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Canvas for Creativityby Kimberlee Barbour Dermatologists treat skin disorders. Orthopedists work with bones. Plastic surgeons? The entire body is their canvas for creativity. That's what Dr. Samuel Stal, new chief of the division of plastic surgery in the Michael E. DeBakey department of surgery at Baylor College of Medicine, finds most thrilling about his specialty. Plastic surgeons must be imaginative and logical problem-solvers. "The psychological implications in plastic surgery are great. You have to be compassionate, learn to listen and be empathetic," said Stal.
One of Stal's patients required twelve surgeries, the first as an infant and the last as a young woman. She was born with a devastating cleft lip and palate birth defect. "The best thing about working with children and teenagers is watching them grow and mature. I really got a kick out her spunky spirit and beautiful smile and always was energized whenever I got to enter her life and help with one of her many surgeries," said Stal. He said his greatest thrill was doing the final touch-ups to her nose and lip and seeing her blossom into a confident young woman, one who is now accepted to a top-tier university with a plan to study medicine and become a plastic surgeon. "A happy patient who feels whole and is positive and grateful is what's special to me," said Stal. Plastic surgery developed in the United States during World War I and World War II because of a growing need to treat wounded soldiers, some with deformities never before seen. These complex cases required many specialists working together, such as surgeons, neurosurgeons, dentists and otolaryngologists. "The team approach on which our specialty was founded is the framework for the BCM Plastic Surgery Center," said Stal, who added that new cores will include a post-bariatric program, breast reconstruction and ethnic subspecialties, all involving the teamwork of several specialties. Dr. Stal, who as a founder of the Rhinoplasty Society, has an appointment at Texas Children's Hospital, where he is the medical director for the Center for Facial Surgery, and chief of the Plastic Surgery Service. He also has appointments in pediatrics, otolaryngology and physical medicine and rehabilitation. He specializes in rhinoplasty as well as pediatric plastic surgery, maxillofacial and craniofacial surgery. The unique procedures he performs are cleft lip/nose and palate procedures. He said research in the field is so important because there are virtually hundreds of ways to perform a surgery. Finding the right way, said Stal, is one of the most rewarding facets of plastic surgery. "One of the greatest aspects of academic medicine and being at Baylor is the fact that we are held accountable by our peers. We always question our work," Stal said. "We go over each case to see if we could have done something different or more innovative and to question why we got the result we did." Dr. Mimi Leong, assistant professor of surgery in the division of plastic surgery at BCM, was recently hired specifically to perform research in the specialty. Her research interests are on aging and wound healing. Dr. Bob Basu is also a new faculty member who has a master's of public health with an interest and experience in surgical outcomes. Both add a new focus to clinical and bench research for Plastic Surgery. One of Stal's main objectives as chief of the center is to evolve plastic surgery as much as he can by encouraging more research, laboratory and clinical outcome papers, taking the extra time to provide 3D imaging for patients and studying patient results. "Unlike general surgery or orthopedic surgery, so much of what we do is visible. Success or failure is defined very differently than in many other specialties," said Dr. Larry Hollier, associate professor of surgery in the division of plastic surgery at BCM. "It is a very subjective practice so it lends itself to a great deal of creativity and tailoring surgery to an individual's needs." |
Patient CareResearchTrekking Into New Territory: Translational Biology and Molecular Medicine Closing the Gap Between Lab and Clinic EducationTulane's Journey Back to New Orleans Community ServiceAlumni & DevelopmentCollege News
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Volume 2, Issue 2, Summer 2006 |
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