The Department of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery

The objective of the Department of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery is to develop and evaluate clinical interventions as well as assessments, diagnosis and techniques in three main research lines:

Hand, wrist and nerve pathology
The research focuses on a) new interventions for patients with hand disorders, b) assessment tools for hand functions, and c) the understanding of the underlying mechanisms of diseases and interventions. Patient groups include those with hand trauma, congenital hand deformities, pain disorders, chronic disorders, and patients who have suffered a stroke.

Craniofacial and related anomalies
The Dutch Craniofacial Centre serves as the national referral centre for craniofacial malformations for over 40 years. All team members participate actively in fundamental and clinical research on these inborn disorders.

Reconstruction following oncological resection and wound healing
To improve current surgical therapies, new strategies are being developed for the repair of damaged soft tissues, especially to increase the quality of life of patients after surviving cancer. The wound healing research targets patients with wound complications or impaired wound healing.