PRS Global Open Deep Cuts

In this Leveling Up episode of the PRS Global Open Deep Cuts Podcast, Dr. Jeffrey Janis—Editor-in-Chief of PRS Global Open—talked about his highly individualized approach to teaching residents, whether it is actually possible to motivate people, the Yerkes Dodson curve, what degree of preparation and dedication he demands of his residents and of himself, how to manage patients in the outpatient clinic setting, what drives him to remain involved in research and academia, and the lessons to be learned from his cigar collection. 
Read a classic PRS Global Open article by Dr. Janis and Dr. Paige Hackenberger, "Demonstrating Excellence in Plastic Surgery Residency": https://bit.ly/Excellence_PS_Residency 
Dr. Jeffrey Janis is a Professor in the Department of Plastic Surgery at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, the Chief of Plastic Surgery at University Hospital, and the Co-Director of the Center for Abdominal Core Health. He holds adjunct appointments as a Professor of Neurosurgery, Neurology, and Surgery. He completed his undergraduate degree at the Washington University in St Louis, followed by medical school at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, and an integrated plastic surgery residency at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas, Texas. He stayed on as faculty at UT southwestern, eventually becoming program director of the residency program, before departing for the Ohio State University in 2013. Dr. Janis is the Editor in Chief of PRS Global Open, where this podcast is published. He currently serves on the Board of Governors for the American College of Surgeons, and is the former president of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons, the American Council of Educators in Plastic Surgery, the Migraine Surgery Society, and the American Hernia Society; an the former chair of the board of trustees for ASPS. He has authored hundreds of peer-reviewed articles and book chapters, as well as several books, including the Essentials of Plastic Surgery, a book used by residents, fellows and surgeons on a daily basis. His current surgical practice focuses on abdominal wall reconstruction, migraine surgery, and breast surgery.
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 speak with Professor Sydney Ch'ng, Professor of Surgery at the University of Sydney and one of the few surgeons fully trained in both head and neck surgery and plastic and reconstructive surgery.
Dr Ch'ng reflects on her journey from arriving in Australia as a Malaysian Chinese woman to building a distinguished surgical career across Australia, New Zealand, Asia, and the United States. She shares what it felt like adapting to a new country, how her perspective on fitting in and standing out evolved, and the mentors who shaped her path.
We discuss her route through medical school, surgical training, research, fellowships, and her transition into consultant practice, including her experience at Chang Gung Memorial Hospital in Taiwan and MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston. Dr Ch'ng also offers insight into the challenges and rewards of combining cancer resection, reconstruction, and aesthetic surgery, and reflects on whether aesthetic training should play a larger role in plastic surgery programs.
Beyond surgery, she speaks candidly about mentorship, academic publishing, setting up a practice, life outside medicine, and what it means to build a career with both technical excellence and cultural identity at its center.
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, Dr. Baar talked about the effects of load on tendons and ligaments, how low load long duration loading can improve tendon strength and quality, the effects of stress shielding in tendons, whether resorbable sutures may be superior in tendon repair, why inadequately loaded tendons can develop tendinopathy, the effect of loss of load on tendons and ligaments, how to treat partial ligament tears with isometric exercises, and how increased protein intake is not very effective at increasing tissue recovery without loading and exercise. He also discussed how writing a mission statement helped him make decisions about his lab,  why his peers are often his mentors, and why you should start hanging off your door jamb for a few minutes every day.
Dr. Keith Baar is a professor in the Department of Neurobiology, Physiology and Behavior, and the Department of Physiology and Membrane Biology, at the University of California Davis Health School of Medicine, in Sacramento. He completed his undergraduate studies in Kinesiology at the University of Michigan, followed by a master's degree in Human Biodynamics at UC Berkeley, and finally a Ph.D. in Physiology and Biophysics at the University of Illinois. Now at UC Davis Health, he runs the Functional Molecular Biology Lab. His research focuses on how resistance exercise leads to increased muscle mass and how endurance exercise increases fatigue resistance in muscles. His lab is also working on the development of engineered bone-ligament-bone constructs for the reconstruction of ligament injuries. 
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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Papers referenced in the conversation:
Effects of Different Loading Programs on Finger Strength in Rock Climbers. Gilmore NK, Klimek P, Abrahamsson E, Baar K.  Sports Med Open. 2024 Nov 19;10:125
Stress Relaxation and Targeted Nutrition to Treat Patellar Tendinopathy. Baar K. Int J Sport Nutr Exerc Metab. 2019 Jul 1;29(4):453–457
Resorbable Suture Is a Suitable Surgical Repair Material in a Rat Achilles Rupture and Repair Model. Gilmore NK, Orr SV, Lam SK, Christiansen BA, Baar K. JBJS Open Access. 2026 May 12;11(2):e26.00079.

