Research Reports - National - Australian Society of Plastic Surgeons

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Research Reports – National

Mapping Burn Surgery in Australia

Commissioned by ASPS, in partnership with Avant, May 2022.

The safe and successful management of serious burn injuries is a major challenge at any time for each patient and their family, the specialist workforce, major burns units, and the health and welfare system as a whole. “Mapping Burn Surgery in Australia” was commissioned by ASPS, in partnership with Avant (May 2022). The report highlights major findings including; Patient burn needs, Cost of burn surgery care, Models of Care, Burn surgery training, Career and Future work expectations of trainees and surgeons.

Research articles on Rural Surgery

Research on rural and regional surgery in Australia highlights several critical challenges and developments in providing surgical care to remote communities. Key issues include limited access to specialised surgical services, a shortage of skilled surgeons willing to work in these areas, and the logistical difficulties of providing comprehensive healthcare in geographically- isolated regions. Studies emphasise the importance of innovative solutions such as telehealth, mobile surgical units, and improved training programs tailored for rural/regional practice to bridge these gaps. Collaborative efforts between government, healthcare and educational stakeholders are crucial for enhancing the quality and accessibility of surgical care in rural and regional Australia. Additionally, policy reforms and financial incentives are necessary to attract and retain surgical professionals in these underserved areas, ensuring equitable healthcare for all Australians. Please find below a collection of reference articles published about rural and regional surgery in Australia.

