0.001). Despite their low efficacy, 63 percent of patients received one or more perioperative doses of antibiotics. CONCLUSIONS: Analysis of the Continuous Certification Program tracer data from the American Board of Plastic Surgery provides an excellent overview of current practice and its development over the 15 years since its inception. This analysis provides insight into how effectively plastic surgeons have remained aligned with developments in best practices in treating carpal tunnel syndrome.

Sinestre, deviance, or biology? An investigation of hand dominance in relation to tendon absence.

The present study aimed to examine the relationship between hand dominance and the presence or absence of the flexor digitorum superficialis (FDS) in the fifth digit to add to the current body of knowledge. We hypothesized that the absence of the FDS in the right small finger is more prevalent in left-handed individuals. This was a prospective study conducted from January 2020 to April 2021 and performed at the plastic surgery department of a university hospital. The sample consisted of volunteers with no history of upper limb trauma, surgery, or any other condition. The study included male and female individuals over 18 years old at a local Rhode Island university campus. The FDS tendons of the bilateral fifth fingers were evaluated through clinical testing by an independent examiner. A total of 236 hands from 118 volunteers were analyzed. Left-hand dominant participants composed of 5% of the population. For these participants, the prevalence of absence of the fifth finger FDS tendon in the right hand was significantly higher than that of right-hand dominant participants (71.4% vs. 28.8%). No significant difference between sex assigned at birth (male vs. female) was noted and the absence of the FDS in either hand, regardless of hand dominance. The results from the current study demonstrate that anatomy may contribute to one's preference for left-handedness. For children who have difficulty using their right hand, perhaps, an assessment of their FDS status may result in earlier acceptance of using their left hand.

An analysis of publication trajectory in plastic surgery across the decades.

The classic canonical publication trajectory for academicians has been well-described by a rapid increase followed by a slower decrease in productivity, leading to a plateau. This trajectory has not been investigated in plastic surgery. In this communication, we aimed to: (1) visualize the publication trajectory per decade for plastic surgeons certified from 1980 to 2010, and (2) characterize and quantify the changes in publishing trends across decades. A list of plastic and reconstructive surgeons board certified between 1980 and 2010 was obtained. Number of publications per year was recorded for each plastic surgeon. The median cumulative publication trajectory was graphed for each decade. Kruskal-Wallis analysis was performed to determine whether there were differences in number of publications across generations. The trajectory for a surgeon from the 1980s follows the established canonical trajectory. Surgeons from the 1990s and 2000s had significantly more publications by board certification than those from the 1980s (7 and 8 vs. 5, respectively, p < 0.01). Surgeons from the 2010s on average achieved 8 publications by board certification. It is clear that the publication arc for plastic surgeons from successive generations has greatly changed. Over the last 40 years, there has been a trend for increasing productivity and involvement in research at a much earlier stage in career, potentially due to increasing demands for matching into residency programs.

Upper Extremity Surgery in Tetraplegia and the Online Information Void.

Background: People with tetraplegia lack awareness of, and subsequently underutilize, reconstructive surgery to improve upper extremity function. This is a topic of international discussion. To bridge the information gap, proposed mandates encourage providers to discuss surgical options with all tetraplegic patients. Outside of the clinical setting, little is known about information available to patients and caregivers-particularly online. The purpose of this study is to evaluate online content for surgical options for improved upper extremity function for people with tetraplegia. Methods: A sample of online content was generated using common search engines and 2 categories of key words and phrases, general and specific. Articles on the first 2 search pages were evaluated for content and audience. Results: A total of 76 different search results appeared on the first 2 pages using 8 unique search phrases. Of articles generated from general phrases, only 5% mentioned tendon or nerve transfers in tetraplegia. When more specific key search phrases were used, the number of lay articles increased to 71%. Conclusions: Based on initial results, general online information on the management of tetraplegia largely excludes discussions of upper limb reconstruction and the well-known benefits. Unless patients, their caregivers, and nonsurgical health care providers have baseline knowledge of tendon and/or nerve transfers, they are unlikely to obtain de novo awareness of surgical options with self-initiated searches. Thus, the challenge and opportunity is to revise the online dialogue to include upper extremity surgery as a fundamental tenet of tetraplegia care.

