About

As part of an esteemed educational and research institution, University of Virginia (UVA) Plastic Surgery offers patients access to unsurpassed expertise and technology. In addition to being a group of exceptional surgeons with a breadth of hands-on experience, our team includes thought leaders whose research and innovation have national and international influence. Our residency program carries our surgeons’ unmatched expertise and innovation into the next generation of plastic surgeons. At UVA Plastic Surgery, each patient we serve receives a world-class plastic surgery experience and the best results possible from our team of exceptional plastic surgeons in Charlottesville and Fishersville serving Richmond, Roanoke, and Harrisonburg, VA; Augusta, GA; Washington, DC; and beyond.

Our History

Rooted in academia, our plastic surgery practice began in 1956 with the appointment of the University’s first academic plastic surgeon Dr. Claude C. Coleman. In 1970, UVA’s then-chairman of surgery Dr. William Muller, Jr. recruited Dr. Milton T. Edgerton, Jr. to establish a department of plastic surgery at UVA. The two doctors had become friends during their residency training at Johns Hopkins University. Dr. Edgerton, Jr. left the position he held for 23 years as head of Johns Hopkins’ Division of Plastic Surgery to create the new department at UVA.

The UVA Department of Plastic Surgery became one of the first independent plastic surgery departments in the country. Dr. Edgerton, Jr. went on to create a microvascular laboratory that has actively trained plastic surgery, orthopedic, and urologic residents and medical students for more than 30 years. He also restructured and revitalized the residency training program, eventually training more than 40 residents and fellows.

In 1988, Dr. Raymond F. Morgan became Chair of the Department of Plastic Surgery and trained over 50 residents and fellows while directing a growing faculty. At UVA, Dr. Morgan helped establish one of the first integrated residency programs in the country while maintaining the independent training track. In March 2017 Dr. Thomas Gampper was appointment as Chair of the Department of Plastic Surgery where he held this position until April 2020.

Together, Dr. Morgan and Dr. Gampper founded the Aesthetic Center at the University of Virginia, known today as UVA Plastic Surgery. This team is dedicated to continuing UVA’s reputation of excellence as this rapidly growing area of medicine evolves.

Our Research

At UVA Plastic Surgery, research is an integral part of our mission. We are directly involved in pioneering surgical techniques, medical products and technology that improve surgical outcomes and the lives of our patients. Dr. Patrick Cottler serves as the assistant professor of research and director of resident research.

The Department of Plastic Surgery’s research programs involve our faculty, residents, medical students, and undergraduate students. We also collaborate with faculty in other departments. Our laboratories include:

Plastic Surgery Tissue Engineering Laboratory
Vascular and Tissue Bioengineering Laboratory
Wound Healing Laboratory
The Nettie Marie Jones Microsurgery Laboratory

An important component of our research involves clinical trials. If a new treatment is successful in the laboratory setting, our doctors test it on people in a clinical trial. At UVA our research has resulted in discoveries, treatments, and advanced procedures that have helped to improve medicine in Virginia, the United States, and around the world.

Learn more about our research activities.

Our Residency Programs

An invaluable role of our practice is educating the next generation of plastic surgeons: our residents. Plastic surgery residents are physicians who have completed prerequisite training in general surgery or related fields and have elected to continue training in plastic surgery. The University of Virginia Department of Plastic Surgery offers an integrated residency program. The programs is accredited and designed to provide a broad education in plastic surgery. Through this program, our residents gain the knowledge and skills required to perform a complete range of cosmetic and reconstructive procedures. All instruction is provided by board-certified plastic surgeons, most of whom have additional training in highly specialized areas of plastic surgery.

Our Chief Residents’ have the opportunity to offer a range of plastic surgery procedures at a reduced rate. By choosing one of our residents for plastic surgery, patients receive quality service and care with at least 20% of the plastic surgeon’s fee being waived. A highly experienced faculty physician oversees the entire procedure to provide the resident with education and assistance. The faculty physician is also involved in preoperative visits and postoperative care.

Learn more about our integrated residency program.

Our Locations

Charlottesville

Our Charlottesville location provides a full range of services, including plastic surgery, reconstructive surgery, and nonsurgical treatments. We currently serve patients at the following respected medical institutions in Charlottesville:

University of Virginia Hospital
Sentara Martha Jefferson Hospital
UVA-HealthSouth Rehabilitation Hospital

Fishersville

For the convenience of residents of Waynesboro, Harrisonburg, and other communities in the Valley, University of Virginia Plastic Surgery, our Fishersville location at Augusta Medical Center, offers a full range of cosmetic and reconstructive procedures.

Our Surgeons

At the heart of UVA Plastic Surgery is our team of plastic surgeons, many of whom received advanced medical training here at the University. Each one is an authority in his area of expertise; many continue to shape advances in their respective fields. Learn more about their impressive credentials by visiting our surgeons’ individual pages:

Are you ready to find out more?

To meet with one of the world-class plastic surgeons at UVA Plastic Surgery in Charlottesville or Fishersville, request a consultation using our online form or call (434) 924-1234 for an appointment.