In this Leveling Up episode of the PRS Global Open Deep Cuts Podcast, Dr. Tormod Westvik talked about his diverse journey through the world of plastic surgery—from navigating residency training programs in America, Norway, and Australia to balancing algorithmic decision-making with highly individualized patient care. He shares why returning to first principles is essential in every clinical encounter, how serving as Section Editor for Case Reports in PRS Global Open has reshaped his surgical thinking, and the leadership lessons he carries forward from his mentors. Dr. Westvik also offers a memorable glimpse into his life outside the OR—including the surprising tool he uses to slice pizzas.

Read a classic PRS Global Open article by Dr. Chuang and co-authors, "The Value of Case Reports in Plastic Surgery: An Analysis of 68,444 Articles across Six Major Plastic Surgery Journals": https://bit.ly/Value_of_PS_Case_Reports

Dr. Tormod Westvik is a board-certified plastic surgeon and an Associate Professor in the department of plastic surgery at Yale University in New Haven, Connecticut. He completed medical school at the University of Oslo in 2001, followed by general surgery residency at Yale New Haven Hospital, and a plastic surgery residency at Harvard University. He returned to Norway where he became the Chief of Plastic Surgery and Program Director of the plastic surgery training program at Telemark Hospital Health Trust. After 12 years practicing in Norway, he spent a year in Queensland, Australia, returning to Yale in April 2025. He is the past president of the Norwegian Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery, the past vice president of the Norwegian Association for Plastic Surgeons, the Norwegian representative to the ASPS Global Leadership Forum, the Section Editor for case reports at Plastic Reconstructive Surgery Global Open, and a member of multiple committees within ASPS. Dr. Westvik has a broad plastic surgery practice including breast reconstruction, hand surgery, body contouring and facial aesthetic surgery, and general reconstruction. He is also leading the storied melanoma program at Yale, founded in 1976 by Dr. Stephan Ariyan.

Your host, Dr. Puru Nagarkar, is a board-certified plastic and hand surgeon, and Associate Professor of Plastic Surgery at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas.

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In this "Giants in Plastic Surgery" episode of the PRS Global Open Deep Cuts Podcast, we sit down with Professor Venkat Ramakrishnan, a globally respected plastic and reconstructive surgeon with over four decades of experience.

Known for his pioneering work in microsurgical breast reconstruction, Prof. Ramakrishnan has performed more than 1,500 DIEP and TUG flap procedures and currently leads the Breast Reconstruction Service at the renowned St. Andrew's Centre for Plastic Surgery and Burns in Chelmsford, UK. His private practice spans Brentwood and Southend-on-Sea, and he continues to be a leading figure in aesthetic and reconstructive surgery, as well as a mentor through his fellowship program and professorship at Anglia Ruskin University.

In this conversation, Prof. Ramakrishnan shares the personal and professional journey that led him into plastic surgery, including his decision to train in Australia to build an independent career, rather than follow in the footsteps of his father, a prominent plastic surgeon in India. We explore his international training experience across India, Australia, and the United States, and how these shaped his unique surgical perspective and relentless focus on efficiency in the operating room. He also offers insight into managing work-life balance, a topic particularly resonant for younger surgeons navigating demanding careers.

We round out the discussion with Prof. Ramakrishnan's views on the role of AI in plastic surgery—where he sees both promise and limitations—and reflections on the moment he considers his proudest professional achievement. With warmth, honesty, and a wealth of experience, Prof. Ramakrishnan offers invaluable lessons for surgeons at every stage of their careers.

Read a classic PRS Global Open article by Dr. Ramakrishnan and co-authors, "The "Needle-splint" Technique: A Method of Accurate Apposition and Eversion during Microvascular Anastomosis": https://journals.lww.com/prsgo/fulltext/2020/01000/the__needle_splint__technique__a_method_of.29.aspx

Your host, Dr. Vimal Gokani, is a senior Specialty Registrar in plastic surgery in London, England. Your producer & editor, Charlene Kok, is a Year 4 Medical Student in Imperial College London, England, with a keen interest in Plastic Surgery.

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In this Leveling Up episode of the PRS Global Open Deep Cuts Podcast, recorded live at PSTM 2025 in New Orleans, Louisiana, Dr. David Chwei-Chin Chuang discussed his career in nerve surgery, the importance of accurate diagnosis in brachial plexus reconstruction, and how he goes about documenting his evaluations and his surgeries, how he treats patients with aberrant motor reinnervation and synkinesis in the face and upper extremity, his approach to counseling patients before these complex surgeries, how to prevent burnout, and the future of nerve surgery. Dr. Chuang was joined by his nerve fellow Dr. Jing Tay, who provided insights into his experience working with Dr. Chuang, and the differences in the training models he has experienced in Taiwan and England.