Persistent Trigger Finger Due to Tendon Subluxation.

We report the case of an adult patient with persistence of triggering after A1 pulley division in the ring finger, which was caused by flexor digitorum superficialis tendon subluxation. This resolved after longitudinal flexor digitorum superficialis tendon separation.

The Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Plastic Surgery Consultations in the Emergency Department.

Stay-at-Home (SAH) orders implemented in the United States to combat COVID-19 had a significant impact on health care delivery for patients with all conditions. In this study, we examined the effect SAH orders had on the Emergency Department (ED) consultation volume, injury patterns, and treatment of patients managed by our plastic surgery service. METHODS: In Rhode Island, SAH orders were instituted from March 28, 2020, to June 30, 2020. A retrospective chart review of patients presenting to our Level-1 academic medical center was performed. Patient demographics, types of injuries, and need for treatment in the ED or operating room (OR) were collected. Tests of significance were conducted using a comparison group spanning the same time period, in 2019. RESULTS: There was a 36% decrease in ED consultations to plastic surgery during SAH orders when compared with those in 2019. No observed differences were noted in patient demographics between time periods. There were significant increases in the proportions of hand injuries secondary to power tools and facial injuries secondary to falls. No observed differences were identified in injury severity and need for either operating-room interventions or ED interventions for patients seen in consultation during SAH orders. CONCLUSIONS: SAH orders resulted in a decreased volume of plastic surgery consults in the ED but did not alter patient demographics, injury severity, or need for procedural interventions. There was a 2.9% positivity rate for COVID-19 for asymptomatic patients presenting in the ED with primary hand and facial injuries.

Social Media and the Dissemination of Prepublication Data in Surgical Fields.

BACKGROUND: This review investigates the use of social media at surgical conferences and possible effects of prepublication data release in surgical fields. Potential risks include patient harm by the preliminary application of research that lacks sufficient peer review, infringements on intellectual property, and loss of "research novelty." METHODS: A literature review of the current use of social media in dispersion of prepublication data was performed. Current submission guidelines for surgical conferences and journals were analyzed for data release embargos and social media use policies. RESULTS: Conference abstract guidelines mentioned data embargos half of the time and the use of social media less than one third of the time. Eighty percentage of journal instructions to authors contained guidelines on both. CONCLUSIONS: In nonsurgical fields, the appropriateness of the use of social media to release prepublication data is increasingly being discussed. Little guidance exists on how surgical conference attendees should use social media while at conferences. Given the potential for patient harm and negative impact on intellectual property and attribution, further discussion is warranted. INTRODUCCIÓN: Esta crítica investiga el uso de las redes sociales en las conferencias quirúrgicas y los efectos posibles de los datos pre-publicados en cirugía. Los riesgos probables incluyen: daño al paciente causado por la aplicación prematura de las investigaciones sin bastante análisis, violación de la propiedad intelectual, y perdido de "novedad de investigación." METODOLOGÍA: Un repaso fue hecho sobre el rol de las redes sociales en la propagación de los datos pre-publicados. Las normas actuales para la entrega de las conferencias y los periódicos quirúrgicos claves fueron analizadas por las reglas gobernando el uso de las redes sociales y los embargos del lanzamiento de datos. RESULTADOS: Las reglas generales sobre la entrega de abstractos para las conferencias mencionaron los embargos de datos la mitad del tiempo mientras que estas mismas reglas mencionaron el uso de las redes sociales menos que un tercio el tiempo. 80% de las instrucciones de los periódicos dirigidas a los autores tuvieron las reglas generales sobre los dos: los embargos de datas y las redes sociales. CONCLUSIONES: En las especialidades non-quirúrgicas, la pertinencia del uso de las redes sociales para lanzar el dato pre-publicado es discutida con más frecuencia. No existen normas sobre cómo se usan las redes sociales durante las conferencias. Dado el daño potencial al paciente y el impacto negativo en la propiedad y la atribución intelectuales, más discusión está obligatoria.