The American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS)
The American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS) is the largest plastic surgery specialty organization in the world. Founded in l93l, the society is composed of board-certified plastic surgeons who perform cosmetic and reconstructive surgery. The mission of ASPS is to advance quality care to plastic surgery patients by encouraging high standards of training, ethics, physician practice and research in plastic surgery. The society advocates for patient safety, such as encouraging its members to operate in surgical facilities that have passed rigorous external review of equipment and staffing. The society works in concert with the
Plastic Surgery Foundation (PSF), founded in 1948, which supports research and educational programs for plastic surgeons.
Associated Organizations
Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery is an official organ of the following Associate Organizations
American Association of Plastic Surgeons
The purpose of the American Association of Plastic Surgeons is to advance the science and art of plastic surgery through surgical education, research, scientific presentations, and professional interaction. The Association conducts an annual scientific program concerning topics of interest to plastic surgeons. The meeting is available to physicians who are either members or guests of the Association.
American Society for Reconstructive Microsurgery
The American Society for Reconstructive Microsurgery (ASRM) was established to promote, encourage, foster, and advance the art and science of microsurgery and complex reconstruction and to establish a forum for teaching, research and free discussion of reconstructive microsurgical methods and principles. Today the society is comprised of more than six hundred members from sixteen countries and continues to evolve and grow providing a major engine for microsurgical advancement.
The society was born from the initial desire to nurture the emerging field of digit and limb replantation. Over the past two and a half decades members of the ASRM with their tireless work and innovation have helped transform this initial desire into an entirely new area of medicine (reconstructive microsurgery). Since its inception the field of microsurgery has grown rapidly and recent developments in immunology have opened the door for composite tissue allotransplantation (CTA) and ASRM members have been principle movers in the emerging fields of hand and face transplantation. Advanced computing and robotics continue to foster the expansion of more precise and minimally invasive techniques while the potential to biologically engineer missing tissues and structures (tissue engineering) offer an exciting gateway to the future. The American Society for Reconstructive Microsurgery, proud past, bright future and a tireless commitment to advancing the art and science of microsurgery and complex reconstruction.
Plastic Surgery Research Council
The Plastic Surgery Research Council represents a dedicated group of young plastic surgeons who have a strong and passionate interest in research in the field plastic surgery. The annual meeting is a forum to discuss not only completed but also incomplete research amongst enthusiastic contemporaries who are all of the same mindset that it is the research that will move our specialty ahead into the future. The PSRC has expanded from 16 original members in 1955 to over 600 in 2007. The advancement of our specialty has been fostered by the dedication of these surgical scientists in the fields of flap physiology, tissue vascularity, ischemia reperfusion, complex and fetal wound healing, scar and capsule pathophysiology, nerve regeneration, growth factors, tissue engineering, composite tissue allografts, and stem cells. We continue to pursue new fields of research and encourage all young members of the ASPS and other international plastic surgery societies to become involved.
European Plastic Surgery Research Council
The EPSRC is a non-profit organization managed by and for the benefit of the young plastic, reconstructive and aesthetic surgery research community.
PRS Official Organ Criteria
As societies approach PRS seeking to adopt the journal as an official organ, the journal editorial office and publisher – at the direction of the Publications Committee – have developed the following policy to define eligibility to officially adopt PRS as an official organ, as well as the benefits and obligations associated with doing so. Any request by an organization that meets the following criteria and wishes to adopt PRS as its official organ will be reviewed for recommendation and/or comment by the Publications Committee and elevated to the ASPS Executive Committee for final approval.
- Association must be at least 10 years established and/or have at least 500 members.
- The Association must state on its website homepage that PRS is its official organ and link to the journal, with the journal logo.
- PRS must list the Association on the PRS website and link to the Association, with the Association’s logo.
- PRS will list the Association with other affiliated organizations in a place of prominence in the print journal.
- PRS will offer non-ASPS members of the Association a 20 percent discount on a print/digital subscription (ASPS members receive PRS as a benefit of membership).
- PRS will allow the Association to post a banner advertisement on the PRS website for up to 4 weeks each calendar year to promote the society or advertise membership or an upcoming meeting (space permitted).
- The Association will provide PRS with at least two print ad spaces in its annual meeting program (or other membership publication, totaling at least ½ page of space). If a print program/publication is not available, an online banner advertisement could be substituted with advance notice. The Association would also provide an entry in calendar listings for PRS events at Plastic Surgery The Meeting and other meetings for which PRS has a presence.
- The Association will contact its membership at least one time per year, encouraging its membership to sign-up for communications from PRS. The first communication will be a request to subscribe to the monthly electronic Table of Contents newsletter from PRS; future communications may include recommendations to subscribe to Journal podcasts, social media feeds, or other communications channel.
- The Association will consider additionally making PRS Global Open its “official open access organ” with similar reciprocal web linking as described above, pending approval by the PRS Global Open Editor-in-Chief .
- The Association may nominate up to five new reviewers for PRS per year; High-performing reviewers are automatically considered for inclusion on the Editorial Board during the annual on-boarding process after many years of reviewing. Recommendations and suggestions are welcome, but do not guarantee approval.
- PRS does not publish abstract or poster supplements.
Allied Organizations
American Society of Maxillofacial Surgeons
The mission of the American Society of Maxillofacial Surgeons is to advance the science and practice of surgery of the facial region and craniofacial skeleton. The Society accomplishes its mission through excellence in education and research, and through advocacy on behalf of patients and practitioners.
