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An Analysis of the “Classic” Papers in Aesthetic Surgery

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Abstract

Introduction

Over the past 50 years, there has been a significant increase in published articles in the medical literature. The aesthetic surgery literature is vast, consisting of a plethora of diverse articles written by a myriad of illustrious authors. Despite this considerable archive of published material, it remains nebulous as to which precise papers have had the greatest impact on our specialty. The aim of our study was to identify and analyse the characteristics of the top 50 papers in the field of aesthetic surgery in the published literature.

Methods

The 50 most cited papers were identified in several surgical journals through the Web of Science. The articles were ranked in order of the number of citations received. These classic 50 papers were analysed for article type, their journal distribution, level of evidence as well as geographic and institutional origin.

Results

Six journals contributed to the top 50 papers in aesthetic surgery with Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery contributing the most with 31 papers.

No Level Assigned

This journal requires that authors assign a level of evidence to each submission to which Evidence-Based Medicine rankings are applicable. This excludes Review Articles, Book Reviews and manuscripts that concern Basic Science, Animal Studies, Cadaver Studies and Experimental Studies. For a full description of these Evidence-Based Medicine ratings, please refer to the Table of Contents or the online Instructions to Authors http://www.springer.com/00266.

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Acknowledgments

This research received no specific Grant from any funding agency in the public, commercial or not-for-profit sectors.

Conflict of interest

All named authors hereby declare that they have no conflicts of interest to disclose.

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Correspondence to Cormac W. Joyce.

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Joyce, C.W., Joyce, K.M., Kelly, J.C. et al. An Analysis of the “Classic” Papers in Aesthetic Surgery. Aesth Plast Surg 39, 8–16 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00266-014-0414-3

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00266-014-0414-3

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