I’m Foad Nahai and I’m a board-certified practicing academic plastic surgeon and the current Editor-In-Chief for the Aesthetic Surgery Journal, ASJ, the flagship journal of the Aesthetic Society.
The journal has the highest impact factor of any journal in its class, with circulation in the United States of approximately 4,000 and worldwide circulation of over 6,000.
I have no financial disclosures.
The goal of the journal is to advance the science, art, and safe practice of aesthetic surgery and cosmetic medicine through the publication of peer-reviewed, data-driven, evidence-based clinical and research studies.
The FDA has called the meeting to address the data on the risk-benefit of breast implants.
As the world’s premier aesthetic journal, we have published many peer-reviewed studies on the seven concerns of the FDA.
In our current March 2019 issue, we published a supplement on BIA-ALCL containing the latest, most accurate information on the etiology, diagnosis, and treatment of the condition.
The Aesthetic Journal has also published peer-reviewed information on systemic symptoms reported by patients with implants and has published on and has encouraged the establishment of breast implant registries worldwide.
The Aesthetic Journal consistently publishes works on detection of silent implant rupture with MRI and, as we just saw, the alternative ultrasound technologies.
We publish featured articles on the application of surgical mesh in breast surgery, best practices articles on breast implant surgery, as well as on informed consent, informed consent which always highlights the unique nature of this concern as new data and clinical findings surface.
Lastly, the Aesthetic Surgery Journal is a source of peer-reviewed patient-centric data following breast implant surgery.
Our peer-review system is double blind and free from any conflict of interest.
As editor, I have always maintained that the role of any scholarly publication is to publish opposing views and to encourage debate and discussion.
Ongoing data collection on breast implants is critical, and I assure you that Aesthetic Surgery Journal will continue to publish peer-reviewed, data-driven scientific manuscripts with the goal to further our collective understanding of the risks and benefits of breast implants which will continue to empower plastic surgeons and their patients with high quality information to ensure all care decisions are based on the best available evidence.
Thank you for your time.
(Applause)
[Open public comment given by Dr. Foad Nahai at the General and Plastic Surgery Devices Panel on March 25, 2019. The title of this article does not constitute part of the speaker’s comment to the FDA and any hyperlinks or text appearing in brackets were added for clarity or ease of use by editors.]