Read a classic PRS Global Open article by Dr. Chuang and co-authors, "Postparalysis Facial Synkinesis Clinical Classification and Surgical Strategies": https://journals.lww.com/prsgo/fulltext/2015/03000/postparalysis_facial_synkinesis__clinical.7.aspx

Dr. Chuang is a Professor of Surgery at Wan Fang Hospital in Taipei, Taiwan. He earned his medical degree from Kaohsiung Medical College in Taiwan and completed his internship and general surgery residency at the Veterans General Hospital in Taipei. He did a plastic surgery residency under Dr. Samuel Noordhoff at Chang Gung Memorial Hospital in Taipei, followed by extensive fellowship training with Dr. Terzis in Virginia, Dr. Narakas in Lausanne, Switzerland, Dr. Millesi in Vienna, Austria, and Dr. Kondo in Taiwan. He worked at Chang Gung Memorial Hospital in Taipei as a Professor of Surgery until 2024, and then joined the Wan Fang Hospital.

Dr. Jing Tay is a nerve reconstruction fellow working with Professor David Chuang at Wan Fang Hospital. He trained in plastic surgery in Oxford, England, and holds a PhD in Biomedical sciences and an executive MBA. He is the current Chair of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons International Residents Forum and serves as the UK's national trainee lead for the lymphedema special interest group.

Your host, Dr. Puru Nagarkar, is a board-certified plastic and hand surgeon, and Associate Professor of Plastic Surgery at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas.

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In this "Giants in Plastic Surgery" episode of the PRS Global Open Deep Cuts Podcast, we sit down with Dr. Steven Williams for an inspiring and candid conversation that goes beyond the surface of success. We dive into the moments that shaped his journey — from battling imposter syndrome to finding his calling in plastic surgery, and from his experiences at Yale University to building a technology company while still in residency. Dr. Williams reflects on the lessons learned along the way, the influences that guided him, what it means to lead as president of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS), and his vision for breaking barriers and expanding access to care in the communities he serves.

Dr. Williams is a board-certified plastic surgeon, founder of Tri Valley Plastic Surgery in Dublin, California, and the 2023-2024 president of the ASPS, the world's largest organization of board-certified plastic surgeons. He earned his undergraduate degree from Dartmouth College and went on to complete medical school and residency at Yale University, where he made history as the first African American to graduate from Yale's plastic surgery program. His career is marked by a dedication to excellence, education, and representation in medicine.

As the first African American president of ASPS, Dr. Williams has focused his leadership on technology, innovation, and diversity — ensuring that plastic surgery continues to advance while remaining inclusive and accessible. His story is one of perseverance and purpose, illustrating how leadership, vision, and compassion can shape not only a career but an entire specialty.

Your host, Dr. Vimal Gokani, is a senior Specialty Registrar in plastic surgery in London, England. Your producer & editor, Charlene Kok, is a Year 4 Medical Student in Imperial College London, England, with a keen interest in Plastic Surgery.

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In this "Giants in Plastic Surgery" episode of the PRS Global Open Deep Cuts Podcast, we sit down with Dr. Jesse Selber, a trailblazer in plastic surgery and a bold leader shaping the future of healthcare. With a career that spans cutting-edge clinical innovation, high-impact leadership, and groundbreaking surgical achievements, including the world's first robotic plastic surgery program and a historic multi-organ transplant. Dr. Selber offers a rare perspective at the intersection of medicine, technology, and strategy.

Currently serving as Interim Chief Medical Officer and Chief of Surgical Services at Corewell Health East, Dr. Selber shares his journey into plastic surgery, his thoughts on the evolving relationship between reconstructive and aesthetic work, and what it means to be an "intuitive surgeon."

We also dive deep into his leadership philosophy: the mentors who shaped him, how he adapts his leadership style across roles, and what it takes to unify teams behind ambitious goals. From robotics to AI, from building surgical programs to transforming entire health systems, Dr. Selber reflects on the innovations he's championed, and the legacy he hopes to leave behind.

Whether you're a surgeon, healthcare leader, or someone curious about the future of medicine, this conversation will leave you inspired and informed. Tune in for a powerful conversation with one of the most visionary minds in modern surgery.

Read a recent PRS Global Open article by Dr. Selber and co-authors, "An Updated Classification: Important Branching and Perforator Patterns in Robotic-assisted Deep Inferior Epigastric Artery Perforator Flaps": https://bit.ly/GOX_Robotic-DIEP_Selber

Your host, Dr. Vimal Gokani, is a senior Specialty Registrar in plastic surgery in London, England. Your producer & editor, Charlene Kok, is a Year 4 Medical Student in Imperial College London, England, with a keen interest in Plastic Surgery.

