title: Why we are here: early reflections on the role of reconstructive plastic surgery in the 2013 Boston marathon bombings.
abstract: The 2013 Boston Marathon bombings resulted in a large and unexpected influx of patients requiring acute multidisciplinary surgical care. The authors describe the surgical management experience of these patients at Brigham & Women's Hospital and Brigham & Women's Faulkner Hospital, with a particular focus on the important role played by reconstructive plastic surgery. The authors suggest that this experience illustrates the value of reconstructive plastic surgery in the treatment of these patients specifically and of trauma patients in general, and argue for the increasing importance of promoting our identity as a specialty.
authors.affiliation: Boston, Mass. From the Division of Plastic Surgery, Department of Surgery, Brigham & Women's Hospital, and Harvard Plastic Surgery Combined Residency Program.
authors.forename: Matthew J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Carty
authors.forename: Edward J
authors.initials: EJ
authors.lastname: Caterson
authors.forename: Stephanie A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Caterson
authors.forename: Yoon S
authors.initials: YS
authors.lastname: Chun
authors.forename: Jessica
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Erdmann-Sager
authors.forename: Ivan
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Hadad
authors.forename: Eric G
authors.initials: EG
authors.lastname: Halvorson
authors.forename: Dennis P
authors.initials: DP
authors.lastname: Orgill
authors.forename: Christian E
authors.initials: CE
authors.lastname: Sampson
authors.forename: Simon G
authors.initials: SG
authors.lastname: Talbot
authors.forename: Todd
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Theman
authors.forename: Elof
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Eriksson
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001753:Blast Injuries / Q000601:surgery*; D001900:Boston; D004189:Disaster Planning / Q000458:organization & administration*; D005107:Explosions; D005260:Female; D006786:Hospitals, Urban / Q000458:organization & administration; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010348:Patient Care Team / Q000458:organization & administration; D019651:Plastic Surgery Procedures; D013503:Surgery Department, Hospital / Q000458:organization & administration*; D013518:Surgery, Plastic / Q000458:organization & administration*; D023481:Terrorism