EDITORIAL Transatlantic Innovations: New Frontiers in Plastic Surgery Daniel Marchac, M.D. Brian M. Kinney, M.D. Phillip Nicholas Blondeel, M.D., Ph.D. Greg R. D. Evans, M.D. Bruce L. Cunningham, M.D. John W. Canady, M.D. Paris, France; Los Angeles, Calif.; Gent, Belgium; Orange, Calif.; Minne- apolis, Minn.; and Iowa City, Iowa T he impact of a world economy on our lives, on medicine, and on plastic surgery is im- measurable. The Internet has facilitated the free flow of information, exponentially extending the power of traditional avenues of professional education (e.g., publications and meetings). What is still missing in our specialty, however, is the dialogue that is so essential to develop ideas and thoughts for innovative concepts. Hence, a meet- ing in which plastic surgeons from all around the world can meet and discuss these innovations and controversies is long overdue. We are beginning this process with our European colleagues in April of 2009 in Paris, with Transatlantic Innovations: New Frontiers in Plastic Surgery. Plastic surgeons are perhaps some of the most international in the medical profession already. Our members traverse the world to provide train- ing and perform surgery in developing countries, while consumers from developed countries are also traveling in increasing numbers in search of the surgery they want at the best price. Medical tourism has become an industry, giving rise to its own trade association, the Medical Tourism Asso- ciation, which estimates that 75 percent of the more than half a million Americans traveling an- nually for medical care are doing so for plastic surgery. The Journal already serves a worldwide audi- ence. Half of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery sub- scribers are from outside the United States. In fact, it is the most subscribed to and indexed peer- reviewed plastic surgery journal in the world. Soon, it will go live on a new website. The new site, which is currently being beta-tested for our read- ers, will further extend the Journal as a global resource. Ten percent of American Society of Plas- tic Surgeons members are international, as is al- most 20 percent of the attendance at our annual meeting. Increasingly, our annual meeting, na- tional and international symposia, and this Journal have become the showcases for research advances from other countries, as plastic surgery scientists seek to learn and build on each others’ work. The Plastic Surgery Educational Foundation’s Volun- teers in Plastic Surgery program has supported dozens of surgical missions, with funding from Smile Train. Surgical outcomes methods, includ- ing TOPS, developed in conjunction with the American Society of Plastic Surgeons and the Plas- tic Surgery Educational Foundation, are becom- ing the recognized research standards, as are our patient safety programs and marketing programs and products. We believe that given our experi- ence, it is logical for the Society to reach out to its sister organizations in Europe to collaborate on Transatlantic Innovations. While many in plastic surgery are interna- tional, we are not yet global. To become global, we will need to further work across national borders, build collaboration between plastic surgery orga- nizations, and create networks of plastic surgery innovators and thought leaders. In a world where consumers, industry, and regulators operate glo- Received for publication December 17, 2008; accepted De- cember 17, 2008. Copyright ©2009 by the American Society of Plastic Surgeons DOI: 10.1097/PRS.0b013e3181993ab7 Disclosure: The authors have no financial con- flicts to disclose. www.PRSJournal.com 755