Module Creation Within the TOPS Registry: An Opportunity for Longitudinal Collection of Procedure-specific Clinical Outcomes

The Tracking Operations and Outcomes for Plastic Surgeons (TOPS) data registry, first launched in 2002 by the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS) in collaboration with the Plastic Surgery Foundation (PSF), was designed to avoid the perceived shortcomings of other national data registries as they pertain to interests of the plastic surgery community. Given the diversity of plastic surgery practice, the ASPS and PSF sought to ensure that the TOPS registry platform would support detailed collection of data useful to plastic surgeons practicing in all subspecialties. Therefore, a key design element of the TOPS registry is its ability to incorporate custom-made modules that allow for focused collection of topic/procedure-specific information. Although the TOPS database has collected information on more than 1.6 million plastic surgery procedures and outcomes since its inception more than 20 years ago, only a handful of custom modules have been created. This article outlines the senior author's experience collaborating with the ASPS and PSF to successfully develop and implement a custom module within the TOPS registry. This information serves to promote further awareness, usage, and creation of TOPS modules, as these modules enable assessment of complex clinical conditions by leveraging data collection efforts through the single largest national plastic surgery organization.