Department of Plastic Surgery

March 5, 2026

Multidisciplinary clinic improves care for cleft lip/palate patients

A patient care coordinator now works to ensure that families receive a comprehensive care plan rather than needing to coordinate multiple disparate parts of their child’s treatment on their own.

By Evan Dorian
Anna Means, PhD, R. Daniel Beauchamp, MD, and colleagues are studying a group of proteins that are essential to the growth of colorectal cancer tumors.
December 8, 2025

Vanderbilt research community mourns loss of longtime colleague Anna Means

In addition to her research, Dr. Means mentored dozens of undergraduate, graduate and postdoctoral students, research staff and faculty.

By Bill Snyder
Galen Perdikis, MD, left, and G. Patrick Maxwell, MD.
June 3, 2024

Dedication to advancing breast reconstruction surgery for patients links Perdikis, Maxwell

Perdikis now holds the recently established G. Patrick Maxwell, M.D. Chair of the Department of Plastic Surgery at Vanderbilt University Medical Center.

By Lucie Alig
February 7, 2024

Teamwork key to treating boy’s severe head injuries following golf cart accident

Collaboration between teams at Vanderbilt was critical in saving a 2-year-old boy who suffered severe and complex injuries to his head after it was accidantly struck by a golf cart.

By Nancy Humphrey
Patient Mathias Uribe with his parents, Mathias Uribe and Catalina Gutierrez, and his younger brother, Nicholas.
November 21, 2023

Young patient’s recovery from infection, multiple amputations, moves to next phase

After 143 days in the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit at Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt, Mathias Uribe was discharged to begin the next phase of his recovery following a lengthy infection that led to a rare sequence of health issues.

By Jessica Pasley
Justin Stehr, OTR, CHT, an occupational therapist with the Department of Plastic Surgery’s Division of Hand and Upper Extremity, works with Dawn Reed on neuromuscular re-education of her wrist extensors and grip strength. (photo Susan Urmy)
September 15, 2023

A year of teamwork restores patient’s arm after devastating accident

Hundreds of Vanderbilt Emergency Medicine, Trauma, Orthopaedic Surgery, Plastic Surgery and Occupational Therapy clinicians have played a role in saving and restoring the function of patient Dawn Reed’s right arm and hand after a utility terrain vehicle accident.

By Jill Clendening
June 28, 2022

After an explosion almost cost her son his hand, one mother has a warning about the danger of fireworks: “They are explosives. They are dangerous.”

"No one ever expects something to happen to your own child."
By Jessica Pasley
June 28, 2022

Family’s experience provides an example of the harm fireworks can cause

Vanderbilt doctors say fireworks injuries can require prolonged hospital stays and multiple surgeries and can result in amputation, stiffness and long-term impairment.
By Jessica Pasley
April 21, 2022

Youthful healing for burn wounds

Topical treatment of burns with an immunosuppressive drug counteracted the negative effects of aging on wound healing, Vanderbilt researchers have discovered.
By Sarah E. Glass
February 9, 2021

Imaging guidance for nerve repair

A noninvasive, quantitative MRI method could be used after surgical repair of traumatic peripheral nerve injury to help clinicians make decisions about whether additional surgical interventions are needed.
By Leigh MacMillan
September 17, 2020

Nerve repair treatment leads to new career goals for patient

When Blair Wheeler banged her elbow on the court floor as she dived for a ball during a high school volleyball game, she had no idea that split second would completely change her life.
By Jill Clendening
July 23, 2020

Program helps children with hand, upper extremity issues

Brinkley Sandvall, MD, bonds quickly with her young patients — children who have acquired or congenital hand and upper extremity differences.
By Nancy Humphrey
March 19, 2020

Minimally invasive carpal tunnel surgery offers quicker healing

Tommy Rainey suspects problems with his hands began as a result of countless hours at the keyboard during his long career as a publisher and writer, and when tingling and numbness in his left hand continued to worsen, he knew he had to get help.
By Jill Clendening