The Surgeons
Dr. Patrick L. Tonnard
Dr. Alexis Verpaele
Dr. Koenraad Van Landuyt
Dr. Moustapha Hamdi
Dr. Patrick L. Tonnard
Dr. Patrick L. Tonnard graduated “cum laude” in 1987 as a physician at the Gent University. He specialized during 3 years in general surgery under Professor Dr. Fritz Derom at the University Hospital of Gent, after which he started his plastic surgery training in Bordeaux (France) at the Hopital du Tondu under Professor Dr. Jacques Baudet. Between 1990 and 1993 he worked at the side of Professor Dr. Guido Matton in the University Hopital of Gent. Finally he spent 6 months in Mexico City as personal resident of the world famous Professor Dr. Fernando Ortiz-Monasterio. He decided to start his private practice in the city of Gent in Belgium in 1994
Since 1994 Dr. Tonnard is consultant plastic surgeon at the General Hospital St-Lucas in Gent, assistant clinical professor at the University Hospital of Gent, founder of the Coupure Centre for Plastic Surgery in 1996 and the Medical Centre ‘t Zwin in Oostburg (Netherlands) in 2005. In 2007 he raised together with his associate Dr. Alexis Verpaele the “Esthetic Medical Centre 2 (E:MC²), an exclusive private surgical centre for esthetic surgery in St-Martens-Latem.
Dr. Tonnard is member of the Royal Belgian Society for Surgery, the Belgian and Dutch Society for Plastic, Reconstructive and Aesthetic Surgery, the ISAPS (International Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons) and the ASAPS (American Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons). He is also Fellow of the Collegium Chirurgicum Plasticum Belgicum and Diplomat of the European Board of Plastic Surgery.
Dr. Tonnard is author of more than 50 scientific publications, presented more than 200 scientific papers on national and international meetings and contributed in numerous scientific articles and books. He is a highly demanded speaker and moderator on international aesthetic surgery meetings and an authority in the field of surgical rejuvenation of the face. Together with is associate Dr. Alexis Verpaele he develloped the revolutionary MACS-lift, a minimal invasive facelift technique resulting in a maximum and natural result, together with a quick recovery and minimal complications. There work in this field resulted in an international reputation. In 2004 and 2007, they wrote 2 scientific standard books on the short scar facelift technique, which appeared to be international bestsellers in the plastic surgery literature: “The MACS-lift Short Scar Rhytidectomy, 2004, St-Louis; and “Short Scar Face-lifting, Operative Strategies and Techniques”, 2007, St Louis.
For the general public, Dr. Tonnard cooperated at the book “Van Top tot Teen – Alles over plastische chirurgie” from Hubert Tytgat and in 2000 he published together with the reporter Laurens de Keyser “Schone Schijn”, a guide in plastic surgery. Together with his assosiate he published ‘Verliefd op het tweede gezicht’ (2009). This book explains in a common way facial rejuvenation and their own developed MACS-lift technique.
In 2006, Dr. Tonnard and his associate Dr. Verpaele founded together with a group of Flemish Ophthalmic surgeons the surgical mission organisation “See and Smile” (www.seeandsmile.com). This non-profit organisation undertakes surgical mission in underdeveloped region. They provide basic plastic surgery (mainly cleft lip and palate surgery) and eye surgery (mainly catharact). Mission have been undertaken in Pnom Penh (Cambodja), Oaxaca (Mexico), Sagain (Myanmar) en Flores (Indonesia).
Dr. Alexis Verpaele
Dr. Alexis Verpaele graduated Cum Laude in 1988 as a physician at the Gent University Hospital. He started a specialist training in general surgery under Professor Fritz Derom, and obtained the specialist degree in General Surgery in 1994. He then started a specialist training in Plastic Surgery in Norwich, UK, and then in Gent with Professor Stan Monstrey, which he finished in 1997. He also followed a postgraduate training in ear reconstruction with Professor Françoise Firmin in Paris.
Dr. Verpaele acquired the title of “Fellow of the Collegium Chirurgicum Plasticum” Magna Cum Laude in 1997, as well as the title of “Diplomate of the European Board of Plastic Surgery”.
