Practice News

For Immediate Release

NJ SURGEON PERFORMS COMPLEX FACIAL RECONSTRUCTION ON PALESTINIAN BOY INJURED IN BOMB EXPLOSION

Palestine Children’s Relief Fund Brings Child to U.S. Surgeon to Provide Advanced Surgical Procedure Required for Patient

SHREWSBURY, NJ – May 30, 2008 – The Plastic Surgery Center today announced that Dr. Andrew Elkwood was selected by The Palestine Children’s Relief Fund to perform complex facial reconstruction on a Palestinian boy injured in a bomb explosion.

The procedure, which took place earlier today at Monmouth Medical Center, was performed to rebuild 17-year old Baha Sleem’s face damaged by a bomb four years ago in the Old City of Nablus. After losing his eye and much of the orbit surrounding the eye, a medical team led by Dr. Elkwood utilized advanced technology to take Baha’s ribs and use them to rebuild his face.

The patient had already received multiple procedures in the Middle East, but required reconstructive surgery to rebuild his facial structure and eye orbit to hold a prosthetic eye.  In order for him to receive the specialized surgery needed, The Palestine Children’s Relief Fund brought him to the U.S. to have this complex procedure performed by Dr. Andrew Elkwood.

Dr. Elkwood is part of the medical team at the Plastic Surgery Center, which is comprised of a group of surgeons who are highly skilled in nerve transplantation and advanced reconstruction. They perform a number of unique operations to help patients suffering from life-altering medical conditions who are often unaware that a treatment is available. Some of these conditions that the Plastic Surgery Center treats include:

• Paralysis resulting from accidents and strokes
• Diabetic Neuropathy
• Paralyzed diaphragm/ventilator-based breathing
• Facial Reanimation

The Palestine Children’s Relief Fund (PCRF) was created over ten years ago as a nonpolitical, nonprofit humanitarian organization to help arrange free medical care abroad for injured and sick Palestinian children during the first uprising. Since then, it has provided hundreds of children with free medical care not available to them in the Middle East. The PCRF is continually bringing needy children to the United States, Europe, and other parts of the Middle East to provide them with the specialized and lifesaving surgeries that they desperately need.

About The Plastic Surgery Center

Located in Shrewsbury, New Jersey, The Plastic Surgery Center’s team of doctors has more than 50 years of combined experience performing facial, skin, and body cosmetic surgery. They offer cutting edge cosmetic and reconstructive procedures and have developed a number of innovative surgical techniques offered at few other facilities in the world. The Plastic Surgery Center doctors are committed to excellence providing exceptional, personalized care in a friendly, comfortable setting using the most advanced equipment available. For further information, please visit the Plastic Surgery Center’s website at www.looknatural.com.

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