Humanitarian Plastic Surgery - Removal of 16lb Facial Growth - Dr. Kami Parsa, Beverly Hills
http://oculoplastic.info
Dr. Kami Parsa an oculoplastic reconstructive surgeon talks to ABC news about a large reconstructive procedure that was featured on the Discovery Health Channel.
16-year-old Marlie Casseus has undergone four surgeries to remove an 16-pound tumor that covered almost her entire face and hampered her breathing. The entire process was chronicled on the Discovery Health Channel's A New Face for Marlie.
Marlie suffers from McCune-Albright syndrome (polyostotic fibrous dysplasia), a genetic disorder of bones, skin pigmentation and hormonal problems, along with premature puberty. The growth completely disfigured her facial features, causing her to become reclusive to avoid scorn and repulsion in her native country of Haiti. Most people there believed Marlie's disfigurement was the work of the devil.
With most of her mouth and nasal passages blocked, Marlie was only able to eat and breathe through one very narrow passage. The tumor began to close on her throat and made breathing difficult. It would have also eventually caused blindness.
All four surgeries were performed at the Holtz Children's Hospital, at the University of Miami/Jackson Memorial Medical Center in Florida, and documented for the television program.
The International Kids Fund partnered with Good Samaritan for a Better Life to fund Marlie's surgeries, which began when she arrived in Miami with a tracheotomy to insert a breathing tube.
After her surgeries, doctors indicated that Marlie might required further cosmetic surgeries at a later date, but said the growth would not return.
The first words Marlie uttered when the tracheotomy was removed were "thank you."
"I have always believed that one of the most important things you can do with this life is serve others. This is the true passion that continues to drive me professionally and personally, and I feel so fortunate that I can work and make a difference as a surgeon. There are too many areas of the world and in our own country that do not have access to adequate medical care. My initial involvement was with International Kids Foundation at University of Miami. Through this organization I met exemplary people who have dedicated themselves to a lifetime of service and charity. It has been a humbling experience to work with such incredible people. These encounters have been instrumental in my growth as a physician and person. When I moved back to California, I helped to establish the Universal Children's Fund. Our mission is to make people's lives a little better in situations that otherwise may not seem possible. Children especially need sustainable hope, and our goal is to provide them with necessary medical and surgical care, helping them to grow into a brighter future."
- Dr. Kami Parsa
Services:
Cosmetic Eyelid Surgery
Revisional eyelid Surgery
Asian Blepharoplasty
Ptosis (droopy eyelid) surgery
Forehead or Browlift
Cheek lift or augmentation
Customized orbito-facial reconstruction
Skin cancer reconstruction
Facial rejuvenation
Facial volume contouring
Fat grafting -- FAMI
Sculptra, Resylane, Cosmoplast, Juvederm, Radiesse, Halaform, Botox
Laser-light rejuvenation
Lip Augmentation
Thread Lift
Bells Palsy
Orbital Tumors
