Dr. Bonnie Chen Completes Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery Fellowship at UTHealth Houston
Bonnie Chen, MD, has completed a fellowship in facial plastic and reconstructive surgery at the Texas Center for Facial Plastic Surgery in the Department of Otorhinolaryngology at McGovern Medical School at UTHealth Houston. A native of Cleveland, Ohio, she will join a multispecialty practice affiliated with Park Nicollet Clinics and Methodist Hospital in Minneapolis.
Dr. Chen received her medical degree at Case Western Reserve University and completed residency training in otolaryngology at the University of Missouri. During fellowship training at McGovern Medical School, she worked closely in clinic and in the operating room with Tang Ho, MD, director of the Texas Center for Facial Plastic Surgery and chief of facial plastic surgery, and W. Katherine Kao, MD, an assistant professor in the Department of Otorhinolaryngology. As part of the fellowship, she acquired skills in aesthetic and functional rhinoplasty, facial reanimation after facial paralysis, facial rejuvenation including face and neck lift, microvascular surgery, and major facial reconstruction after cancer surgery or trauma.
“When you’re applying to fellowship, it’s hard to know what the mentorship experience will be like,” she says. “I really feel that Dr. Ho and Dr. Kao are invested in maximizing my learning opportunities. Both have been very open to tailoring the experience to my interests.”
In her research, Dr. Chen explored how functional and cosmetic eyelid surgeries can make a patient look more feminine. “How far the pupil is from the eyelid margin, how much of the eyelid is visible – these are all changes we can make in facial plastic surgery, and I examined which of these changes make a person look more masculine or more feminine.
“Not all fellowships offer the hands-on training I’ve gotten here,” she adds. “Watching Dr. Ho and Dr. Kao operate seamlessly and learning to use their techniques has been an invaluable experience. Dr. Ho has more than 15 years in practice; what makes a great surgeon is flawless repair of the common issues we see in facial plastics and also the skill and knowledge to treat the ‘zebras.’ We see both here. Dr. Kao is very thorough and detailed, both in the OR and with patients in consultation, walking them through their options and the risks of each procedure in preoperative counseling. She is accomplished in hair transplantation, a skill I was not exposed to in residency.”
Dr. Chen says the breadth of opportunities for both reconstructive and cosmetic surgery is a strength of the fellowship program. “I’ve really enjoyed my time here. We operate at Memorial Hermann-Texas Medical Center, Lyndon B. Johnson Hospital, and at ambulatory surgery centers. In my first couple of years with my new practice, I want to focus on my patients, but in the long run, I would like to continue to contribute to new knowledge in our specialty through research.”
Dr. Ho says Dr. Chen is hardworking and excellent at communicating with patients and putting them at ease, which is crucial in facial plastic and reconstructive surgery. “She has been a fantastic fellow – very conscientious and thorough in her assessment and evaluation of patients,” he says. “She’s also been a great mentor to our residents. She has a bright future ahead in facial plastic and reconstructive surgery.”
“Bonnie has been an amazing fellow, but more than that, she’s a talented surgeon, clinician, and a compassionate physician,” Dr. Kao says. “She cares so much about the patients we see. I know her future patients will be fortunate to have her as their doctor.”