535 Sycamore Ave
Shrewsbury, NJ 07702
1.866.263.9123
- Nerve Surgery Reconstruction
- Facial Paralysis
- Stroke Treatment
- Leg Paralysis
- Diabetic Neuropathy
- Hand Reconstruction Surgery
- Spinal Cord Injuries
Practice News
Long Branch, New Jersey Boy Can Dream of Holding a Girlfriend’s Hand
December 30th, 2011
Reconstructive Plastic Surgeon Dr. Russell Ashinoff from The Institute for Advanced Reconstruction Performs Complex Hand Surgery
“I can tell the time of day by the sound of these commuter trains. They run like clock-work”, explains Susan Villafuerte, mother of seven. One year ago, her 15-year-old son Michael was on his way home from school, taking the short cut alongside those familiar railroad tracks. He glanced down at his watch; five minutes until the next train arrives. He turned to walk over the trestle bridge towards his house. But suddenly something made Michael turn around. He turned just in time to see the train bearing down on him. He instinctively dove out of the train’s path. The train came screeching to an emergency halt, with the wheel resting directly on top of Michael’s right hand.
“Something told me to go look for him. I still have the mental image of when I found him,” Susan recalls. “It’s a mother’s worst nightmare.” Michael was immediately medevaced to the Jersey Shore University Medical Center, where he was fortunate that Dr. Russell Ashinoff, Reconstructive Plastic Surgeon was on call that day.
When he arrived in the emergency room, Dr. Russell Ashnioff found that Michael had no blood flow to his hand and a very severe soft tissue injury. He was taken immediately to the operating room where Dr. Ashinoff used microsurgical techniques to restore blood flow and save his hand.
Over the course of his subsequent treatments, Michael required five additional surgeries to reconstruct the tendons, bones and nerves of his hand. He has made a remarkable recovery to date, but still had a ways to go. He is set to undergo a procedure to rebuild his tendons, joints and soft tissue on the back of his hand. His youth and motivation in therapy have made a tremendous difference in his successful recovery.
Michael’s mother still struggles with the memories from that day. One thing is certain, though, they have found the right surgeon in Dr. Ashinoff. “I’m very confident in his expertise, and his bedside manner is wonderful,” Susan says. Dr. Ashinoff tells Michael, “In the end, I hope to give you the ability to turn a key in a door, or to hold a girlfriend’s hand.”
New Jersey Reconstructive Plastic Surgeon Dr. Russell Ashinoff Featured on 1450 WCTC
December 29th, 2011
New Jersey Reconstructive Plastic Surgeon Dr. Russell Ashinoff from the Institute for Advanced Reconstruction was recently featured on AM 1450 WCTC, The Voice of New Jersey, for his miraculous reconstructive surgery on a 15-year-old boy who had his hand mangled by a commuter train. The podcast for Dr. Ashinoff’s interview is available here.
Hope for Phrenic Nerve Injuries
October 22nd, 2010
The NJ Plastic Surgeons at the Institute of Advanced Reconstruction in NJ are offering hope to patients suffering from prenic nerve injuries. Until recently, treatment for injuries to the phrenic nerve has been limited to nonsurgical therapy or diaphragm plication. Neither treatment can restore normal function to the paralyzed diaphragm.
Phrenic nerve injuries can occur from surgery in the neck and chest, such as: coronary bypass surgery (CABG), neck dissection for head and neck cancer, surgery of the lungs, heart valve surgery, surgery of the aorta, thymus gland surgery, carotid-subclavian bypass surgery, and surgery for thoracic outlet syndrome. These injuries can cause diaphragm paralysis, resulting in chronic shortness of breath, sleep disturbances, and lower energy levels.
The physicians at the Institute of Advanced Reconstruction have pioneered world-class treatment for phrenic nerve injury in order to reverse the diaphragm paralysis.
Phrenic Nerve Injuries
Nerve decompression and nerve transplants are very successful in the treatment of arm or leg paralysis, and can restore function to a previously paralyzed muscle or group of muscles. At the Institute for Advanced Reconstruction, in Shrewsbury, New Jersey, they have performed close to twenty phrenic nerve decompression surgeries and close to 20 phrenic nerve transplants for the treatment of phrenic nerve injuries, and have been successful at reversing diaphragm paralysis in the vast majority of those treated.
The institute has been so successful at successfully treating phrenic nerve injuries they now receive requests for treatment both nationally and internationally, and routinely have patients visiting from far away locations. Correspondence with patients following their phrenic nerve surgery has indicated just how grateful they are to have their life back.
Patients with phrenic nerve injuries are encouraged to call and speak to a staff member or physician at the Institute of Advanced Reconstruction in NJ to discuss the circumstances of their injury and determine if they may be a candidate.
To contact the Institute of Advanced Reconstruction, please call 1-866-263-9123.
Top 10 Problems Patients With Disabilities Do Not Need to Tolerate
May 6th, 2010
While many conditions associated with paralysis are typically considered untreatable, the Plastic Surgery Center, a New Jersey-based medical practice specializing in innovative nerve reconstruction, today announced several that can be mitigated or eliminated through rare nerve transplants or other surgeries.
