Recognition and Respect: Contextualizing the History and Contributions of Black American Plastic Surgeons.

Recently, there has been heightened interest in the history of Black American plastic surgeons and their contributions to the field of plastic and reconstructive surgery (PRS). Despite the increased awareness and attention toward the lack of racial and ethnic diversity of the PRS workforce, the history of how PRS became one of the most ethnically segregated surgical specialties remains unexplored. Here, we outline the various political and cultural factors that contributed to the exclusion of Black practitioners from American PRS professional societies. This work contextualizes the rise of American PRS within the Jim Crow era and highlights the cultural significance of reconstructive procedures performed in the treatment of disfigured soldiers. Through this lens, we identify circumstances where Black surgeons were systematically denied opportunities to participate in the emerging specialty. Despite these barriers, we demonstrate how Black physicians established informal networks for professional advancement and shed light on several previously unrecognized contributions to PRS from Black surgeons. In addition, we explore how the inclusion of Black voices in PRS sparked a paradigm shift in the treatment of non-White patients that expanded the cosmetic marketplace in ways that remain significant today. Finally, we situate the ongoing disparities in Black representation in PRS within a broader historical narrative and illustrate how the stories we tell about our past continue to shape the future of our field.

Hypertrophic Scar Outcomes in Fractional Laser Monotherapy Versus Fractional Laser-Assisted Topical Corticosteroid Delivery: A Randomized Clinical Trial.

Topical corticosteroid delivery following fractional laser treatment is an effective means of treating hypertrophic scars. However, the relative efficacy of adjuvant corticosteroid treatment vs fractional laser mono-therapy alone is unclear. The aim of this study was to compare the efficacy and safety of fractional laser-assisted topical corticosteroid delivery with fractional laser monotherapy in the treatment of hyper-trophic scars. In this randomized, comparative, split-scar trial of 19 subjects, a borderline significant reduction in scar thickness was observed at 3-month follow-up in the laser+steroid group compared with laser+petrolatum (p = 0.049). However, no significant long-term difference in scar flattening was observed between the 2 groups. Patient and Observer Scar Assessment Scale scores showed significant improvement in scar appearance from baseline without significant differences between treatment groups. In conclusion, fractional laser monotherapy is an effective treatment for hypertrophic scars, and the application of topical corticosteroid provides no long-term synergistic effect to fractional laser monotherapy.