Integrating Point-of-Care Ultrasound (PoCUS) in Plastic Surgery at an Academic-Community Hospital: Enhancing Patient Care and Resource Allocation.

Abstract

Introduction: Point-of-care ultrasound (PoCUS) utilization in plastic surgery is increasing, as it improves diagnostic and procedural precision through real-time anatomic assessment. PoCUS also optimizes system resource utilization by avoiding unnecessary diagnostic imaging (DI). This study evaluated surgeon-performed PoCUS within a plastic surgery department at an academic-community hospital, with a focus on diagnostic utility and its impact on DI referrals. Method: This retrospective cohort study included all patients who underwent PoCUS as part of their plastic surgery care at our hospital. All PoCUS exams were performed by staff plastic surgeons using a single handheld, high-frequency portable ultrasound device. Demographic data were collected by retrospective review of clinical records. Results: PoCUS was utilized in 70 patients between November 1, 2023, and October 31, 2024. PoCUS assessment was not only performed in the ambulatory clinic (65%) and minor surgery (26%) settings, but was also utilized in the operating room and on the ward. The Average patient age was 50 years (range: 9-88), and the most common anatomic regions scanned included the upper extremity (54.2%), back (13.9%), head and neck (11.1%), breast (9.7%), and lower extremity (8.3%). PoCUS was used to guide procedures in 44.4% of cases. In our study, PoCUS was an adequate substitute for DI referral in 96.8% of cases. Conclusions: PoCUS is valuable across a broad range of plastic surgery settings and can improve care quality by providing ultrasound guidance during procedures. PoCUS can also reduce unnecessary DI and associated follow-up appointments, thereby improving hospital resource utilization.