“Many times paralyzed people are told that nothing can be done for their condition or related complications, and they must learn to live with immobility and pain,” explains Dr. Andrew Elkwood, a world-renowned plastic and reconstructive surgeon. “However, the Plastic Surgery Center utilizes nerve-related surgeries and other procedures that enable paralysis patients to live full, active lives.”
The Plastic Surgery Center’s top ten problems paralyzed patients do not need to tolerate:
1. Paralysis from a stroke. The Plastic Surgery Center has restored functionality of stroke patients through procedures including, “cross chest brachial plexus neurotization.”
2. Impaired breathing from spinal cord injuries. Phrenic nerve surgery may restore movement of the lungs and diaphragm impaired by spinal cord injuries. The Plastic Surgery Center’s Dr. Matthew Kaufman, who has performed phrenic nerve transplants, has seen signs of success in helping improve a patient’s breathing.
3. Life-altering pressure sores. Taking nerves from a patient’s paralyzed leg and grafting from the rib to the sciatic nerve, the Plastic Surgery Center team may relieve and prevent life-altering paraplegic pressure ulcers.
4. Lifetime reliance on feeding tubes to swallow. To restore sensation and movement needed to eat and swallow – often a side effect of stroke patients and acute paraplegia – the Plastic Surgery Center team transfers nerves from within the neck to the throat to stop reliance on feeding tubes for survival.
5. Neuropathy pain and risk of limb amputation. Dr. Michael Rose of The Plastic Surgery Center performs a minimally invasive surgical procedure known as triple nerve decompression, which can mitigate pain, restore sensation, and ultimately may reduce risk of amputation.
6. Arm paralysis as a result of injury or medical problems. The most minimally invasive long-term solution may be to transplant nerves from the patient’s ankle to the damaged nerves to restore the arm’s functionality.
7. Foot drop. Foot drop may be treated by transferring nerves from the leg to the peroneal nerve area – the nerve that communicates to the muscles to lift the foot.
8. Partial facial paralysis. Sensation and movement may be restored in patients suffering from partial facial paralysis by transplanting nerves from the functioning side of the face.
9. Lifelong rehabilitation as the only option for paraplegics. Surgical options coupled with rehabilitation may yield even greater results than rehabilitation alone.
10. Dependence on splint. To eliminate patients’ dependence on splints to function, the Plastic Surgery Center uses several different techniques to strengthen muscles and/or replace permanent use of a splint.
The medical team at the Plastic Surgery Center 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
Rare Phrenic Nerve Surgery Performed By NJ Medical Team Significantly Improves Patient’s Breathing
December 22nd, 2009
SHREWSBURY, N.J. – December 22, 2009 – The Plastic Surgery Center today announced that immediately following a rare phrenic nerve surgery to repair his paralyzed diaphragm, a 47-year-old man has reported significantly improved breathing and feels “15 years younger.” The surgery marked the second known case of successful phrenic nerve decompression, both of which were performed by a New Jersey medical team led by Dr. Matthew Kaufman of the Plastic Surgery Center in Shrewsbury, New Jersey.
In a complex procedure, Dr. Kaufman and his team performed a microsurgical decompression of the phrenic nerve in order to restore diaphragm function. Five years prior, the patient, Richard Thompson, Jr. from Atlanta, Georgia, inexplicably began suffering from a paralyzed diaphragm muscle. As a result, he experienced daily headaches from nighttime breathing difficulties and constant shortness of breath, limiting his ability to exercise, while also impacting his normal daily activities.
“We are extremely pleased with the successful outcome of this procedure, as it significantly improved Mr. Thompson’s quality of life,” said Dr. Kaufman. “Further, this procedure could have profound implications for helping a wide range of patients suffering from breathing problems caused by spinal cord injury, heart surgery, pulmonary disease, and possibly even cases where the cause of paralysis is not clearly defined.”
Dr. Kaufman is a part of the medical team at the Institute for Advanced Reconstruction 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 told there are no treatment options 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
- Nerve decompression for migraine headaches
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. Kaufman
Dr. Matthew Kaufman is a board certified Plastic Surgeon and a Fellow of the American College of Surgeons (FACS). He has the rather rare distinction of also achieving board certification in Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, which gives him the added expertise necessary to deal with complex cosmetic and reconstructive problems of the head, face and neck. Dr. Kaufman has special interests in reconstructive surgery for cranial nerve disorders, skin and head & neck cancer and vascular malformations. He practices at the Plastic Surgery Center in Shrewsbury, New Jersey, and is a Cancer Reconstruction and Microsurgery Consultant for the Head and Neck Oncology Group of Central New Jersey based at Saint Peter’s University Hospital in New Brunswick. Dr. Kaufman is on the advisory board for FM World Charities http://www.fmworldcharities.org, a not-for-profit organization devoted to promoting public health and improving the quality of life in underserved communities throughout the world.
