Bugra Mert Aytekin, Ibrahim Mansuroglu, Bülent Saçak
Turkish Journal of Plastic Surgery - 2026;34(3):115-119
Plastic, reconstructive, and aesthetic surgery (PRS) is a comprehensive surgical specialty with a long residency training. Specialists in this field address a broad range of societal needs, including microvascular reconstruction, congenital deformities, trauma and oncologic surgery, as well as esthetic procedures. We previously reported the geographic and sectoral distribution of PRS specialists in 2014. Over the past decade, subsequent developments including the enactment of Law No. 5947 on Full-Time Employment of University and Healthcare Personnel, known as "Tam Gün Yasası," increasing interest in health tourism, disparities in income distribution between the private and public sectors, and a marked rise in the number of residents since 2022 prompted us to revisit our methodology and reassess these distributions in the present study. Using the same methodology as a descriptive study conducted by the senior author in 2014, the present study evaluates the national distribution of PRS specialists in Türkiye, compares these findings with international data, and examines changes over the past decade. The data presented not only describe the current number and distribution of PRS specialists in Türkiye but also highlight changes over time, providing a basis for discussion of recent health and medical education policies.
