Dr. Woodward L. Coleman, M.D.

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Get to know Plastic Surgeon Dr. Woodward L. Coleman, who serves patients in San Antonio, Texas.

Dr. Coleman is a board-certified plastic surgeon who specializes in joint reconstruction, complex fractures, surgery of nerves and arteries, repair and reconstruction of tendons, and fingertip reconstruction. He sees patients at his private practice, The Thumb Specialty Center in San Antonio, Texas.

The Thumb Specialty Center provides premier expertise in the treatment of disorders of the thumb. Dr. Coleman had dedicated 20 years to the development of an arthroplasty for the basal joint of the thumb, adopting old, tried-and-true principles published by established authorities, and blending innovative variations to master a technique that has proven to be superior to the old “Ligament Reconstruction and Tendon Interposition” (termed the LRTI procedure) that has been the dogma of orthopedic surgeons for many years. His modification of lassoing a tendon around a wrist extensor tendon has changed many lives, allowing much-improved versatility in the use of their thumbs and hands.

“If there is one forte I hold above all others, it is the informed patient. I take great efforts to ensure that there are no unpleasant surprises after surgery. I take as much time as necessary, with subsequent appointments at no charge, until the patient and I are content with the information and feel confident moving forward with the procedure.” as stated by the doctor, who also holds an appointment as Assistant Clinical Professor for the Division of Plastic Surgery at UT Health Science Center in San Antonio. 

A graduate of Millsaps College in Jackson, Mississippi, Dr. Coleman earned his medical degree from the University of Mississippi. He completed a five-year general surgery residency at the University of South Carolina. He was then chosen for a fellowship at the Christine Kleinert Institute for Hand and Microsurgery in Louisville, Kentucky. Only eight American surgeons and six international surgeons throughout the world are chosen to train in this prestigious program. After completion of a full hand fellowship, he continued with a residency in plastic and reconstructive surgery that included further microsurgery training with Dr. Harry Bunckie, considered the pioneering grandfather of microsurgery.

A Fellow of the American College of Surgeons, the doctor is board-certified in plastic surgery with additional qualification in surgery of the hand by the American Board of Plastic Surgery (ABPS). The mission of the ABPS is to promote safe, ethical, efficacious plastic surgery to the public by maintaining high standards for the education, examination, certification, and continuous certification of plastic surgeons as specialists and subspecialists.

For the purpose of advancing his professional development, he remains a member of the American Society for Plastic Surgeons, the American Society for Reconstructive Microsurgery, the American Society for Surgery of the Hand, the American Association of Hand Surgeons, the American Medical Society, and the San Antonio Surgical Society.

Plastic surgery is a surgical specialty involving the restoration, reconstruction, or alteration of the human body. It can be divided into two main categories – reconstructive surgery and cosmetic surgery. A plastic surgeon’s primary responsibility is performing surgical and non-surgical procedures, and they use a variety of reparative and reconstructive techniques to get the job done.

Among his various achievements, Dr. Coleman is the co-author of a chapter in the textbook “Plastic Surgery Principles and Practice” edited by the Chairman of Emory University’s Surgery Department.

On a more personal note, he and his wife have 3 children, all excelling in their fields. 

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