Clinical Outcomes
The Plastic Surgery Educational Foundation (PSEF) is committed to facilitating high quality, clinical and health services research that promotes evidence-based medicine in plastic surgery.
PSEF Clinical Trials Network
The PSEF, in its ongoing efforts to advance the practice of Plastic Surgery, is continuing to develop the Clinical Trials Network. The Network is designed to be the leading facilitator of evidence based medicine and Plastic Surgery Clinical Trials Research with a focus on improving upon quality of care and patient safety. Its charge is to build multi-center networks of leading clinicians to identify and research clinical priority areas in Plastic Surgery. Outcomes data from the trials will assist surgeons, patients, and payers in choosing safe, effective and efficient treatment interventions.
The Network is currently conducting studies focusing on examining DVT/PE prevention strategies - the VTEP Study as well as two other such multi-center projects the Face-Q and the SPAR Study, focusing on evaluating procedural outcomes, patient satisfaction and quality of life. Furthermore, the Network is also involved in designing a study examining post mastectomy breast reconstruction outcomes. Past PSEF supported multi-center projects also include the Breast-Q. By supporting these studies and others like them, the PSEF is ensuring important clinical information is available to help advance plastic surgery practice.
FACE-Q
The objective of this research, led by Andrea Pusic, MD, of Memorial Sloan-Kettering Institute for Cancer Research, is to develop and validate a new, clinically useful patient-reported outcome measure (PROM) of satisfaction and quality of life following elective surgical and non-surgical facial rejuvenation.
The FACE-Q is intended to be easily incorporated in routine clinical practice to measure procedural outcomes. The FACE-Q will provide an important tool with which researchers and clinicians may evaluate the success of various facial aesthetic procedures from a patient perspective.
Support of this research is provided by the Plastic Surgery Educational Foundation and OrthoNeutrogena.
This work has been featured in the March 2008 issue of Plastic Surgery News 
.
SPAR
The Skin Products Assessment Research (SPAR) Study is a multi-center, double-blind, randomized, controlled study to investigate the effects of the Obagi Nu-Derm System (ONDS) before and after chemical peel or ablative laser resurfacing in healthy adult female volunteers. ONDS will be compared to a standard care regimen before and after either chemical peel or laser.
This study includes patients who have photodamage and/or rhytids. SPAR is being conducted under the direction of study co-principal investigators Ed Wilkins, MD, MS and Andrea Pusic, MD, MS.
Support of this research is provided by the Plastic Surgery Educational Foundation and Obagi Medical Products.
BREAST-Q
The BREAST-Q© study, led by Andrea Pusic, MD, of Memorial Sloan-Kettering Institute for Cancer Research, was developed to create a new patient-reported outcome measure (PROM) that will provide essential information about the impact and effectiveness of breast surgery.
The BREAST-Q has a modular, procedure-specific structure with scales that evaluate both satisfaction and quality of life. Psychometric evaluation reveals high reliability, validity and responsiveness to surgical intervention across all scales. The BREAST-Q will help facilitate an evidence-based approach to the management of breast surgery patients.
Support of this research is provided by the Plastic Surgery Educational Foundation, Mentor, Allergan and Sientra.
This work has been featured in (full articles available to ASPS Members):
