More than 300 doctors discussed plastic surgery and aesthetic medicine at a conference at RUDN University

The RUDN University hosted the V Conference on Plastic Surgery, which was attended by 387 physicians. At the forum, scientists discussed the main vectors of development in plastic surgery, dermatovenereology, aesthetic gynecology and dietetics. What challenges are facing plastic surgery, how new technologies in aesthetic medicine are used in oncology, perineology and gynecology - we will tell you below.

The relevance of plastic surgery and aesthetic medicine is closely related to the trend of an interdisciplinary approach. And due to this factor, we are moving along the path of consolidation of scientific specialties. Until 2021, there were 450 specialties in Russia, today there are 350. Plastic surgery is also demonstrating an increasingly close connection with various disciplines. This is a new scientific direction, which in today's realities is becoming increasingly in demand.
Vladimir Filippov, President of RUDN University

There are 24 plastic surgery departments throughout the country, 23 of which train residents. On April 1, 2024, a federal law came into force that allows resident doctors to provide medical care. Having successfully passed the certification commission after 1 year of study, young specialists can work as a trainee plastic surgeon.
Lyudmila Letnikova, Director of the Department of Medical Education and Personnel Policy in Healthcare of the Russian Ministry of Health

At the forum, the main problems facing plastic surgery were voiced.

Scientific activity plays a key role in the development of plastic surgery. It not only allows the creation of new technologies and techniques, but also opens up new horizons of possibilities for the medical community and patients. Today we face many difficulties when promoting plastic surgery as a separate scientific field. Firstly, there are problems in assessing the quality of the evidence base and the lack of high-quality studies. Secondly, there is a low index of plastic surgeon involvement in routine activities where he is needed.

Thirdly, funding and technical support are needed to conduct basic research. Finally, an academic career still remains unattractive for students. Here at RUDN University we can discuss successes and failures in the development of plastic surgery, ways to solve them and promote innovative approaches, exchange experiences, and young specialists can learn new things. By developing science, we are making plastic surgery even more accessible and safe.
Natalia Manturova, Chief Freelance Plastic Surgeon of the Russian Ministry of Health, President of the Russian Society of Plastic, Reconstructive and Aesthetic Surgeons

Leading doctors and scientists of Russia spoke at the plenary session. Andrey Kaprin, Nikolay Potekaev and Viktor Radzinsky spoke about the successes of medicine in oncology, dermatovenereology, perineology and aesthetic gynecology, and also presented innovative operating methods, including examples of clinical cases.

Reconstructive plastic surgery plays an important role in the rehabilitation of cancer patients - this reduces the incidence of disability and improves the quality of life. Every year 32,000 new cases of head and neck cancer are registered in Russia. 63% of them occur in the upper respiratory-digestive tract. In recent years, microsurgical reconstruction has most often been performed to eliminate defects in the oral cavity, upper digestive tract, and facial skeleton. Therefore, the consolidation of two specialties - oncology and plastic surgery - is necessary for adequate rehabilitation of cancer patients. At the Oncological Institute. P.A. Herzen specialists perform tongue reconstruction using musculocutaneous, radial, perforator, visceral and chimeric flaps. Speech function was restored in more than 83% of patients, as was the ability to eat orally. Only through joint efforts and the use of plastic and reconstructive surgery techniques in oncology can success be achieved in the treatment and rehabilitation of patients.
Andrey Kaprin, General Director of the National Medical Research Center for Radiology, Chief Freelance Oncologist of the Russian Ministry of Health

For early detection and timely assistance to patients with skin melanoma, the Moscow Scientific and Practical Center of Dermatovenereology and Cosmetology has developed regulations for the provision of medical care to patients with skin neoplasms, created a register of patients diagnosed with melanocytic nevus, and opened rooms for the prevention of malignant skin neoplasms at all branches of the Dermatovenereology Center and cosmetology. When diagnosing, we use photo-mapping methods of the skin with the preparation of a “skin passport” and use the Klinderma digital photoluminescence system. In one clinical case, photomapping made it possible to identify 1169 neoplasms, of which 105 were with an increased risk of developing pathologies. Based on the results of work in 2019-2022 13,175 people were referred to oncologists, and in 10,658 people the diagnosis was confirmed. In this regard, we are talking about the close connection between dermatovenerology, aesthetic medicine and oncology. It is necessary to further develop cooperation and strengthen interaction in the medical field.
Nikolay Potekaev, Chief Freelance Specialist in Dermatovenerology and Cosmetology of the Russian Ministry of Health, Director of the Moscow Scientific and Practical Center for Dermatovenereology and Cosmetology of the Moscow Health Department

Aesthetic gynecology is a rapidly developing clinical area of modern medicine, in which many specialists are involved: both gynecologists and plastic surgeons. In women who regularly visit an obstetrician-gynecologist, the prevalence of pelvic floor incompetence, verified during a gynecological examination, ranges from 25% to 75%. Methods for treating genital prolapse and restoring the architectonics of the pelvic floor include the use of a hydrogel based on thiol-norbornenic acid as a tissue frame of the pelvic floor, multimaterial bioprinting, which is based on a combination of multi-nozzle, coaxial, and microfluidics-assisted multimaterial methods. The use of endometrial mesenchymal stem cells (eMSC/MenSCs) to create a fascial bioscaffold is promising. Aesthetic gynecology helps improve the quality of life of women and maintain their health.
Victor Radzinsky, Corresponding Member of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Professor and Head of the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology with a Course of Perinatology at RUDN University, Vice-President of the Russian Society of Obstetricians and Gynecologists

At the section site, experts spoke about microsurgery and rehabilitation after injuries received during combat operations; modern diagnostics and prognosis of dermatological pathologies; about methods for correcting aesthetic defects, and also discussed issues of nutritional disorders that can impede the body’s recovery after surgery.

The organizers were the Institute of Plastic Surgery and Dermatovenereology, the Russian Society of Plastic, Reconstructive and Aesthetic Surgeons, the Russian National Research Medical University. N.I. Pirogov and Peoples' Friendship University of Russia. The official partner of the conference is the pharmaceutical company Evalar. Colleagues from RUDN University were joined by dermatovenerologists, cosmetologists, obstetricians-gynecologists, nutritionists and dentists from Moscow State University, Ural State Medical University, Sechenov University, Kommunarka Clinical Center, Moskomsport and the Moscow Scientific and Practical Center of Dermatovenereology and Cosmetology.