Articles 2019-2024

Publications 2019 – present

Bappayya S, Chen F, Alderuccio M, Schwalb H. Caseload distribution of general surgeons in regional Australia: is there a role for a rural surgery sub‐specialization? ANZ Journal of Surgery. 2019;89(6):672-676.
Davis SS, Babidge WJ, Kiermeier A, Maddern GJ. Regional versus metropolitan pancreaticoduodenectomy mortality in Australia. ANZ Journal of Surgery. 2019;89(12):1582-1586.
Ferrah N, Stephan K, Lovell J, Beiles CB, Ibrahim JE. Rural centres do not have a higher prevalence of post‐operative complications than urban centres: a retrospective analysis of a mortality audit. ANZ Journal of Surgery. 2019;89(7-8):833-841.
Meyerson J, Suber J, Shields T, Valerio I, Manders E, Vangelisti G. Understanding the Impact and Misconceptions of Rural Plastic Surgery. 02 2019;1(2):133-136.
Teng TL, Hall R, Graham RA, Reiland J, Chatterjee A. Poor Access to Breast Reconstruction: A Geographical Shortage of Plastic Surgeons Relative to Breast Surgeons in the United States. 04 2019;1(4S Suppl 3):S256-s258.
Flitcroft K, Brennan M, Salindera S, Spillane A. Increasing access to breast reconstruction for women living in underserved non-metropolitan areas of Australia. Supportive Care in Cancer. 2020;28(6):2843-2856.
Maurice AP, Punnasseril JEJ, King SE, Dodd BR. Improving Access to Bariatric Surgery for Rural and Remote Patients: Experiences from a State-Wide Bariatric Telehealth Service in Australia. Obes Surg. Nov 2020;30(11):4401-4410.
Meaike JD, Cantwell S, Mills A, Singh K, Moran SL. Is rural plastic surgery feasible and important?: a survey and review of the literature. Annals of plastic surgery. 2020;84(6):626-631.
Royal Australasian College of Surgeons. Rural Health Equity Strategic Action Plan. 15 December 2020 2020.
Wichmann MW, McCullough TK, Beukes E, Gunning T, Maddern GJ. Colorectal cancer surgery in rural Australia can match outcomes in metropolitan hospitals: a 14-year study. Age. 2020;4(62):0.
Baxter NB, Howard JC, Chung KC. A Systematic Review of Health Disparities Research in Plastic Surgery. Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery. 2021;147(3):529-537.
Bryant K, Dean N. Innovation in rural workforce strategies by a national surgical society: the ASPS experience. Australasian Journal of Plastic Surgery. 2021;4(1):3-5.
Ostini R, McGrail MR, Kondalsamy-Chennakesavan S, et al. Building a sustainable rural physician workforce. Med J Aust. 2021;215:S5-S33.
Royal Australasian College of Surgeons. Collaborate for Rural. 2021.
Royal Australasian College of Surgeons. Retain for Rural. 2021.
Royal Australasian College of Surgeons. Train for Rural – Rural Heatlh Equity Strategy. 2021.
Royal Australasian College of Surgeons. Select for Rural. 2021.
Youl P, Philpot S, Moore J, Theile DE. Population-based picture of breast reconstruction in Queensland, Australia. ANZ Journal of Surgery. 04 2021;91(4):695-700.
Australian Society of Plastic Surgeons. ASPS Darwin Workforce Project impact report: 2022 – the second year. Sydney2022.
Clancy B. Royal Australasian College of Surgeons Rural Health Equity Strategic Action Plan: excellence through equity. ANZ Journal of Surgery. 2022;92(9):1990-1994.
Hippolyte-Blake D, Dreschler A, Rose A, Rae P, Archer J, Garrod TJ. A qualitative study of the incentives and barriers that influence preferences for rural placements during surgical training in Australia. ANZ Journal of Surgery. 03 2022;92(3):341-345.
Yeh J, Palamuthusingam P, Cameron D, Avramovic J. Impact of establishing a specialized hepatobiliary unit on liver resections in a non-specialized tertiary centre in regional Australia. ANZ Journal of Surgery. 04 2022;92(4):769-773.
Dayaratna N, Nguyen CL, Spillane A, Mak C, Warrier SK, Dusseldorp JR. Trends and variations in post‐mastectomy breast reconstruction rates in Australia over 10 years. ANZ Journal of Surgery. 2023;93(1-2):242-250.
Gunness P, Hamilton S, Capstick R, Masters J, Toma R. The development of a rural breast reconstruction service: patient reported outcomes and benefits. ANZ Journal of Surgery. 2023.
Liu J, Lei C, Reid J, et al. Extended scope of practice needed for Australian rural general surgeons: a review of South Australia’s rural general surgical caseload and case mix. ANZ Journal of Surgery. 2023;93(3):522-527.
Venchiarutti RL, Pearce A, Mathers L, et al. Travel‐associated cost savings to patients and the health system through provision of specialist head and neck surgery outreach clinics in rural New South Wales, Australia. Australian Journal of Rural Health. 2023;31(5):932-943.
Willemot L. Fellowship Review: Launceston Regional Plastic Surgery Fellowship. Annals of Plastic Surgery. 2023;90(5):405-407.
Koenig ZA, Henderson JT, Meaike JD, Gelman JJ. Challenges in Rural Plastic Surgery: Availability, Scope of Practice, and Motivating Factors. Current Problems in Surgery. 2024:101440.
Paynter J, Qin KR, Brennan J, Hunter-Smith DJ, Rozen WM. The provision of general surgery in rural Australia: a narrative review. The Medical Journal of Australia. 2024.

