Cosmetic Surgery Research Today is a free monthly online journal that collates and summarizes the latest research about Cosmetic Surgery, including details on microsurgery, reconstruction, techniques, risks.

Study design and hierarchy of evidence for surgical decision making.

Sprague S, McKay P, Thoma A

Department of Clinical Epidemiology and Biostatistics, McMaster University, 293 Wellington Street North, Suite 110, Hamilton, ON L8L 8E7, Canada.

This article provides a historical overview of the hierarchy of evidence for surgical decision making and discusses key study designs in the hierarchy of evidence. This encompasses meta-analyses, randomized controlled trials, and observational studies, including cohort and case-controlled studies, case series and case reports, and basic science studies. This article also reviews the principles and importance of evidence-based plastic surgery and describes several systems to rate the strength of the scientific evidence.

Published 26 February 2008 in Clin Plast Surg, 35(2): 195-205.
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