Grants We Funded
Grant applicants for the 2023 cycle requested a total of nearly $4 million dollars. The PSF Study Section Subcommittees of Basic & Translational Research and Clinical Research evaluated nearly 140 grant applications on the following topics:
The PSF awarded research grants totaling over $1 million dollars to support nearly 30 plastic surgery research proposals.
ASPS/PSF leadership is committed to continuing to provide high levels of investigator-initiated research support to ensure that plastic surgeons have the needed research resources to be pioneers and innovators in advancing the practice of medicine.
Research Abstracts
Search The PSF database to have easy access to full-text grant abstracts from past PSF-funded research projects 2003 to present. All abstracts are the work of the Principal Investigators and were retrieved from their PSF grant applications. Several different filters may be applied to locate abstracts specific to a particular focus area or PSF funding mechanism.
Improving Sensory Recovery After Phalloplasty in Transmasculine Patients
Patrick Assi MD
2023
Vanderbilt University Medical Center (VUMC)
National Endowment for Plastic Surgery Grant
Peripheral Nerve, Other
Project Summary: Gender dysphoria is associated with increased suicide in the transgender and non-binary community. Gender-affirming surgery, although life-saving, remains imperfect. Specifically, phalloplasty yields inadequate sensation, causing surgical regret and increased dysphoria. The proposed study will be the first multi-pronged analysis of sensory and validated patient-reported outcomes after phalloplasty using polyethylene glycol (PEG)-assisted nerve coaptation to restore sensation. PEG-assisted nerve coaptation fuses axons, restoring morphological continuity, conduction of electrical signals, and rapid sensory recovery. Improving sensory outcomes will resolve dysphoria and shift paradigms in patient care post-phalloplasty, revolutionizing both gender-affirming and peripheral nerve surgery.
Impact Statement: Gender dysphoria is associated with increased suicide in the transgender and non-binary community. Gender-affirming surgery, although life-saving, remains imperfect. Specifically, phalloplasty yields inadequate sensation, causing surgical regret and increased dysphoria. The proposed study will be the first multi-pronged analysis of sensory and validated patient-reported outcomes after phalloplasty using polyethylene glycol (PEG)-assisted nerve coaptation to restore sensation. PEG-assisted nerve coaptation fuses axons, restoring morphological continuity, conduction of electrical signals, and rapid sensory recovery. Improving sensory outcomes will resolve dysphoria and shift paradigms in patient care post-phalloplasty, revolutionizing both gender-affirming and peripheral nerve surgery.
I currently serve as the chief resident in the Department of Plastic Surgery at Vanderbilt University Medical Center (VUMC). I started my training as a general surgery resident before entering the integrated plastic surgery residency at VUMC. Currently, I am completing an enfolded fellowship focused on gender affirmation surgery before starting as a VUMC faculty member, on July 1st 2023, with a career focused mainly on gender surgery and migraine peripheral nerve surgery. I am involved in the active clinical trial in the traumatic setting for the proposed PEG-assisted nerve coaptation technique at my institution. In addition, I am very familiar with this technology as I have published and presented on the subject. Previously, I have completed clinical research at MedStar Health and the Curtis National Hand Center, focused on breast reconstruction and complex wrist surgery outcomes. To date, I have resulted in more than 20 publications in peer-reviewed journals as well as several podium and poster presentations. As the Principal Investigator of this proposal, I am aware of the importance of constructing a realistic research plan, timeline, and budget. I have the institutional and intellectual support to successfully act as a PI for the study outlined in this application. Altogether, I have confidence that I will be able to safely deliver the investigation under this proposal which I consider to be of great importance to our underserved gender-diverse population and science.