title: Scientific impact of Association for Academic Surgery and Society of University Surgeons plenary session abstracts increases in the era of the Academic Surgical Congress from 2006 to 2010.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The objective of our study was to analyze plenary abstracts since 2006, when the Association for Academic Surgery (AAS) and Society of University Surgeons (SUS) began hosting the combined annual Academic Surgical Congress (ASC). Plenary session abstracts from the separate AAS and SUS meetings from 2002 to 2004 had previously revealed no significant difference in the scientific impact of published manuscripts.
  
  
  METHODS
  In total, 76 abstracts from the AAS (n = 40) and SUS (n = 36) plenary sessions at the annual ASC meetings (2006-2010) were reviewed. Publication rate, citation number, 2010 impact factor (IF), and 5-y IF were obtained. Statistical analysis was conducted using Fisher exact and Student t-tests.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Overall, 60 (79%) of 76 ASC plenary abstracts presented between 2006 and 2010 were published in peer-reviewed journals. Analysis revealed a higher publication rate for AAS (90%) compared with SUS (67%) plenary abstracts (P = 0.02). Among the articles published, the overall mean number of total citations was 6.7, with no difference between AAS and SUS (5.9 versus 7.8, P = 0.46). The mean 2010 five-year IF for all publications was 4.6 (AAS, 4.3 versus SUS, 5.0; P = 0.54). Compared with a previous analysis from the separate meetings, the mean IF has increased for both societies at an equivalent rate of 0.4.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  After the initiation of the joint ASC meeting in 2006, the SUS and AAS plenary presentations continue to exhibit high-quality research. This study supports the benefit of a joint meeting for the AAS and SUS, as it has been associated with an increasing overall scientific impact for plenary abstracts.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Penn State Hershey Cancer Institute, Penn State College of Medicine, Hershey, PA 17033, USA. jkaifi@hmc.psu.edu
authors.forename: Jussuf T
authors.initials: JT
authors.lastname: Kaifi
authors.forename: Melina R
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Kibbe
authors.forename: Scott A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: LeMaire
authors.forename: Kevin F
authors.initials: KF
authors.lastname: Staveley-O'Carroll
authors.forename: Lillian S
authors.initials: LS
authors.lastname: Kao
authors.forename: Julie A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Sosa
authors.forename: Eric T
authors.initials: ET
authors.lastname: Kimchi
authors.forename: Timothy M
authors.initials: TM
authors.lastname: Pawlik
authors.forename: Niraj J
authors.initials: NJ
authors.lastname: Gusani
mesh_terms: D013502:General Surgery; D006801:Humans; D055811:Journal Impact Factor; D010506:Periodicals as Topic / Q000706:statistics & numerical data / Q000639:trends; D011642:Publications / Q000706:statistics & numerical data / Q000639:trends; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012955:Societies, Medical; D014481:United States