Plastic Surgery

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Residency Program

Rotations Overview

Tampa General Hospital Rotation

The USF Health plastic surgery service at TGH includes an intern, PGY-2, PGY-4 and PGY-6 resident. The rotation is primarily focused on acute burn care and reconstruction, craniomaxillofacial trauma, complex acquired reconstruction, post bariatric body contouring, and cutaneous oncology. The PGY-2 resident is responsible for the burn service including perioperative management and surgical reconstruction, with assistance by the senior level residents as needed. Overall, this has been a very positive experience for the PGY-2 resident as they continue to gain additional independence and confidence in making clinical and operative decisions. Elective outpatient procedures, including cosmetic surgery, are performed at the TGH outpatient center and the USF Carol and Frank Morsani Center for Advanced Healthcare. Clinics are held at the USF Health South Tampa Center, TGH Burn Clinic and TGH 30th Street Clinics. 

The PGY-6 on the TGH service also coordinates the USF resident cosmetic clinic. Here, the chief resident staffs a weekly aesthetic clinic with Dr. David Smith. The resident is responsible for the entire consultation including preoperative evaluation and operative plan. All nonsurgical aesthetic products are available for patients including botulinum toxin, soft tissue fillers, laser phototherapy, dermabrasion and skin care products. Operative cases are performed by the resident with assistance from the attending. The resident is responsible for all postoperative care. The resident cosmetic clinic offers an excellent exposure to cosmetic surgery while still being under the supervision of the faculty.

Curricula

Moffitt Cancer Center & Research Institute

The USF Health plastic surgery service at Moffitt includes an intern, PGY-2, PGY-4 and PGY-6 resident. The residents participate in breast reconstruction, cutaneous oncology, and complex reconstruction of extremity, genitourinary, abdominal and head and neck defects. Microsurgical reconstruction with free tissue transfer, including perforator breast reconstruction, is a large component of the experience at Moffitt with residents performing a large proportion of the cases. The residents also gain excellent experience with care of melanoma The Multidisciplinary care is coordinated with the Breast, GYN-Oncology, Urology, Ortho-sarcoma, Surgical Oncology and Otolaryngology teams. A weekly cutaneous oncology tumor board conference is attended by all the residents. 

Curricula

Bay Pines VA

The Bay Pines plastic surgery service includes a PGY-4 and a PGY-6. The service is primarily focused on cutaneous oncology, complex wound management, breast surgery, and reconstructive plastic surgery. The plastic surgery service also runs the hand service including management of acquired, traumatic, degenerative and peripheral nerve pathology of the hand and upper extremity. The PGY-4 also works with the otolaryngology staff gaining additional experience in head and neck oncology, sinus surgery, craniomaxillofacial trauma and upper airway management including septorhinopasty. 

Bay Pines is also the primary teaching location for the PGY-1’s including plastic and core surgical rotations for 8 of the first 12 months of training. Thus, some plastic surgery interns prefer to live closer to Bay Pines to limit the time commuting to the hospital. 

Curricula

James A. Haley VA

A PGY-3 runs the plastic surgery service at the Haley VA. This is an excellent opportunity for a junior level resident to run a full operative service. The rotation includes cutaneous oncology, reconstructive plastic surgery, post bariatric body contouring and breast surgery. The large spinal cord unit presents numerous patients needing pressure ulcer management including flap reconstruction. Additionally, a strong relationship with the ophthalmology service offers an extensive experience in blepharoplasty and brow lift (including endoscopic techniques) for visual field obstruction. 

Curricula

Private Teaching Service

This service offers a PGY-5 and a PGY-3 resident the opportunity to work with several private plastic surgeons in the Tampa Bay area. Our volunteer faculty generously open their offices to the residents to learn more about the benefits and challenges of private practice. The residents attend clinics, participate in both cosmetic and reconstructive consultations and operate with the attendings at several surgical centers throughout Tampa. For the PGY-3, this is often the first exposure to cosmetic surgery creating a foundation for additional experience as a senior resident. The residents should expect to see a diverse number of cases including breast augmentation, mastopexy, body contouring, and facial aesthetic surgery (facelift, brow lift, blepharoplasty and rhinoplasty). Other nonsurgical techniques including injectables, microdermabrasion, and laser phototherapy are introduced. Additionally, the private service covers complex hand and reconstructive surgery (including free tissue transfer) at TGH with Dr. Halpern and Dr. Perez. 

Curricula

Hand Surgery Service

The hand surgery service offers a PGY-3 and PGY-5 resident a large volume of experience in both adult and pediatric hand pathology. The faculty includes three orthopedic trained hand surgeons from the Florida Orthopaedic Institute (FOI), a private orthopedic surgery practice dedicated to surgery, education and research. A USF orthopedic surgery resident and two FOI hand surgery fellows join the plastic surgery residents on the service. Despite the number of residents and fellows, the plastic surgery residents are a vital aspect to the team and are rarely “double scrubbing” with another resident. The service is very busy and involves surgical treatment of congenital, traumatic and degenerative conditions of the entire upper extremity. Microsurgery including replantation, revascularization and free tissue transfer is performed regularly. Elective adult cases and trauma cases are performed at Tampa General Hospital. Pediatric congenital cases are performed at the Tampa Shriner’s Hospital. Numerous research opportunities are available to residents interested in hand and upper extremity surgery through FORE (Foundation for Orthopedic Research and Education). 

Curricula

All Children’s Hospital Pediatric Plastic Surgery

The PGY-5 residents rotate at All Children’s Hospital (ACH) in St. Petersburg, working with Dr. Ernesto Ruas, a fellowship trained pediatric plastic surgeon. At ACH, residents participate in the surgical treatment of cleft lip and palate, craniosynostosis, hemifacial microsomia, pediatric facial trauma, maxillary and mandibular hypoplasia and congential hand. Residents contribute to all inpatient and outpatient consultations including all presurgical planning with cephalometrics and 3-D model analysis. The resident also attends a multidisciplinary craniofacial conference is conducted monthly through the Children’s Medical Service. 

Curricula