HOME / Background

About JSPRS

Activities of JSPRS

JSPRS is engaged in the following main activities:

1) Hosting Annual Meetings

JSPRS hosts its Annual Meetings twice a year, one for clinical studies in spring and the other for basic researches in autumn. Spring meeting celebrates its 66th anniversary while autumn meeting its 32th year in 2023.Due to the spread of Covid-19 infection, the spring meeting will be held both on site and online.

2) Editing and publishing the Society journal

JSPRS has been publishing its monthly journal since 1981, with volume 43 for the year of 2023.

3) Hosting academic seminars

JSPRS hosts seminars at its Annual Meetings in spring and autumn. It is essential for those who would like to take Certification Exams for Board Certified Specialists to attend those seminars.

4) Certifying and renewing its certification

JSPRS organizes its exams to certify those who passed the exams as Board Certified Specialists of Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery. Anyone who wish to take the exams is required to have passed at least 6 years after obtaining the Japanese Doctor's License, more than 4-year membership of JSPRS, and more than 4-year training experiences at JSPRS certified facilities after 2 year's clinical trainings.

For the Exams, applicants will take oral and written examinations after submitting designated application form. Specialist's certification should be renewed every 5 years, which requires to obtain certain amount of credits set for each attendance or presentation at Annual Meetings, submitting research papers and so on.

5) Certifying facilities for Specialist's trainings and related education

JSPRS certifies hospitals which meet certain conditions as certified facilities or certified educational institutes. For those who want to be qualified as a Board Certified Specialist for Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery, clinical experiences at these facilities are essential.

History of JSPRS

The history of Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery in Japan started when the first Annual Meeting of JSPRS was held at The University of Tokyo in 1958, when the formal name of the Society was publicly announced as "Japan Society of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery". In those days, technologies and skills were being brought to Japan from the Western countries which were already advanced in Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery. Many Japanese doctors studied under noted professors in the Western countries, while some even completed residency programs for Plastic Surgery in the United States to bring sufficient skills back to Japan.

The 1970's was the time for the executives of JSPRS to work together to frame the Society's administrative system, making efforts for Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery to be recognized as professable specialization in Japan. As a results, JSPRS joined the Japanese Association of Medical Sciences in 1972, followed by approval for Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery to be professable specialization in 1975. On the other hand, developing and introducing various innovative technologies and skills, such as Microsurgery, Craniofacial surgery, tissue expander and so on, became known. This also marked the era for many young Japanese plastic surgeons who began to succeed overseas. In 1978, Approving System for Certified Physicians was established, followed by incorporation of JSPRS in 1985. Around that time, a series of positive promotions which aimed to host international conferences became active. The first international conferences of Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery hosted in Japan, were the 2nd Asian Pacific Section of the International Confederation of Plastic Reconstructive and Aesthetic Surgery (IPRAS/APS) and the 1st Asia Pacific Burn Congress / International Society for Burn Injuries (ISBI) in 1977.

In the late 1980's, plastic surgeons, who had been exclusively for clinical practice so far, began to turn an eye to basic medicine studies as well, leading to founding Research Council Meeting of JSPRS in 1992. The English journal ("Scandinavian Journal of Plastic, Reconstructive Surgery and Hand Surgery") was also first published in the same year. As for other international movements, World Congress of the International Confederation of Plastic Reconstructive and Aesthetic Surgery was held in Japan for the first time in 1995, while Japan-China Joint Meeting on Plastic Surgery and Japan-Korea Congress of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery were founded.

JSPRS now boasts about5,300 members in total, including about2,700 Certified Specialists. Furthermore, it was achieved that 85% of National and public universities of Japan have Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery as an independent medical specialty. It will also be needed to enrich Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery from both artistic and scientific view in future, that is, enriching basic research as well as clinical research. In this aging society of today, there has been increasing needs for Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery for decubitus, intractable ulcers, tissue reconstruction after removing cancer, anti-aging medicine, etc. It is absolutely important for us, JSPRS, to continue to work together without regretting efforts in order to contribute to the society.