He joined the staff of Consultants of the Gent University Hospital Department of Plastic Surgery from 1997-1999, where he was involved in perforator-flap breast reconstruction, ear reconstruction and aesthetic plastic surgery.
Dr. Verpaele is co-director of the Coupure Centrum voor Plastische Chirurgie in Gent since 1999. He is Assistant Clinical Professor at the Gent University Plastic Surgery Dept. for ear reconstructions, and consulting plastic surgeon at the AZ Sint Lucas hospital in Gent. In 2007 Dr. Verpaele established the “Esthetisch Medisch Centrum 2” or “E:MC²” together with his associate Dr. Patrick Tonnard.
Together with Dr. Tonnard Dr. Verpaele has developed the revolutionary face-lifting technique of the MACS-lift. This “short-scar” technique offers an effective correction of facial aging, while maintaining a natural appearance, allowing a swifter recovery and a very low complication rate. This technique has given both doctors an worldwide recognition. Two books from their hand were published on this subject: In 2004 “The MACS-lift short-scar rhytidectomy”, and in 2007 “Short-scar Face-lifting : Operative Strategies and Techniques”, both with QMP of St Louis. On this topic he publised together with his associate the book for the general public ‘Verliefd op het tweede gezicht’ (2009).
Dr. Verpaele is member of the Board of the Royal Belgian Society of Plastic Surgeons (RBSPS) and responsible for the Aesthetic Chapter within this society, member of the International Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery (ISAPS), of the Americal Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery (ASAPS) and of the International Consortium of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons (ICAPS).
Dr. Verpaele presented over a hundred lectures nationally and internationally and is a much-requested speaker on the subject of facelifting, botulinum toxin, soft tissue fillers, breast augmentation and breast lifting. He authored and co-authored many papers on reconstructive and aesthetic plastic surgery.
In 2006 Dr. Verpaele and Dr. Tonnard established “See and Smile” together with a group of ophthalmic surgeons, a non-profit organization for plastic and eye-surgery in third-world countries (www.seeandsmile.com). Their main activity is to operate chilDr.en and adolescents with a cleft lip or palate, and the eye-surgeons mainly treat blindness through cataract. Missions have been undertaken once or twice yearly to Birma (Myanmar), Cambodia, Mexico, Indonesia and Rwanda. Each time an average of 60-70 chilDr.en is treated on each mission.
Dr. Koenraad Van Landuyt
Dr. Koenraad Van Landuyt studeerde in 1985 af als dokter in de genees-, heel-, en verloskunde aan de Universiteit van Gent, waar hij zich vervolgens bekwaamde in de algemene chirurgie onder leiding van prof. Dr. Frits Derom. Voor hij in 1991 in het UZ Gent aan zijn opleiding plastische heelkunde begon onder leiding van prof. Dr. Guido Matton, liep hij nog stage als resident plastische chirurgie in het Dijkzigt Hospitaal in Rotterdam (onder prof. Dr. J.C.H. Van der Meulen) en aan de Medische Höchschule in Hannover (onder prof. Dr. A.Berger).
In 1994 behaalde Dr. Van Landuyt het diploma van plastisch, reconstructief en esthetisch chirurg en werd hij daardoor benoemd tot ‘Fellow of the Collegium Chirurgicum Plasticum’. Sindsdien maakt hij als adjunct-kliniekhoofd deel uit van de vaste staf van de afdeling Plastische Heelkunde aan het UZ Gent, o.l.v. prof. Dr. Stan Monstrey. Dr. Van Landuyt is ook actief als plastisch chirurg in het Stedelijk Ziekenhuis van Aalst.
Behalve van de Koninklijke Belgische Vereniging van Chirurgie en van de Belgische Vereniging van Plastische, Reconstructieve en Esthetische Chirurgie is Dr. Van Landuyt lid van EURAPS (European Association of Plastic Surgery), waar hij in 1996 de prijs voor de beste klinische voorDr.acht in ontvangst mocht nemen. Hij was tevens laureaat van de eerste EURAPS Hans Anderl Award en stichtend lid van de Pyrenean workshop for Plastic Surgery.
