Evidence-based medicine in aesthetic medicine and surgery: reality or fantasy?

The goal of evidence-based medicine (EBM) is for health-care professionals to incorporate existing medical evidence into clinical practice to achieve the greatest possible outcomes. The theory of EBM has been employed since the 11th century and has evolved dramatically into the modern application used by practicing physicians today. There are five levels of evidence currently used to evaluate if certain techniques, methods, and surgical procedures are the "best" to be used in practice. Despite the outlined format of EBM, plastic surgeons have difficulty applying EBM in clinical practice because of the influence of expert opinion and the subjective nature of outcomes. This article explores the function of EBM in aesthetic plastic surgery.

This journal requires that authors assign a level of evidence to each article. For a full description of these Evidence-Based Medicine ratings, please refer to the Table of Contents or the online Instructions to Authors www.springer.com/00266.