Practice News

For Immediate Release

TWO-TIME CANCER SURVIVOR UNDERGOES

LIFE-CHANGING SURGERY TO REBUILD LOWER LIP AND THUMBS

48-Year Old Beat Hodgkin’s Disease as Child; Mouth Cancer as Adult, and

Lost Lower Lip, Legs and Arms within Hours of Contracting Acute Infection

NJ Father Prepared in Hyperbaric Tank for Complex Reconstructive Surgery by NJ Medical Team

SHREWSBURY, NJ – November 25, 2008 – The Plastic Surgery Center today announced that Dr. Andrew Elkwood, M.D., a world renowned plastic and reconstructive surgeon, along with a NJ medical team rebuilt a 48-year old man’s lower lip to restore normal speech capabilities. The team also reconstructed the patient’s thumbs using remnants of bone and skin from his chest and groin areas.

Before and after the procedure, which took place at Jersey Shore University Medical Center in Neptune, the patient was placed in a hyperbaric chamber to prevent the risk of post-surgery limb loss, common among those who have undergone radiation treatment.

As a young child, the patient contracted Hodgkin’s disease and had his spleen removed. He was then treated for mouth cancer as an adult. Last year, the former weightlifter lost his legs, arms, and lower lip within 24-hours after developing Overwhelming Post-Splenectomy Septic Syndrome (“OPSS”), an acute infection and side effect of spleen removal. Dr. Elkwood and his team were able to rebuild the patient’s arms and hands by using excess chest and belly tissue.

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

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.

About Dr. Andrew Elkwood

Dr. Elkwood of the Plastic Surgery Center in Shrewsbury specializes in unique operations involving nerve transplantation and complex reconstruction. Dr. Elkwood is a pioneer in sural nerve grafting procedures, where he transfers nerves from one part of a patient’s body to another to treat life-altering injuries. Dr. Elkwood serves as the Chief of the Division of Plastic Surgery at Monmouth Medical Center in Long Branch, New Jersey.  He is certified by the American Board of Surgery and the American Board of Plastic Surgery in both General Surgery and Plastic Surgery; and a Fellow of the American College of Surgery (FACS) and the American Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery.

For Immediate Release

NEW JERSEY MEDICAL TEAM RELIEVES PARAPLEGIC PRESSURE ULCERS

BY RARE NERVE TRANSFER PROCEDURE

65-Year Old Gunshot Victim Received Complex Procedure to Avoid

Life-Threatening Ulcers

SHREWSBURY, NJ – November 13, 2008 – In what is believed to be the first time in the United States, a nerve transfer was performed on a paraplegic to relieve life-threatening pressure ulcers – a common side effect associated with wheelchair-bound patients. The surgery took place on November 11, 2008, at Monmouth County Medical Center, and was performed by a team of medical professionals led by Dr. Andrew Elkwood, M.D. of the Plastic Surgery Center in Shrewsbury, NJ.

Yesterday’s surgery was performed on a 65-year old Monmouth County man, who was left paraplegic after being caught in a gunshot crossfire several years ago.  As part of the procedure, Dr. Elkwood and his team surgically removed nerves from the patient’s paralyzed legs to his chest and successfully relieved the acute pain caused by the pressure ulcers. Ultimately, the surgery is intended to stimulate sensation in the patient’s posterior.

Dr. Elkwood commented, “Our goal was to first fix the immediate problem, the pressure sores, and then attempt to fix the cause. We are extremely pleased with the initial results of the procedure and are therefore encouraged by the long-term potential for the surgery. Specifically, if this proves successful, it can be life-altering for tens of thousands of wheelchair-bound patients whose lives are subjugated by acute pressure ulcers and soars.”

Images available upon request.

About Dr. Elkwood

Dr. Andrew Elkwood, M.D., is a plastic and reconstructive surgeon who practices at The Plastic Surgery Center in Shrewsbury, NJ. He performs unique operations involving nerve transplantation and complex reconstruction. Dr. Elkwood is a pioneer in sural nerve grafting procedures, where he transfers nerves from one part of a patient’s body to another to treat life-altering injuries. He also uses this procedure to eliminate common side effects caused by prostate cancer removal, such as impotence and incontinence. Dr. Elkwood serves as the Chief of the Division of Plastic Surgery at Monmouth Medical Center in Long Branch, NJ, and is certified by the American Board of Surgery and the American Board of Plastic Surgery in General Surgery and Plastic Surgery. He is also a Fellow of the American College of Surgery (FACS) and a Fellow of the American Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery.  For further information, please visit the Plastic Surgery Center’s website at www.looknatural.com.

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