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Laboratory Start-Up Costs For Plastic Surgery Translational Researchers
Sunishka Wimalawansa, MD, MBA; Resident, Division of Plastic Surgery, Wright State University
R. Michael Johnson, MD; Chief, Division of Plastic Surgery, Wright State University
Wright State University, Division of Plastic Surgery; Miami Valley Hospital, Dayton, OH
2012-02-16
Presenter: Sunishka Wimalawansa, MD, MBA
Affidavit:
Most of this is the resident's original work.
Director Name: R. Michael Johnson, MD
Author Category: Other Specialty Resident
Presentation Category: Clinical
Abstract Category: General Reconstruction
How does this presentation meet the established conference educational objectives?
We discuss our experience integrating a research laboratory into our clinical practice. The specific focus of the presentation is cost data regarding implementing a lab and the benefits of having research capabilities in a clinical/academic practice.
Rather than discussing a specific new technique/procedure, the focus of this presentation is how to build a foundation on which these techniques can be developed and implemented in a clinical practice.
How will your presentation be used by practicing physicians in the audience?
This goal of this presentation is two-fold: to outline cost data that can help surgeons plan and bargain for the resources to create new residency programs (i.e., gain financial support from administration), and to help guide new and established Plastic Surgery graduates with research aspirations on the practicalities of starting up a research laboratory within the scope of their clinical practice.
We hope to put this into tangible terms by reporting our cost data with regards to the required capital expenses - this may benefit the audience in terms of quantifying what their own required investments might look like if they choose to proceed.
Furthermore, methods of mitigating this cost will also be discussed (such as bargaining this into a new contract, sharing expenses with other labs, and amortizing/deducting as appropriate from taxes).
Delivering cutting-edge care requires knowledge and development of innovative techniques. Integrating a research laboratory into a Plastic Surgery practice can facilitate both provision of such care to our patients and help advance the field.
Initial capital expenditures can be costly. Senior surgeons contemplating starting residency programs need expected cost outlays to effectively bargain resource support from administration. Young Plastic Surgeons transitioning from residency to practice can try negotiating and building these costs upfront into new contracts, mitigating their burden. The following estimates are based on laboratory development at Wright State University's Division of Plastic Surgery.
Outlays are stratified by the practice's direction. Cell culture capabilities necessitate workspace and benches, laminar flowhood, incubator, inverted microscope, reagents including culture media and basic chemicals, tissue handling equipment, and refrigerators (-20°C ± -80°C).
Cell characterization capabilities warrant additional tools including flow-cytometry (potentially a multi-lab shared utility), special stains and antibodies, and other equipment such as an electrophoresis apparatus.
Our lab can both culture and characterize tissue with start-up costs approximating $83,000.
If properly implemented and integrated, the benefits can far outweigh the costs. Such capabilities can distinguish and promote integrated practices, particularly in today's economic environment where plastic surgeons face encroachment from other fields. While the public might not distinguish between "Plastic" and "Cosmetic" surgeons (i.e., highly-trained specialists versus those with little formal training), key catch-phrases such as "stem-cell" therapy strike a note with consumers and could help Plastic Surgery regain its place on the biomedical forefront to provide high level, high quality care.
