Russell R. Reid, MD, PhD

I practice plastic surgery. So plastic and reconstructive surgery with a specialty focus on pediatric plastic surgery and craniofacial surgery. My mother was a nurse and through her, I got exposed to patient care. And just being inspired through science and discovery.

My main interest here, it's focused on pediatric plastic surgery so that has to do with plastic surgery related to congenital disorders. So craniofacial disorders such as cleft lip and palate, skull deformities, any birth defects involving the head and neck, that's really my area of focus. One main philosophy of care is really the healing starts before surgery happens. And I feel that a lot of parents have a lot of anxiety. Some of the toughest decisions in their lives have to do with making surgical decisions about their children, and that can be very weighty. So my main philosophy is to provide the best, safest option for their child and also to focus on patient and parent education because I feel that an educated parent is a less anxious parent, and one who can deal with the situation better for their child and family.

The most rewarding aspect actually comes with seeing a smile on the child's face after the administration of care. And I think the face is something we all take for granted. We see through it, smile through it, hear through it, talk through it, all kinds of things. And these kids actually are more rewarding for me because they're the most courageous people I know. And they don't take their face for granted.