Tae Woon Chong, MD

Biography

Restoring bodies, and self-confidence, with reconstructive plastic surgery.

Helping a breast cancer survivor feel feminine again.

Saving a trauma patient’s leg from amputation.

Alleviating a lymphedema patient’s chronic limb swelling. 

As a plastic surgeon specializing in reconstruction and microsurgery, those are three of the many important operations Dr. Tae Chong performs with patients who have faced cancer, trauma, and debilitating medical conditions. The relief his procedures can bring patients — in function, appearance, and mental health — is what led him to the field of reconstructive plastic surgery.

“Helping to rebuild and restore patients after injury or cancer is personally and professionally rewarding,” says Dr. Chong, Chair of the VCU Division of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery. “The more complex reconstructions sometimes require multiple staged operations, and there’s lots of long-term follow up, so I am able to get to know my patients, their stories and their families. I want patients to partner with me in their reconstruction — I can’t meet their needs without getting to know them and having them actively involved.”

Dr. Chong is a head-to-toe plastic surgeon, often using novel techniques that take tissue from one part of the body – called flaps – to restore damaged or missing tissue elsewhere.

Prior to joining VCU Health in 2021, Dr. Chong held various academic and leadership roles at the University of Colorado. Board-certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery, he is the past-president of the Mountain West Society of Plastic Surgeons and a member of the American Council of Academic Plastic Surgeons, American Society of Reconstructive Microsurgeons, and American Society of Plastic Surgeons.

Breast reconstruction is of particular interest to Dr. Chong, who provides the latest techniques rebuild breasts after a mastectomy or lumpectomy. He notes patients often forget that reconstruction is considered part of the entire spectrum of cancer care.

Breast reconstruction may use implants, or tissue from the abdomen, thighs, or buttocks. During reconstruction, nerves may be reconnected to give the patient an opportunity to retain sensation. This is a form of microsurgery, a field of reconstructive medicine focused on repairing and tiny nerves and vessels in an attempt to restore the form and function of the tissue that is missing.

Lymphatic surgery, for example, can allow Dr. Chong and his team to improve lymphatic drainage in patients living with lymphedema by taking the lymphatic vessels, bypassing damaged nodes, and rerouting them directly to the veins.  This form of microsurgery involves specialized instruments for suturing vessels smaller than 1mm, like the thickness of a fingernail.

“Plastic surgery is a problem-solving specialty and often the patient is missing the tissue we need to replace, but we can’t let that stand in our way,” he says. “Success here takes combining our understanding of anatomy and the way tissues work with creativity in order to replace what was lost. And that sometimes requires finding novel ways to treat problems that may not have a solution. Thankfully, we are supported by VCU Health and the health system’s commitment and resources to provide the best possible care.”

Dr. Chong is an avid athlete, often participating in Spartan obstacle-course races, MMA, and CrossFit workouts. He and his family enjoy travel and exploring new restaurants.

Advice to patients: “Be as actively involved in their reconstruction as possible.  In order to provide the optimal reconstruction, the surgeon needs to understand the patient’s personal goals and lifestyle.”

Research Interests: Clinical outcomes research on cancer reconstruction, therapeutics on keloid recurrence. He is an ad hoc reviewer for the Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery Journal and Journal of Reconstructive Microsurgery.