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General Surgery | Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery
CHOOSE WELL: A Quarterly Newsletter from Heartland Spine & Specialty Hospital, Spring 2009
Plastic Surgeon Dr. Brad Storm Likes the challenge of a varied practice
The complex skills required for plastic surgery make it a creative and challenging field of medicine, according to Dr. Brad Storm of Premier Plastic Surgery in Olathe, Kansas. He focuses his practice on hand surgery and cosmetic procedures. Storm also does reconstructive microsurgery.
Plastic surgeons need to be artful in their cosmetic procedures, and often have to think outside the box. Storm explains that becoming a plastic surgeon begins with training as a general surgeon, plastic surgeon or orthopedic surgeon, followed by advanced training in plastic surgery.
Storm began with a medical degree from the Southern Illinois School of Medicine, followed by additional training in general surgery at the Medical College of Ohio in Toledo. He then did his plastic surgery residency at the Southern Illinois University School of Medicine in Springfield, Illinois.
He was attracted to the field by the challenge of the technical skills and creativity required to do reconstruction work. "You don't always know what you will need to do until you get in there," he says.
One of Storm's specialties is hand surgery, which can fix injuries, treat diseases of cumulative trauma such as carpal tunnel, tendon issues or arthritis, or finish repair after surgery for an injury. He and his partners also specialize in breast reconstruction, breast lifts, and augmentation.
Storm points out that plastic surgery is a rapidly changing field. One of the most exciting recent innovations has been the introduction of cohesive gel breast implants. These round silicone implants had been available in Europe but are not yet approved by the FDA in the U.S. Storm has been using them under a research protocol for several years and says once approved here, they will be a great improvement for any patient who needs an implant or needs to have one replaced.
"These cohesive gel implants are not a cure-all, but they are a big step forward," he says. "They are more stable, the gel is better than what was used in the past, and the shell has a more natural shape. And since they come in different configurations, they can be customized to any patient," Storm added.
Storm also says he likes doing surgery at Heartland, because it provides the best operating room and tools for surgeons in the Kansas City region. "Every surgeon likes control," Storm says. "At Heartland, the biggest goal was to set up a place where we can control quality and care of patients."