Plastic Surgeons Play Pivotal Role in War Injury Research

$85 Million in Federal Funds Awarded to Reconstruct Devastating Injuries;
Not all about Facelifts and Liposuction

ARLINGTON HEIGHTS, Ill., April 17 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Members of the
American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS) will play a pivotal role over the
next five years developing groundbreaking therapies to better treat U.S.
soldiers critically injured in Iraq and Afghanistan. The U.S. Department of
Defense (DoD) has awarded $85 million in grant funding to the Armed Forces
Institute of Regenerative Medicine (AFIRM), a multi-institutional network of
plastic surgeons and other physicians who specialize in tissue engineering and
regenerative medicine. An announcement made today at the Pentagon stated the
grant will be used for pioneering medical research and innovations to repair
battlefield injuries.

"Reconstructive plastic surgery is critical in treating wounded soldiers and
the types of injuries sustained on the battlefield," said Richard D'Amico, MD,
ASPS president. "Blast injuries from roadside bombs and high velocity guns
are common and affect almost every part of the body. Plastic surgeons are
uniquely qualified to perform reconstructive surgery on all areas of the
body."

The federally funded research will involve investigating surgical innovations
to improve wound healing and tissue repair through adult stem cell and other
technologies that will allow new bone, skin, nerves, tendons, muscles, and
blood vessels to form. Much of this research is related to the specialty of
plastic surgery. The five major areas of research include limb salvage,
reconstruction, regeneration, and transplantation; craniofacial
reconstruction; burn repair; scar reduction; and treatment for compartment
syndrome.

"This funding will serve as a vital step toward improving treatments for
devastating injuries to the lower and upper extremities as well as the face,"
said ASPS Member Surgeon and AFIRM physician Joseph Rosen, MD. "We are proud
to serve the troops and hope this research will help them to better heal both
physically and emotionally, provide a faster return to productive life, and
improve their quality of life after injury. The therapies developed will also
serve trauma and burn patients in the general public."

The AFIRM is managed and funding is provided by the U.S. Army Medical Research
and Material Command, with additional funding from the U.S. Navy, U.S. Air
Force, the National Institutes of Health, and the Veterans Administration.
The $85 million in grant money will be awarded over a period of five years
beginning in spring/summer of 2008.

Approximately 25 percent of the AFIRM's physician researchers are
board-certified plastic surgeons--many of whom are ASPS Member Surgeons.
Other specialties participating in the AFIRM include, but are not limited to,
general surgery, orthopedics, otolaryngology, and dermatology.

"War has inspired great advances in plastic surgery to correct the awful
injuries that are inflicted on its participants," said Dr. D'Amico. "In fact,
it was the 'War to End All Wars,' World War I, that challenged plastic
surgeons to achieve groundbreaking advances in wound repair and
reconstruction. With this latest conflict in Iraq and Afghanistan, plastic
surgery, once again, is integral to saving and restoring soldiers' lives."

According to the DoD, nearly 29,800 soldiers had been wounded in action in the
Iraq war as of April 15, 2008 and 1,927 wounded in Afghanistan operations as
of April 12, 2008.

Visit http://www.plasticsurgery.org for referrals to ASPS Member Surgeons and
to learn more about cosmetic and reconstructive plastic surgery.

The American Society of Plastic Surgeons is the largest organization of
board-certified plastic surgeons in the world. Representing more than 6,700
physician members, the Society is recognized as a leading authority and
information source on cosmetic and reconstructive plastic surgery. ASPS
comprises more than 90 percent of all board-certified plastic surgeons in the
United States. Founded in 1931, the Society represents physicians certified by
The American Board of Plastic Surgery or The Royal College of Physicians and
Surgeons of Canada.

SOURCE American Society of Plastic Surgeons

ASPS Public Relations, +1-847-228-9900, media@plasticsurgery.org