Reconstructive and
Hand Surgery

Most people think of cosmetic surgery when they hear the phrase "Plastic Surgery", but Plastic Surgery is so much more than improving appearances. A fully trained Plastic Surgeon such as Dr. Rechnic is experienced in General and Plastic Surgery, including reconstruction after injury, trauma or disease. This process takes 7 years of postgraduate training, among the longest of all residencies. Plastic surgeons treat problems which cover the entire body and which affect all ages, from newborns and on. The philosophy is that with thorough and broad-based surgical education, Plastic Surgeons can solve problems using a vast store of knowledge and experience in many different disciplines.

Many have asked how Hand Surgery is connected to Plastic Surgery. The relationship is historical as well as practical. Hand Surgery developed into its own subspecialty after the pioneering efforts of Sterling Bunnel MD, whose education and training were in General and Plastic Surgery. In the 1930's and 1940's, he recognized the need for a comprehensive approach to repairing complex regional injuries. The principles of Plastic Surgery explain that "form follows function". The rise in mechanization in the 20th century led to an upswing in hand injuries, and brought with it the need and the technical ability to manage them. In recent times, the trauma affecting hands has come to include "cumulative trauma" disorders, such as carpal tunnel syndrome, and others.

Few people realize that the first successful kidney transplant in the U.S.A. was conceived and performed by a Plastic Surgeon, Joseph Murray MD in the 1960's. He was later awarded the Nobel Prize for his contributions, which led more widely to other types of tissue transplantation, and the reattachment of limbs (which brings us back again to hand surgery). The applications of these new techniques apply to all aspects of reconstruction in use today, on the face, body, and limbs. It exemplifies the creative approach to complex problems that Plastic Surgery has traditionally represented.

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