M. Lance Tavana, M.D. appointed division chief of Plastic, Reconstructive & Hand Surgery

After a national search, the MUSC Department of Surgery is pleased to announce that M. Lance Tavana, M.D., Associate Professor of Surgery and Director of Clinical Operations of Plastic Surgery at MUSC Health, has been selected as the new Chief of the MUSC Department of Surgery’s Division of Plastic, Reconstructive and Hand Surgery. Dr. Tavana joined MUSC in 2012, and throughout his career he has been integral to the Division's clinical and residency programs' growth and innovation.

Dr. Tavana earned his undergraduate degree from Stanford University and his medical degree from Temple University School of Medicine. He attended the University of South Florida for both his general surgery internship and plastic surgery residency, graduating in 2011. Fellowship training was completed in the specialty of hand and upper extremity surgery through the Department of Orthopedics at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, after which he joined MUSC.

On the education forefront, Dr. Tavana is a surgeon educator with a passion for educating the next generation of surgical leaders in the field of plastic, reconstructive, and hand surgery. He established the highly acclaimed integrated plastic surgery residency in 2016 and continues to lead and foster its growth as its program director. The integrated residency program has become one of the most sought-after plastic surgery programs in the U.S., matching its top-tier candidates every year.  Dr. Tavana previously served as the president of the South Carolina Society of Plastic Surgery and continues to be involved in local, regional, and national societies.

Dr. Tavana specializes in hand and upper extremity surgery and is known as an innovator in clinical care, finding ways to improve patient outcomes while reducing the burden on the health care system.  He has shifted the majority of his surgical practice out of the operating room, requiring anesthesia, and into an outpatient procedure room with surgeries being performed under local anesthetic.  Without the need for sedation, patients can drive themselves, total time at the facility is significantly shorter, and costs are significantly reduced. Endoscopic carpal tunnel release, a minimally invasive technique, has traditionally been performed in the operating room because of equipment and anesthesia.  Dr. Tavana has developed a technique, with modern technology, to perform these procedures under local anesthetic and without the large amount of equipment previously required.  By transferring these cases out of the operating room, open time is freed for more complex cases to be scheduled in place of the moved cases, further increasing efficiency and improving patient care.

The Department of Surgery extends deep gratitude to Milton B. Armstrong, M.D., our current division chief, for his many years of leadership and significant contributions to the growth and expansion of the division's clinical expertise and educational programming. These contributions have provided a solid foundation for Dr. Tavana in his new role.