Hawaii Plastic Surgeon Helps Injured Iraq Veteran
By donating his time and surgical skill to help restore the appearance of an Army Staff Sergeant wounded in Iraq, Hawaii plastic surgeon Dr. S. Larry Schlesinger was able to transform the soldier's life for the better, helping him continue to serve his country.


    /Hawaii News Articles/ - KAHULUI, HAWAII, November 04, 2007 - On October 15, 2007, Hawaii plastic surgeon S. Larry Schlesinger, M.D., F.A.C.S., F.A.S.A.M., successfully performed no-cost facial reconstructive surgery for a soldier wounded by an improvised explosive device (IED) in Iraq. Ryan Goede, a Staff Sergeant in the Army Infantry, underwent Hawaii plastic surgery in Kahului to correct multiple facial shrapnel wounds he received during the IED explosion on June 25, 2004.

Iraq Star, a not-for-profit foundation dedicated to providing free reconstructive surgery to American soldiers wounded and disfigured in Iraq and Afghanistan, teamed up with Hawaii plastic surgeon Dr. Schlesinger, who practices at American Plastic Surgery of Hawaii. Dr. Schlesinger donates his time as a volunteer surgeon with Iraq Star.

"I have such admiration for our service members, both those serving overseas and those stationed locally," says Dr. Schlesinger, who has over 27 years of Hawaii plastic surgery experience. "Hawaii has been a strategic military location for decades, and the military community on the islands is a tremendous resource. Ryan is the personification of the dedicated soldier—he's received three Purple Hearts and undergone 17 operations after being wounded three times in Iraq—and still he wants to give back to the military by becoming a Special Forces medic."

Though doctors were able to save his life and limbs, after his injury Ryan was left with dozens of pieces of shrapnel, dirt, and other debris embedded in his face, lips, ears, and eyelids. During his Hawaii plastic surgery, Ryan had 37 pieces of shrapnel removed from his face and neck. Dr. Schlesinger also performed a laser skin resurfacing procedure to remove dirt and pebbles that had become lodged just underneath his facial skin. The set of procedures took about 4 hours to complete.

"I'm honored to be able to partner with an organization like Iraq Star and help such an admirable young man like Ryan to regain his looks and start getting back to his old self," added Dr. Schlesinger. "Ryan lived with severe facial scarring for three years, and after such esteemed service to our country, he deserves to be able to put his best face forward."

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Press Release Contact Information:

Rebecca Lavin
American Plastic Surgery of Hawa
CEO
33 Lono Avenue Suite 300
Kahului, HI
United States 96732
Voice: 813 258 1186
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