Articles prior to 2019

Publications prior to 2019

Morain WD, Parker L. The nonmetropolitan plastic surgeon. Jul 1983;1(1):97-103.
Nelson PG. General surgical manpower, Victoria, Australia. Aust N Z J Surg. Aug 1991;61(8):576-588.
Faris I. The making of a rural surgeon. Australian and New Zealand journal of surgery. 1997;67(4):153-156.
Bruening MH, Maddern GJ. The provision of general surgical services in rural South Australia: a new model for rural surgery. Aust N Z J Surg. Nov 1998;68(11):764-768.
Hughes-Anderson W, Rankin SL, House J, Aitken J, Heath D, House AK. Open access endoscopy in rural and remote Western Australia: does it work? Oct 2002;1(10):699-703.
Bruening MH, Anthony AA, Maddern GJ. Surgical rotations in provincial South Australia: the trainees’ perspective. ANZ Journal of Surgery. Jan-Feb 2003;73(1-2):65-68.
Hall SE, Holman CD. Inequalities in breast cancer reconstructive surgery according to social and locational status in Western Australia. Eur J Surg Oncol. Aug 2003;29(6):519-525.
Shively EH, Shively SA. Threats to rural surgery. The American Journal of Surgery. 2005/08/01/ 2005;190(2):200-205.
Bishop CV, Drummond KJ. Rural neurotrauma in Australia: implications for surgical training. ANZ Journal of Surgery. Jan-Feb 2006;76(1-2):53-59.
Gruen RL, Bailie RS, Wang Z, Heard S, O’Rourke IC. Specialist outreach to isolated and disadvantaged communities: a population-based study. Lancet. Jul 08 2006;368(9530):130-138.
Macadam SA, Kennedy S, Lalonde D, Anzarut A, Clarke HM, Brown EE. The Canadian Plastic Surgery Workforce Survey: Interpretation and Implications. Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery. 2007;119(7).
Underhill C, Bartel R, Goldstein D, et al. Mapping oncology services in regional and rural Australia. Australian Journal of Rural Health. Dec 2009;17(6):321-329.
Campbell NA, Kitchen G, Campbell IA. Operative experience of general surgeons in a rural hospital. ANZ Journal of Surgery. 2011;81(9):601-603.
Chan LS, Scholes NJ, Jones M. Skin excisions: not so simple for the regionally based general surgical trainee. Aust J Rural Health. Aug 2011;19(4):205-210.
Eley DS, Synnott R, Baker PG, Chater AB. A decade of Australian Rural Clinical School graduates–where are they and why? Rural Remote Health. 2012;12:1937.
Chittleborough TJ, Lourensz K, Elliott M, Thomas P, Franzi S. Outreach surgical consulting services in N orth E ast V ictoria. Australian Journal of Rural Health. 2013;21(6):325-328.
Royal Australasian College of Surgeons. Rural and regional surgical services (2014). 2014; https://www.surgeons.org/about-racs/position-papers/rural-and-regional-surgical-services-2014.
Chong A, Kiroff G. Preparing surgeons for rural A ustralia: the RACS Rural Surgical Training Program. ANZ Journal of Surgery. 2015;85(3):108-112.
Hussain R, Maple M, Hunter SV, Mapedzahama V, Reddy P. The Fly-in Fly-out and Drive-in Drive-out model of health care service provision for rural and remote Australia: benefits and disadvantages. Rural Remote Health. Jul-Sep 2015;15(3):3068.
Bauder AR, Sarik JR, Butler PD, et al. Geographic Variation in Access to Plastic Surgeons. Annals of Plastic Surgery. 2016;76(2):238-243.
Flitcroft K, Brennan M, Costa D, Spillane A. Documenting patterns of breast reconstruction in Australia: The national picture. Breast. Dec 2016;30:47-53.
Flitcroft K, Brennan M, Costa D, Spillane A. Regional variation in immediate breast reconstruction in Australia. BJS open. 2017;1(4):114-121.
O’Sullivan B, McGrail M, Russell D. Rural specialists: The nature of their work and professional satisfaction by geographical location of work. Australian Journal of Rural Health. 2017;25(6):338-346.
Quinn L, Read D. Paediatric surgical services in remote northern Australia: an integrated model of care. ANZ journal of surgery. 2017;87(10):784-788.
Shanmugakumar S, Playford D, Burkitt T, Tennant M, Bowles T. Is Western Australia’s rural surgical workforce going to sustain the future? A quantitative and qualitative analysis. Aust Health Rev. Mar 2017;41(1):75-81.
Vyas KS, Hambrick HR, Shakir A, et al. A systematic review of the use of telemedicine in plastic and reconstructive surgery and dermatology. Annals of plastic surgery. 2017;78(6):736-768.
Gray AD, Petrou G, Rastogi P, Begbie S. Elective hepatic resection is feasible and safe in a regional centre. ANZ Journal of Surgery. 2018;88(3):E147-E151.
Parlier AB, Galvin SL, Thach S, Kruidenier D, Fagan EB. The road to rural primary care: a narrative review of factors that help develop, recruit, and retain rural primary care physicians. Academic Medicine. 2018;93(1):130-140.