Dr. Van Landuyt is auteur en medeauteur van meer dan 100 publicaties in gerenommeerde nationale en internationale tijdschriften, naast auteur en medeauteur van hoofdstukken in boeken over reconstructieve microchirurgie. Verder is hij zowel spreker en deelnemer aan discussiegroepen als geregeld gastchirurg op internationale congressen.
Zo maakt hij sinds 1997 deel uit van de internationale faculteit die jaarlijkse de Perforator flap Course organiseert en heeft hij al een aantal keer een Instructional Course verzorgd voor de ASPRS (American Society of Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery) en de ASRM (American Society of Reconstructive Microsurgery).
Dr. Van Landuyt heeft een uitgesproken reputatie als reconstructief microchirurg en meer specifiek op het vlak van de autologe borstreconstructie en de behandeling van lymfeoedeem na borstcarcinoom. Hij ligt mee aan de basis van de ontwikkeling van ‘perforatorflappen’ (DIEaP, SGaP, TDaP), een techniek die internationaal intussen beschouwd wordt als de gouden standaard in de reconstructieve borstheelkunde. Hij heeft bovendien een grote ervaring in tal van andere microchirurgische technieken en indicaties en heeft o.a. de jongste vrije-flapreconstructie ooit verricht. In 2007 behaalde hij de titel van doctor in the Medical Sciences met een proefschrift getiteld Perforator Flaps in Lower Limb Reconstruction.
Zoals collega’s Dr. Tonnard en Dr. Verpaele is ook Dr. Van Landuyt actief in de vereniging See and Smile, die chirurgische missies onderneemt naar minder ontwikkelde gebieden. Totnogtoe heeft hij deelgenomen aan missies in Sagaing (Myanmar) en Pnom Penh (Cambodja), waar hij reconstructies van aangeboren gelaatsafwij-kingen heeft uitgevoerd, maar ook iets zwaardere misvormingen heeft behandeld, zoals defecten als gevolg van traumatische letsels of als gevolg van infecties en malnutritie.
Dr. Moustapha Hamdi
Professor Dr. Moustapha Hamdi graduated in 1990 as a doctor in medicine, surgery and obstetrics at the University of Damascus, Syria. Then he followed a training in general surgery and plastic surgery in different hospitals of the Free University of Brussels (ULB). Afterwards, he spent a year in Canniesburn Hospital- Glasgow for a fellowship on Micro-surgery and breast reconstruction. In 2005, he left again for three months on a fellowship in PACES Clinic in Atlanta, USA, for a specific experience in aesthetic surgery of the eyelids in facial rejuvenation.
Professor. Hamdi is a member of the Royal Belgian Society for Plastic Surgery (RBSPS), but also of the British (BAPS), the European (EURAPS), International (ISAP), the American (ASRM) and the World Society (WSRM).
Prof. Hamdi makes many contributions to scientific articles and books. From EURAPS he received for the period 2002-2004 the Hans Anderl Award, a prize for the best publications. Inaddition, he is an editor and reviewer for several international journals. He is a great authority in the field of breast surgery and breast reconstruction, and highly requested as invited speaker and moderator in different international meetings and surgical courses.
On July 5, 2007 defended his doctoral thesis (PhD) perforators Pedicled Flaps in Breast Surgery: a new concept. Furthermore, he published a book on the techniques of breast reductions and breast lift with minimal scar: Hamdi, Hammond and Nahai, Vertical Scar Mammaplasty, 2005, Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg. Very recently published his second scientific work on breast reconstructions: A. Losken & M. Hamdi, Partial Breast Reconstruction. Techniques and Oncoplastic Surgery, 2008, QMP, Saint-Louis, USA. Moreover, he wrote, along with journalist and photographer Anna Luyten Dear Blancquaert, the book Two Breasts. A book about breast reconstructions for a wide audience.
The practice of Prof. Hamdi has been established in November 1999 in the department for Plastic Surgery of the Ghent University Hospital. Since October 2007, Prof. Hamdi is a consultant to the Plastic Surgery service in the Edith Cavell Medical Institute in Brussels. In addition, he consults the Coupure Center for Plastic Surgery and Aesthetic Medical Center in the 2 (E:MC2).
Finally, Prof. Hamdi and his colleagues participated in missions of the association See and Smile (www.seeandsmile.com).