Editorial

Dear colleagues,

You have just received another issue of Acta Chirurgiae Plasticae. This issue is another proof of the fact that we have managed to stabilize our journal and, despite many turbulent years, we have (thanks also to your compliance) come back to publishing four issues a year. I am delighted that this issue contains 7 original research papers, covering a wide spectrum of issues spanning the fields of maxillo-facial surgery, plastic surgery and burn medicine. I firmly believe that you will find a wide range of topics to choose from and that you will find this issue as interesting as the previous ones.

Although the times have has not been easy recently and we, as medical professionals, have been confronted with a brand new and unprecedented situation, we have stood up to it. We have had to provide the same quality of care as well as to continue our research and scientific projects as well as teaching of undergraduate and postgraduate students in non-standard conditions. A number of wards were suddenly transformed into units caring for COVID-19 patients. Burn units have been worldwide used very frequently for these purposes, caring both for patients requiring intensive care and patients in standard wards. This was mainly due to the optimal spatial, instrumental and material equipment of these units and, most importantly, the high-grade staffing.

Come the summer, the pandemic situation has gradually begun to look optimistic. Face-to-face congresses were planned and successfully organized, bringing better satisfaction compared to online conferences as they offer the spice of such events – backstage discussions. We all wanted to believe that their organisation would not be affected by various forms of restrictions again and that we would gradually reach a social, scientific and medical state of mind similar to that before the pandemic. However, the last few weeks have once again observed another rising wave of the pandemic that is beginning to affect us in a way we know from a few months ago. We can only conclude that every crisis is also an opportunity for a new beginning, be it a personal or team reboot. I wish you all the best in this wave and believe that you will stand it with honour again, just as you have done in the previous waves.

Thank you for your ongoing support. Wishing you a peaceful time.

Assoc. Prof. Břetislav Lipový, MD, PhD, MBA