We are excited about the recent launch of the new Aesthetic Plastic Surgery Journal (APS) cover and had the opportunity to gain insights from Prof. Vakis Kontoes, ISAPS President-Elect and Chair of the ISAPS Journal Committee, and Prof. Lee L.Q. Pu, the Editor-in-Chief. They share information about the Journal and its many benefits for our members and the field of aesthetic plastic surgery.

Prof. Vakis Kontoes
ISAPS President-Elect and Chair of the ISAPS Journal Committee

ISAPS: What is the significance of the new APS Journal cover, and why is ‘now’ the right time to revise it? 

KONTOES: ISAPS has expanded significantly in recent years, both in terms of membership numbers and scientific achievements, always in line with its main mission, “Aesthetic Education Worldwide^®.” As the strongest international society in aesthetic surgery, with over 6,000 members worldwide and representation from more than 117 countries through its Global Alliance Program, the organization's education and scientific standards have reached exceptionally high levels. APS has been representing ISAPS' scientific goals for many years now, and its content needs to be continuously reviewed and updated to maintain its status as a respected reference for all aesthetic plastic surgeons worldwide. This was the reason the Board considered a new design for the APS cover, which would reflect the Society’s international presence and, at the same time, convey the significance of the Journal's global status. 

Additionally, the new title of the Journal supports this important strategy, changing from “The Official Journal of ISAPS” to “The International Journal of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery,” which promotes APS as the leading scientific literature reference in aesthetic plastic surgery.

ISAPS: Why is the Journal an essential reference for aesthetic plastic surgeons, and what would you say to those surgeons who are still not reading or submitting their work for publication in the Journal? 

KONTOES: The Journal serves as an essential reference for the reasons mentioned above, as well as for gathering aesthetic surgery data, papers, and studies from various countries with diverse ethnic characteristics related to aesthetics and anatomical and physiological conditions affected by aging. Moreover, it collects various findings and data related to patient safety, a strategy that ISAPS has as the spearhead of its mission.

Readers of APS receive a valuable and informative tool to enhance aesthetic surgery practices, stay updated on aesthetic procedures, deliver exceptional services to patients, and maintain a high standard of knowledge in our field.

I strongly encourage our plastic surgery colleagues worldwide to submit their work to APS. This is an excellent way to showcase their techniques, scientific data, development, and findings, promote their scientific status, and stay abreast of the progress and developments in aesthetics.

ISAPS: The annual APS Journal Awards will be presented this year at the ISAPS Olympiad World Congress in Singapore; what makes these awards so prestigious? 

KONTOES: We launched these awards, starting with the Olympiad Athens in 2023, and will continue in Singapore this June. A high-class journal like APS makes these awards very prestigious. They offer a platform where we come together to recognize and celebrate the contributions made by the Journal’s authors to the scientific development of our field and acknowledge contributions to our highest quality Aesthetic Education Worldwide^®. Winners of the most cited article published, and the most downloaded article published in the APS will be acknowledged. It is evident that this recognition is a great honor for the winners and their scientific contributions to our field.

ISAPS: What is one of your most cherished moments with the #ISAPSFamily from past meetings? And what are you anticipating about the Olympiad in Singapore?

KONTOES: The first-ever ISAPS Olympiad, presented by the #ISAPSFamily, which was held in Athens in 2023 and featured over 1,600 participants. As this was the inaugural event of its kind for ISAPS, we worked diligently to ensure its success. This year, with the widespread acceptance of a new scientific program format from our members and their enthusiastic support, we are confident that we will achieve another successful outcome. This success will not only make everyone in ISAPS proud but also serve as a model for future Olympiads to be organized in other countries.

We have the same high expectations for the upcoming Singapore Olympiad in June this year. I strongly believe that, once again, our amazing #ISAPSFamily will make this event a great success! See you all in Singapore!

Prof. Lee L.Q. Pu
APS Editor-in-Chief

ISAPS: The Journal has an impact factor of 2.0 (2023), a submission to first decision median of 21 days, and its articles were downloaded 1,178,110 times in 2024. What do you attribute to this success? 

LEE L.Q. PU: The current Journal’s impact factor for 2023 represents the efforts of the previous Editor-in-Chief (EIC), Dr. Bahman Guyuron. However, the current peer review system is created by me. Under my leadership, we have appointed three associate editors, 29 section editors, and nearly 150 editorial board members, which has perhaps contributed to our success. 

ISAPS: What changes have been made since you became Editor-in-Chief, and what is still to come?

LEE L.Q. PU: When I took over as the new EIC of the Journal, I was facing two big challenges. Firstly, the decision that the Journal would publish 24 issues per year to increase the number of articles published and also to reduce the time from submission to publication. In odd issues, 25 articles (now increased to 45 articles) are published online. In even issues, 15 articles are published in print. The Journal now receives approximately 130 submitted manuscripts each month. It became very clear to me that the Journal did not have enough section editors and editorial board members to manage such an increased number of submitted manuscripts. Secondly, I realized that I needed to work with the ISAPS leadership and the publisher to strengthen the peer review editorial system to achieve our goals of providing a consistent and objective peer review process. After several months of work, we are now implementing solutions to meet these goals. In addition, a substantial effort has been made to change the cover, and we are working to improve the quality and scientific value of the published articles to increase the impact factor.

ISAPS: How have these changes been applied?

LEE L.Q. PU: First, as mentioned above, we appointed three associate editors. I worked with those three capable associate editors and the publisher to appoint a total of 29 section editors to oversee the peer review process in each specialty area. For some popular sections, such as facial surgery, breast surgery, eyelid surgery, rhinoplasty, and body contouring, three section editors were appointed for each section. For most other sections, two section editors were appointed. We have been working with newly appointed section editors to appoint more editorial board members, including some residents. We also appointed many new reviewers for the Journal. Now, we have 103 editorial board members and close to 550 reviewers in the manager system of the Journal. Hopefully, with such newly created positions, we will be able to meet the increased demand for peer review, a basic function of any scientific journal.

As a premier “International Journal of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery,” we will continue publishing featured operative techniques to better serve our entire international plastic surgery communities. I encourage you to submit such an article to the Journal. As the EIC, I will oversee such a submission with enthusiasm. We will also create a ‘Hall of Fame' and publish it in the Journal to express our appreciation for our reviewers who have made significant contributions to the peer review process. I am committed to the Journal’s success and the missions of our Society. I sincerely hope that you will also share the same desires with me to make APS truly the best international journal on aesthetic surgery and medicine.