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.

Kahului, Hawaii, October 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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S. Larry Schlesinger, M.D., F.A.C.S., F.A.S.A.M., is a board-certified Hawaii plastic surgeon who has published extensively in medical journals and has given over 4 dozen presentations during his 27 years in private practice as a plastic surgeon. He practices at American Plastic Surgery of Hawaii (www.mauibody.com), with locations in Maui, Kona, and Oahu. The practice operates a fully-accredited surgical suite and medical spa in Kahului, Hawaii.