“In all of medicine and surgery, pediatrics is unique.” – Joseph Losee, MD
Both of my parents are missionaries. They live in Africa, and growing up I was involved in pre-hospital emergency medicine services. That got me interested in working in emergency medicine, and I went to medical school with the intention of being a trauma surgeon. During the second year of medical school I made a connection with a craniofacial surgeon, and I knew then that’s what I wanted to do. I’ve always enjoyed taking care of kids, so it worked out very well to evolve into a pediatric plastic surgeon.
In all of medicine and surgery, pediatrics is unique. Kids are not just small adults, and it’s that way in every field. Pediatric plastic surgery is truly a subspecialty of its own. We do the same operations and the same procedures but they’re all different because they’re applied to children, and they’re all unique and they’re all different. So, it is a true specialty of our field and for those that like taking care of kids, it’s very exciting. It’s a different set of problems: you always have parents to interact with; kids react differently to the procedures that you do. Some are easier, some are harder. So it’s a wonderful field.
I became involved in Plastic Surgery because of my interest and some of the work that I’ve done in promoting pediatric plastic surgery as a subspecialty. It’s been wonderful working with the experts in the world on our various subjects and topics and pulling them all together to put out a product that really is a showcase of our subspecialty.
Our volume is unique because it’s one textbook with two complementary volumes in it. Many people that do pediatric plastic surgery also do adult craniofacial surgery, and so that one volume really is a perfectly packaged product for craniofacial surgeons, who often treat both pediatrics and adults.
Joseph E. Losee, MD, FACS, FAAP is a Professor of Surgery and Pediatric in the Division of Plastic Surgery at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center. He has been the Program Director for the Residency Training Program in Plastic Surgery for nearly a decade. He is the Chief of the Division of Pediatric Plastic Surgery at Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh of UPMC, where he is also the Director of the interdisciplinary Pittsburgh Cleft-Craniofacial Center. As well, he is the Program Director for the Pediatric Plastic and Craniofacial Surgery Fellowship and the Director of the Reconstructive Transplantation Program.
In recent years, Dr. Losee assembled a team and received University of Pittsburgh IRB approval for Face Transplantation. As well, he has become the PI of the Hand Transplantation Program at UPMC and Director of the Reconstructive Transplantation Program
In 2012, Dr. Losee was elected as Director of The American Board of Plastic Surgery, as well as several other national societies in Academic Plastic Surgery. He is an editor of Plastic Surgery, 3rd Edition: Volume 3, Craniofacial, Head and Neck Surgery and Pediatric Plastic Surgery. His basic science research is focused on bone and suture regulation, as well as skull defects in infants.
Related Authors: Peter C. Neligan, MB,FRCS(I), FRCSC, FACS; Geoffrey Gurtner, MD FACS; Richard Warren, MD; Eduardo D. Rodriguez, MD, DDS; David H. Song MD, MBA, FACS; James C. Grotting, MD; James Chang, MD, FACS; Allen L. Van Beek, MD, FACS