In this Leveling Up episode of the PRS Global Open Deep Cuts Podcast,  Dr. Seaward talked about his path into plastic surgery through the British medical training system, his experience working with Dr. Brian Sommerlad, his approach to the cleft palate repair and how he has incorporated and modified the Sommerlad technique. He also discussed the use of buccal fat flaps and buccal myomucosal flaps in cleft palate repairs, his thoughts on the Fisher technique in cleft lip repair, where he thinks the future of cleft lip repair is going, his research on 4D imaging in speech outcomes, how he became ambidextrous, and why surgery is a spectator sport.
 
Read a recent "PRS Global Open" article by Dr. Seaward and co-authors, "Rating the Rater: A Technique for Minimizing Leniency Bias in Residency Applications": https://bit.ly/Seaward_Leniency_Bias
 
Dr. James Seaward is an Associate Professor of Plastic Surgery at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas, Texas. He is the director of the Craniofacial fellowship program, and an associate program director of the plastic surgery residency program at UT Southwestern. Dr. Seaward graduated with honors from Trinity College at Cambridge in England, and then earned a medical degree at the Royal Free and University College medical School in London. After completing a plastic surgery residency in Manchester, he came to UT Southwestern for a pediatric craniofacial fellowship, and then joined the faculty there in 2013. He is a Fellow of the Royal College of Surgeons, and an active member of the American Cleft Palate Craniofacial Association.
 
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. Karol Gutowski, a board-certified plastic surgeon, educator, and nationally recognized leader in aesthetic and reconstructive plastic surgery. With a career spanning academic leadership, surgical innovation, and private practice, Dr. Gutowski reflects on the journey that brought him to the United States, why he chose medicine, and how his training and residency experiences shaped the opportunities that followed.
 
We discuss some of his happiest memories from residency and academia, the achievements he is proudest of, and the realities of serving in major leadership roles, including as Chief of Plastic Surgery. Dr. Gutowski also shares what prompted his transition from academia to private practice, how he navigated the uncertainty of leaving a fixed income to build his own business, and his perspective on what it takes to start and sustain a successful private clinic. Along the way, he offers thoughtful insights into handling patient dissatisfaction, avoiding short-lived trends, and distinguishing lasting innovation from fad in plastic surgery.
 
Beyond surgery, this conversation explores the personal side of a long career in medicine: what it is like working alongside his wife, balancing work and family life, and how he thinks about success across both professional and personal spheres. We also talk about whether different personalities are drawn to aesthetic versus reconstructive surgery, the future of the specialty, and what he sees as the next big thing in plastic surgery and medicine more broadly.
 
Read a classic PRS Global Open article by Dr. Gutowski and co-authors, "What Influences a Plastic Surgery Resident to Pursue an Academic Career?": https://bit.ly/Academic_Influences_GOX
 
Dr. Gutowski is an award-winning Chicago-based plastic surgeon known for advanced aesthetic treatments of the face, breast, body, and skin, as well as for his extensive contributions to education, research, and national professional leadership. He has authored over 100 publications and book chapters, served in numerous chief and professorial roles, and has been recognized as a Top Doctor by U.S. News & World Report, Castle Connolly, and others.
 
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.
 
#PRSGlobalOpen #DeepCutsPodcast #PlasticSurgery #GiantsPlasticSurgery