Name Douglas Bolitho | ||
Douglas Glynn Bolitho is an Associate Professor at the University of California, San Diego and a plastic surgeon with a private practice in La Jolla, California.
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Research career
Bolitho's father was a medical doctor who worked at a South African missionary hospital. Douglas Glynn Bolitho himself received a medical degree from University of the Witwatersrand in Johannesburg, South Africa in 1986 and a PhD in surgery from the University of Cape Town. In addition, he received a Diploma in Primary Emergency Care (DPEC) from the College of Medicine of South Africa. From 1988 to 1989, he was a Resident in Orthopedic and General Surgery at the Johannesburg General Hospital. During his tenure at the University of Cape Town he was then a General Surgical Resident from 1990 to 1991, a Resident in Orthopaedic Surgery in 1992, and a Resident in Plastic Surgery from 1993 to 1995—all at the Groote Schuur Hospital. Following this he held a Hand Fellowship at the Hand Unit, Department of Orthopaedic Surgery of the Groote Schuur Hospital during 1996 and then a Fellowship in Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery from 1997 to 1999 at the Division of Plastic Surgery at Emory University. From 1998 to 2000 he served as an Assistant Professor at Emory, where he was awarded the Teacher of the Year award in his department. In 2000 he began his tenure as Associate Professor at the University of California at San Diego. He is currently a diplomate of the American Board of Plastic Surgery and board certified in plastic surgery by the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada, as well as by the College of Medicine of South Africa and the General Medical Council in the UK.
The majority of Dr. Bolitho's academic research has been on nerve injuries to the upper extremity. Much of his early research targeted early childhood injuries. For example, in 1994 Bolitho presented his research before the South African Society of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgeons Annual Congress on the subject of ulnar nerve injuries in childhood, and in 1995 he presented his research to the British Association of Hand Sugeons on the subject of Primary epineurial repair of the median nerve in childhood. His research has also included reconstruction of the breast after mastectomy for breast cancer. For instance, in 2000 Bolitho presented research to the Southeastern Society of Plastic Surgeons on the subject of the results of immediate breast reconstruction after skin-sparing mastectomy—a presentation that was the recipient of the Best Paper award at the conference. That same year, Bolitho was a part of a large contingent of medical doctors that presented a 25 year study of the utility of the omentum in the reconstruction of complex wounds and defects to the American Society of Plastic Surgeons. Over his career Dr. Bolitho has published research papers in academic journals including Hepatology, the South African Journal of Surgery, the European Journal of Plastic Surgery, the Journal of Hand Surgery, the Annals of Plastic Surgery, and Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery. He is also the author of the book Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, a two volume textbook for those pursuing a fellowship in plastic surgery. Since 2003 Bolitho has also maintained a private surgical practice called the Scripps Plastic Surgery Medical Group.
Health debates
Since the early 2000s Bolitho has been involved in raising awareness for breast reconstruction following breast cancer. Online he is a contributor to the Medscape health reference website. Dr. Bolitho has also been a frequent guest on network news when the topic of cosmetic surgery arises, having appeared on the Fox 6 Morning News, NBC 7/39 Evening News, KFMB local 8 at Four, KFMB Weekday Evening News, and the KUSI Morning News. The majority of his appearances on the news have revolved around the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's regulation of breast implants and national debates centering on the health effects of breast augmentation. He has also discussed the subject matter on the Discovery Channel. Bolitho's practice does go beyond reconstructive surgery, and centers on elective cosmetic surgery as well. Bolitho's work was also the subject of a San Diego News Network series on the journey for breast cancer victims from diagnosis through treatment and into reconstructive surgery.