INSIDE AAPS 2026: Stanford Plastic Surgery Recap

May 2-5, 2026

The 104th Annual Meeting of the American Association of Plastic Surgeons (AAPS) was held May 2–5, 2026 in Lihue, Hawaii. The meeting brought together leaders in academic plastic surgery for a comprehensive program spanning aesthetic, reconstructive, and translational science.

Stanford Plastic Surgery was represented across panels, scientific sessions, poster presentations, and innovation-focused programming throughout the meeting.

PANELS & LEADERSHIP

  • Faculty Dr. Michael Longaker served as panelist on the panel “Let’s Talk Innovation,” highlighting advances shaping the future of plastic surgery.
  • Faculty Dr. James Chang served as a panelist on the Sunrise Panel, “It’s A Small World After All: Exploring the Future of Global Health.”
  • Faculty Dr. Dung Nguyen served as a panelist on the Sunrise Panel, “Cutting Edge: Evolving your Practice with New Techniques.”
  • Faculty Dr. Arash Momeni served as a panelist on the Sunrise Panel “Nontraditional Leaders in Plastic Surgery Part II.”
  • Faculty Drs. Paige Fox and Arash Momeni were featured faculty in the Reconstructive Symposium panel.

SCIENTIFIC PRESENTATIONS

  • Resident Michelle Griffin, MD shared translational research titled “Overcoming Foreign Body Response in Breast Reconstruction By Modulation of Fibroblast Subpopulations.” (PI: Michael Longaker)
  • Resident Allison Hu presented “Ocular Morbidity And Visual Outcomes In Rare Craniofacial Clefts: A Contemporary Cohort Study Of 102 Cases.”
  • Medical Student Melih Sifil, MD presented “Twenty Years Of Facial Skeletal Aging: Regional Rate Changes Through Longitudinal 3D CT Analysis.” (PI: David Kahn, MD)
  • Medical Student Elizabeth Tadevosyan highlighted outcomes research on omental fat-augmented free flap breast reconstruction. (PI: Dung Nguyen, MD)

MODERATORS & DISCUSSANTS

  • Dr. Paige Fox moderated Scientific Session IX: Upper and Lower Extremity.
  • Dr. Arash Momeni served as a discussant during the Breast Reconstruction scientific session.
  • Dr. Dung Nguyen served as a discussant during the Technology Innovation scientific session.

POSTER PRESENTATIONS

  • Resident Elizabeth Cox presented “Assessing The Outcomes: Complication Rates In Immediate Breast Reconstruction By Nonplastic Surgeons - A Nationwide Analysis.”
  • Medical Student Elizabeth Tadevosyan presented “Outcomes Of Omental Fat-augmented Free Flap Breast Reconstruction Across BMI Categories.”

AWARDS & RECOGNITION

  • Incoming Chief Faculty Dr. Arash Momeni was recognized with the James Barrett Brown Award, presented by AAPS Vice President and outgoing Chief Dr. James Chang. The award is given for the best plastic surgery related paper published during the previous calendar year