Each Day, Plastic Surgeons Are Reconstructing Lives: Restoring Function, Improving Appearances, and Elevating Self-Esteem

ARLINGTON HEIGHTS, Ill., May 19 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Plastic surgeons performed more than five million reconstructive procedures in 2007 -- ranging from repairing dog bite wounds and birth defects to removing tumors and reconstructing breasts following mastectomy.

(Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20080519/DC22812 )

Who are these people? What happened to them? How has reconstructive surgery changed their lives?

On average, members of The American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS) perform more than 13,600 reconstructive procedures daily, and are bringing some of these amazing and inspirational stories to light through a new educational initiative called Reconstructing Lives.

Some of the current stories include:

• Elaine Ferri, a 51-year-old horse trainer from Arkansas who was kicked in the face by a filly, lost her left eye and endured more than 100 bones in her face being shattered. Her plastic surgeon, Steven Chidyllo, MD in concert with the Jersey Shore University Medical Center, is providing her care on a pro bono basis.
• Daniel Bocca, a nine-year-old little leaguer from Long Island who was found to have a tumor on his jaw while undergoing a routine dental x-ray. His surgeon, Joseph Disa, MD, was able to graft bone from Daniel's leg to his jaw, allowing him to return to his two great loves -- playing baseball and rooting for the Mets.
• Marie Gebrewold, a 27-year-old nursing student in Washington, D.C. whose broken jaw (a result of falling out of bed at six-months old) went untreated for more than a quarter century. The misaligned jaw will finally be corrected by Stephen Baker, MD, and with renewed self-confidence, Marie hopes to move into the public side of nursing.

ASPS is pleased to serve as your resource for inspirational reconstructive plastic surgery stories, and can make these and other patients available for interview, supply before-and-after photographs, and provide statistical data on reconstructive plastic surgery.

The American Society of Plastic Surgeons is the largest organization of board-certified plastic surgeons in the world. With more than 6,700 members, the Society is recognized as a leading authority and information source on cosmetic and reconstructive plastic surgery. ASPS comprises 90 percent of all board-certified plastic surgeons in the United States. Founded in 1931, the Society represents physicians certified by The American Board of Plastic Surgery or The Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada.