Professor David Chwei-Chin Chuang is the first plastic surgeon who concentrated on peripheral nerve science that incorporated injuries, reconstruction, and researches in Taiwan. It took him 30 years to be recognized as a world expert in the field of peripheral nerve injury and reconstruction. He started his microsurgical career in 1984 and became an academic professor in 2000. His phenomenal career was inspired largely by mentors namely: Dr. Samuel Noordhoff who motivated him to become a plastic surgeon, Dr. Fu-Chan Wei who influenced him to become a micro-surgeon; Dr. Julia K Terzis (USA), Dr. H. Millesi (Austria), Dr. A. Narakas (Switzerland), and Dr. Toru Kondo (Japan) - all four of whom had primed him to become a peripheral nerve microsurgeon.

In the process of aiming to make a solid contribution in the world of microsurgery, Prof. Chuang has developed many concepts and techniques related to the following: peripheral nerve reconstruction that deals with the classification level of brachial plexus injury; classification of level of radial nerve injury; classification of severity of post-paralysis facial synkinesis and strategy for treatment; the classification of traction avulsion amputation of the major limb; the technique of gracilis myocutaneous flap harvest; the technique revolution of FFMT for facial nerve reconstruction; the surgical treatment of thoracic outlet syndrome; the subfascial anterior transfer for cubital tunnel syndrome; the operative methods of nerve transfer for irreparable brachial plexus avulsion injury; the contralateral C7 transfer with free vascularized ulnar nerve graft; the intercostals nerve transfer to the musculocutaneous nerve, and other nerve transfer procedures.

Despite his already quite hectic schedule, he still found the time to get involved in many types of researches, which are related to peripheral nerve and free functioning muscle transplantation. Also, his numerous experimental types of research have been published in Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, one of which is the research for arterialized venous flaps using vaso vasorum changes that he completed in 2015.

Because of his unique field of medical expertise, Prof. Chuang has been invited in countless local and worldwide meetings for special lectures, symposiums and panels in Japan, Korea, China, Thailand, Singapore, Indonesia, India, Argentina, Italy, Finland, Kuwait, Hong Kong, Mexico, Turkey, Germany and the USA. Furthermore, he also co-authored a chapter in three versions of the textbook entitled “Plastic Surgery” (2nd version 2006, third version 2013, and a new coming fourth version). Aside from these seemingly untiring achievements, he did several presentations locally and internationally, which were profiled in quite a number of publications for different medical journals.

Prof. Chuang has been similarly sought as the International Associate Editor of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery from 2014 to 2016, and his term has been extended from 2016 to 2018. In relation to the foregoing, Professor Chuang has twice hosted the "Instructional Course" for adult brachial plexus injury in 2009, and facial paralysis reconstruction in 2011. The third part (adult brachial plexus injury) of which, is coming soon this 2017.

To make his career in micro surgery more fulfilling, Prof. Chuang engaged himself with the Fellow Training Program of Chang Gung Memorial Hospital as one of the teachers, for hundreds of international foreign fellows. Along with this, he has treated international patients (approximately 100) from 20 different countries around the world.

As an authority figure in the field of micro-surgery, Prof. Chuang held vital positions as follows: Chief of Department of Plastic Surgery, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Taipei-Linkou; 13th President of Taiwan Plastic Surgical Association (2006-2008); 10th President of Taiwan Society for Surgery of the Hand (2009-2010); and First (1st) President of Taiwan Society for Reconstructive Microsurgery (2014-2016). At present, he is the 9th President of World Society for Reconstructive Microsurgery (WSRM) from March 2015 to June 2017. Prof. Chuang is undertaking every workable means and ways to fortify the relationship between the WSRM central office and the four regional societies (ASRM, ALAM, EFSM and APFSRM).

Prof. Chuang’s high hope is for the International Microsurgery Club and the International Microsurgery Journal to truly become the “World Society.”


David Chwei-Chin Chuang, MD
Honorary Editor-in-Chief
International Microsurgery Journal
Pesident
World Society for Reconstructive Microsurgery