Protecting Our Specialty: Concerns in the Plastic Surgery Community

The editorial from 2015 discusses the concerns within the plastic surgery community about the lack of proprietary rights over certain medical procedures, which has led to discontent among practitioners, particularly those who are new to the field. The author notes that despite extensive training, plastic surgeons are not necessarily given an advantage in practice, and they face competition from other specialties that market themselves aggressively. The editorial highlights the issue of senior plastic surgeons sharing techniques with other specialties, which some believe encourages these other practitioners to perform plastic surgery procedures. The author also points out that plastic surgery workshops often see low attendance from plastic surgeons themselves, raising questions about the community's commitment to ongoing education. The solution proposed is to focus on delivering better training, results, and fewer complications, and to work on improving the standards of training across various centers. The author suggests that the association should have more power to engage with regulatory authorities and establish guidelines and disciplinary actions to protect the specialty and instill confidence among its members. The editorial concludes by acknowledging that cross-specialty practice is common and that the focus should be on demonstrating the superior skills of plastic surgeons until the law can address the issue of unqualified practitioners.