Virtual Surgical Planning and Digital Workflows in Reconstructive Surgery

Reconstructive surgery has entered a digital era, driven by the rapid evolution of virtual surgical planning (VSP), patient-specific implants (PSIs), and custom 3D-printed guides. Where surgeons once relied on rigid plates and intraoperative hand-contouring, they now design complex reconstructions in a digital environment days before making the first incision. While these digital pipelines have demonstrated significant success in reducing operative times and optimizing patient outcomes, translating engineering innovations into standardized, routine clinical workflows remains a challenge.This Research Topic aims to compile high-impact, interdisciplinary evidence on the integration of digital planning pipelines into reconstructive surgery. We focus on workflows that unify medical imaging, computational modeling, virtual simulation, and custom manufacturing to solve complex clinical problems. By bridging the gap between clinical surgery and biomedical engineering, this collection will highlight how digital technology is actively improving surgical accuracy, safety, and functional outcomes.We invite researchers, surgeons, and biomedical engineers to submit their manuscripts to this Research Topic, fostering a collaborative discourse on optimizing digital workflows and improving patient outcomes in reconstructive surgery. We invite original research articles, systematic reviews, clinical trials, methods papers, and technology-focused surgical perspectives that would contribute to understanding the integration of digital planning pipelines into routine clinical practice. We welcome articles addressing, but not limited to, the following themes:• Preoperative Imaging and Segmentation: Advanced imaging modalities, automated and AI-assisted segmentation of complex anatomy, and the transition from scan to 3D virtual model. • Virtual Planning and Simulation: Digital simulation of osteotomies, soft-tissue deformation modeling, virtual implant placement, and CAD/CAM design of custom plates or scaffolds. • 3D Printing and Intraoperative Execution: Clinical evaluation of patient-specific 3D-printed guides, surgical templates, and custom-manufactured hardware in the operating room. • Workflow Optimization and Integration: Standardizing multidisciplinary digital workflows (surgeon-to-engineer pipelines), cost-benefit analyses, and strategies to reduce planning-to-surgery turnaround times. • Clinical Outcomes and Validation: Comparative studies evaluating surgical accuracy, postoperative complication rates, operational efficiency, and long-term functional or aesthetic outcomes of VSP versus conventional planning.By addressing the integration of digital planning pipelines into reconstructive surgery, this Research Topic seeks to outline a roadmap for surgeons and biomedical engineers aiming to standardize these workflows in routine clinical practice. We invite researchers and clinicians to submit their manuscripts to this Research Topic, fostering a collaborative discourse on advancing digital surgical planning and improving patient outcomes.We encourage submissions spanning craniofacial, breast, hand, and extremity reconstructions, from both early-career and experienced surgeons, as well as institutions pioneering digital workflow integration. Contributions should offer novel perspectives, evidence-based strategies, and innovative approaches that contribute to the growing evidence base for VSP and 3D-printing technologies in reconstructive surgery. Topic editors: Suvashis Dash, Deepak M Kalaskar, Osaid Alser, MD, MSc(Oxon), Ali Esmaeili Source: https://www.frontiersin.org/research-topics/85420/virtual-surgical-planning-and-digital-workflows-in-reconstructive-surgery