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In this "Giants in Plastic Surgery" episode of the PRS Global Open Deep Cuts Podcast, Dr. Hari Venkatramani, one of India's foremost plastic and reconstructive surgeons, uncovers the human story behind the scalpel. From growing up in various cities due to his father's career as an air marshal, to the formative lessons that shaped his resilience and adaptability, Dr. Venkatramani reflects on how early experiences have guided his professional journey. He opens up about what initially drew him to the intricate world of plastic surgery, the personal joys he finds in the operating room, and the fulfillment that comes from changing lives -- often in the most critical of moments.

We also explore the personal side of his story -- how he met his wife, how he balances intense professional demands with life outside the hospital, and what he believes is his most meaningful contribution to the specialty. It's an honest, engaging, and inspiring conversation that offers a rare glimpse into the mind and heart of a world-renowned surgeon. Whether you're in medicine, leadership, or simply looking for motivation, this episode is packed with insight and humanity.

Read a classic PRS Global Open case report by Dr. Venkatramani, "Reconstruction of a Monodactylous Hand with Microsurgical Free Foot-to-Hand Transfer in Split-Hand/Split-Foot Malformation with Tibial Aplasia": https://bit.ly/GOX20_Monodactylous_Hand

Dr. Hari Venkatramani, MBBS, MS, MCh, DNB, EDHS, is a Senior Consultant in Plastic and Trauma Reconstructive Surgery at the internationally acclaimed Ganga Hospital in Coimbatore. A pioneering figure in reconstructive microsurgery and nerve surgery, he currently serves as Vice-President of the Association of Plastic Surgeons of India (APSI), President-Elect of the Indian Society for Peripheral Nerve Surgery, and Secretary of both the Indian Society for Reconstructive Microsurgery and the Brachial Plexus Surgery Group of India.

His academic and clinical contributions span over 200 national and international presentations, numerous awards including the prestigious Dr. S. Raja Sabapathy Leadership Award and multiple best paper prizes, and visiting professorships at institutions like NYU and the Mayo Clinic. Dr. Venkatramani's areas of expertise include complex limb trauma, brachial plexus injuries, congenital hand reconstruction, and lymphedema surgery. His innovation in microsurgery, coupled with a deep commitment to teaching and research, has left a significant impact on the field -- not just in India, but globally.

Your host, Dr. Vimal Gokani, is a senior Specialty Registrar in plastic surgery in London, England. Your producer & editor, Charlene Kok, is a Year 3 Medical Student in Imperial College London, England, with a keen interest in Plastic Surgery.

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In this Leveling Up episode of the PRS Global Open Deep Cuts Podcast, Dr. Ash Patel shares how emotional intelligence transforms surgery—improving patient care, teamwork, and decision-making—plus his approach to impactful academic research, balancing personal and professional goals, the power of diversity to drive innovation, surgical techniques including pectoralis and gracilis muscle flaps, career-shaping mentors, and an unexpected claim to fame outside the world of plastic surgery.

Read a recent PRS Global Open article by Dr. Patel and colleagues, "Navigating the Ethical Landmines of ChatGPT: Implications of Intelligent Chatbots in Plastic Surgery Clinical Practice": https://bit.ly/ChatGPT_Ethics_In_PS

Dr. Ash Patel is a Professor in the division of Plastic Surgery at Duke University School of Medicine, and was previously the Chief and Residency Program Director of the Division of Plastic Surgery at Albany Medical College in New York. He completed medical school at the University of Dundee in Glasgow, followed by a general surgery residency at Tufts in Massachusetts, and a plastic surgery fellowship at Vanderbilt in Tennessee. He is a section editor for the journal "Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery." He is the chair of the ASPS Annual meeting in New Orleans in 2025.

Your host, Dr. Puru Nagarkar, is a board-certified plastic and hand surgeon, and Associate Professor of Plastic Surgery at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas.

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In this Leveling Up episode of the PRS Global Open Deep Cuts Podcast, Dr. Snyder-Warwick discussed her recent transition from Wash U to Michigan and how she has handled the switch, the philosophy of time, distance and severity when dealing with nerve injuries, the changes she has made over the years in her facial reanimation and peripheral nerve surgery practices, the relatively new field of corneal neurotization, the importance of personalizing the treatment of facial paralysis to each patient, the usefulness of buccal myomucosal flaps in cleft palate repair, how she involves residents in the management of cleft patients, and where the future of nerve repair and regeneration lies.

