A Santa Clarita plastic surgeon discussed the challenging reconstructive procedures he’s performed for victims of car crashes and other accidents that resulted in major injuries during an appearance on KHTS AM-1220.

One of the most notable of these procedures for Dr. Justin B. Heller was when he took part in the very first face transplant ever performed about seven years ago.

The patient was painting a church when he came into contact with a high voltage power line and essentially lost all of the skin and soft tissue of his face, according to Heller.

“He came into Parkland Hospital, which is where I was training at the time, and we underwent a 36-hour procedure to save his life,” Heller recalled.

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Heller partnered with other surgeons to take multiple muscles from one part of the man’s body and move them onto his face before he was transferred to Harvard to undergo the actual face transplant.

“It was an amazing case, he’s an amazing individual,” Heller said. “Truly one of the best saves in plastic surgery, and it was just phenomenal to be part of the whole sequence of his care.”

Other challenging procedures Heller has been a part of include the reconstruction of an entire nose, forehead, ear and jaw.

“The most challenging procedures always come more from the realm of a reconstructive procedure,” Heller explained. “The beauty of the plastic surgery training is, it teaches you the art of making something from nothing, and if you’re able to do that, then aesthetics comes very naturally from there.”

At his practice today, reconstructive procedures Heller typically focuses on are difficult cases that have been referred to him.

“Essentially at this point, what I get sent is all the extremely complex cases after they’ve usually failed some other surgical procedure that need a higher level of care,” he said.

Heller also focuses on correcting aesthetic cases gone wrong elsewhere.

“A lot of the aesthetic cases that I see often times are after their very first augmentation went awry and certain surgical errors were made, “ he said, “and trying to fix that and improve upon that.”

Dr. Justin B. Heller is a board-certified plastic surgeon in Santa Clarita who specializes in breast augmentation, body contouring, liposuction, tummy tucks and more. As a Santa Clarita cosmetic surgeon, clients in need of a “mommy makeover,” which usually addresses excess or sagging skin in the breasts and abdomen area, can turn to Heller Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery. In addition, Dr. Heller is trained in orthopaedic microsurgical techniques of the hand and upper extremity, which he performs at the Hand Surgery Center of Los Angeles in Lancaster.

Heller Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery

23838 Valencia Blvd, Suite 260

Santa Clarita, CA 91355

661-434-0092