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t m c » p u l s e | m a r c h 2 0 1 5 11 For the pediatric population, my practice is primarily focused on outer ear surgery. I build ears for children that are born without them—a disorder called Microtia. and travel to remote parts of the world rarely seen by most, but I can bring my gift of service to underserved global regions, and provide help to people who otherwise would go without. The value that I place on community service, whether local or global, can certainly be traced back to my early cultural experiences in Canada, and later developed and continued in the United States and globally. Q | What led you to a career in medicine? A | Having grown up in a small town, with a rich sense of community values and service, I developed a heart for helping others in my small community through volunteer service initially, and later met mentors in the medical field who shared my intellectual curiosity and desire to seek solutions to complex scientific problems. Together those experiences led me to pursue under- graduate in the sciences, and then a medical school career. Q | Where did you study and train? A | I attended medical school on an academic scholarship at Wayne State University in Michigan. I completed my a residency training in otolaryngology/ head and neck surgery at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota. Upon com- pletion of my residency, I stayed on as a clinician-investigator at Mayo Clinic Rochester, and then pursued my fellow- ship in facial plastic and reconstructive surgery at the University of Minnesota. Q | What brought you to Houston? A | I was recruited by Bobby R. Alford in 2003 to develop the facial plastic and reconstructive surgery program within the department of head and neck surgery. There really wasn't a program here at the time, and so coming here presented an opportunity to create something unique. Looking back just 10 or 12 years ago, we are a section that has a true identity in the Texas Medical Center; we have grown to have pres- ence throughout the medical center— Texas Children's, Ben Taub, Michael E. DeBakey VA, St. Luke's and The Houston Methodist Hospital. Q | Can you tell us about the patients that you see and treat? A | I have a unique and diverse prac- tice that is limited to facial surgery. The beauty of my practice is that I treat patients of all ages. For the pediatric population, my practice is primarily focused on outer ear surgery. I build ears for children that are born with- out them—a disorder called Microtia. For my adult practice, it's a blend of cosmetic and reconstructive surgeries. On the cosmetic side, it can vary from office based procedures such as Botox or injectable fillers to patients that have a desire to enhance their appearance with procedures such as brow lifts, rhinoplasties or face-lift. On the recon- structive side, I care for patients that may need surgery following trauma or the removal of cancerous tumor. An aspect of my practice that I enjoy is caring for patients with facial paralysis. Being able to restore some- one's ability to close their eye or create a smile can be life changing and is a unique experience. I have the best practice in the world. It varies from trauma and cosmetic, from pediatric and geriatric. Q | Can you speak a bit more to what patients with Microtia are struggling with, and what you hope to help them overcome? A | Microtia can vary anywhere from a child that is born with a normal-look- ing ear but very small, to a child that is born without an ear at all, and without an ear canal. The incidence of microtia is about one in a 10,000 live births. The cultures that are most often involved are Asians, Hispanics and Caucasians. The problem for patients with microtia is an issue of form and func- tion. In relation to form, there are body image and sense-of-self issues that develop as a result of an abnormal ear. The function issues relate to their abil- ity to hear, in addition to their ability to acquire speech and language. We begin seeing these patients as early as possible and identify modal- ities that can address their hearing issues. Reconstructive surgery to create the new ear typically occurs around the age of nine or 10. Depending upon the type of procedure I perform, a new ear can be created in two or four stages. Typically I spread these out over a three to six month time frame, so the total duration from beginning to end is about one year. There are a variety of ways to reconstruct an ear. The technique that I typically use for children begins with harvesting several of their ribs. Once the rib has been harvested over the course of several hours, it is carved and transformed into the shape of an ear.