I came to Fox Chase Cancer Center in 2007 after completing my fellowship in microsurgical reconstruction. Since deciding to enter the field of plastic surgery, I knew I wanted to specialize in reconstruction. I chose this specialty to improve quality of life for patients by helping to restore appearance and function after cancer treatment.

I was attracted to Fox Chase because of the access to resources in caring for surgical patients with cancer. In my practice, I see people who have been diagnosed with various cancers, including breast, head and neck, melanoma and non-melanoma skin cancer. Often, my patients may require speech therapy, support services and treatments, such as radiation therapy or chemotherapy, in addition to surgery. Fox Chase's multispecialty approach and status as a comprehensive cancer center gives these patients integrated care to meet all their needs.

My patients often have many questions. Their concerns range from choosing the best surgical option to pain management and recovery time. It is important to me to spend as much time as needed during my consultations with each person. From this first meeting through recovery, my goal is to provide the best care possible and to ensure my patients know and understand what to expect.

In addition to performing surgery, I study surgical outcomes of head and neck cancer patients to find new ways of maximizing function and improving appearance, including the use of advanced computer-aided, patient-specific surgical planning techniques. I also gather research data on breast reconstruction procedures to determine which options may be best for different types of patients.