Read a classic PRS Global Open abstract by Dr. Snyder-Warwick and her colleagues, Buccal Myomucosal Flap Repair for Velopharyngeal Dysfunction": https://bit.ly/BuccalMyomucosalFlapAbstract

Dr. Alison Snyder-Warwick is a Professor and the Section Head for of Plastic Surgery at the University of Michigan Medical School in Ann Arbor, Michigan. She was previously an Associate professor and Residency Program director at the Washington University in St Louis. She completed medical school, a research fellowship, and a plastic surgery residency at Wash U, followed by a pediatric plastic surgery and pediatric microsurgery fellowship at the Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto, Canada. She has a practice focused on facial nerve reconstruction, peripheral nerve surgery, and pediatric cleft surgery. She is also a prolific researcher with a basic science lab. Dr. Snyder-Warwick is a senior oral examiner for the American board of Plastic Surgery, past chair of the Plastic Surgery Research Council, past Curriculum Committee chair for the American Council of Educators in Plastic Surgery, and Historian of the American Society for Peripheral Nerve.

Your host, Dr. Puru Nagarkar, is a board-certified plastic and hand surgeon, and Associate Professor of Plastic Surgery at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas.

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In this Leveling Up episode of the PRS Global Open Deep Cuts Podcast, Dr. Galen Perdikis discusses the growth that Vanderbilt's plastic surgery department and residency program have experienced over the last decade, the importance of specialized service lines to achieve the best patient care as well as resident education, the benefits of advanced practice providers in creating institutional memory, how he has built cross-departmental teams at Vanderbilt, what he means by "team-based capitalism" and how this approach has created a strong sense of teamwork in his faculty. He also discusses the pyramid approach to developing surgical skill and the need for active learning to climb that pyramid, the highly structured and formal approach to resident evaluation that Vanderbilt has instituted, his controversial thoughts on competency based residency certification, how to give good feedback, his thoughts on the use of meshes in breast reconstruction, how he has improved his efficiency in DIEP flaps, why he likes exoscopes for microsurgery cases, why dog ears are the bane of his existence, and what exactly a Scouser is.

Read a classic PRS Global Open article by Dr. Perdikis and his colleagues, "Acellular Dermal Matrix Performance Compared with Latissimus Dorsi Myocutaneous Flap in Expander-Based Breast Reconstruction": https://bit.ly/ADMvsLDMF_GOX

Dr. Galen Perdikis is a Professor and the G Patrick Maxwell Endowed Chair of the department of Plastic Surgery at Vanderbilt University Medical Center, and was previously the Professor and Chair of the Division of Plastic Surgery at the Mayo College of Medicine in Jacksonville Florida. He completed medical school at the University of Witwatersrand in Johannesburg, South Africa. He trained in both South Africa and England, he completed a general surgery residency and research fellowship at Creighton University Medical Center in Omaha Nebraska. He finished his training with a plastic surgery fellowship at Vanderbilt, where he has now returned for the last 8 years as Chair. He is a member of the Board of Directors of the American Board of Plastic Surgery, President-Elect of the Southeastern Society of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgeons, a member of the editorial board for the Aesthetic Surgery Journal, and a previous member of the Board of Governors for ASPS PlastyPAC. He is a visiting professor for ASPS this year.

Your host, Dr. Puru Nagarkar, is a board-certified plastic and hand surgeon, and Associate Professor of Plastic Surgery at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas.

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In this Leveling Up episode of the PRS Global Open Deep Cuts Podcast, Dr. James Chang discusses his path into hand surgery, his approach to various common hand conditions, his version of awake hand surgery, how he helps his residents develop confidence and competence, the importance of building rapport with patients, the change in his career path over time, his involvement in global health, and the influences of his mentors.

Read a classic PRS Global Open article by Dr. Chang and his colleagues, "Modeling the Lifetime Impact of Reconstructive Plastic Surgery Training: Implications for Building Capacity in Global Surgery": https://bit.ly/BldgGlobalCapacity_GOX

Dr. James Chang is the Chief of the Division of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery at Stanford University. He graduated from Yale medical school, and then completed a residency in plastic surgery at Stanford, followed by a hand fellowship at UCLA in Los Angeles. He is the past editor in chief of the yearbook of hand surgery, and an associate editor at multiple journals, including Hand, Microsurgery, the Journal of Hand Surgery, and the Annals of Plastic Surgery. He was the Royal College of Surgeons Foundation traveling fellow, and the 2006 Sterling Bunnell traveling fellow. He has been deeply involved at the American Society for Surgery of the hand, taking on the roles of research director, treasurer, and president. He has also been the vice chair of the Plastic surgery residency review committee, and the secretary and treasurer of the American Board of Plastic Surgery. He is also the CMO for Resurge International.

Your host, Dr. Puru Nagarkar, is a board-certified plastic and hand surgeon, and Associate Professor of Plastic Surgery at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas.

The views expressed by hosts and guests are their own and do not necessarily reflect the official policies or positions of ASPS.

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