Dr. Mayer Tenenhaus is a plastic surgeon who specializes in reconstructive surgery for burns and other traumatic injuries as well as for congenital malformations. He is the primary burn reconstruction surgeon for San Diego and Imperial counties and is recognized as one of the top burn reconstructive surgeons in the United States. He is one of the UCSD physicians who treated burn victims during the catastrophic Cedar Fire in San Diego County in 2003.
Dr. Tenenhaus is known throughout the world as a leader in the field of burn surgery and research. He is President of the North American Burn Society, a member of the American Burn Association, and a member of the Advisory Board of the Burn Institute of San Diego. He serves as a reviewer for the Journal of Burn Care and Rehabilitation, a major publication in the field of burn reconstruction. Each year, he is a leading panelist in scientific sessions at national and international medical conferences.
Dr. Tenenhaus conducts patient clinics and performs surgeries both at the Veterans Affairs Medical Center (VAMC) in La Jolla and at UCSD’s two medical centers in Hillcrest and La Jolla.
In caring for patients who undergo reconstructive surgery at UCSD, Dr. Tenenhaus works closely with the Trauma division and the departments of Orthopedic Surgery and Dermatology. He also serves as a consultant on complex pediatric cases at Children’s Hospital of San Diego.
Dr. Tenenhaus is fellowship trained in general surgery, plastic surgery, and burn surgery. He is certified to perform aesthetic and reconstructive plastic surgery. He has special training and extensive experience in surgical techniques for reconstruction after severe burns, including skin grafts, nerve grafts, bone grafts, and microvascular surgery.
In his research at UCSD, Dr. Tenenhaus studies many aspects of burns, from initial treatment of a burn wound to new techniques for reconstructive surgery and wound care during healing. He investigates the use of skin grafts and various types of artificial materials in reconstruction. He also studies mechanisms of infection after trauma, factors in aging of the skin, and factors that have an effect on wound healing.
For details of Dr. Tenenhaus’s experience, education and training, along with a list of his publications, please click on the Curriculum Vitae link under “Online Info” below.
Dr. Tenenhaus is certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery and is a Fellow of the American College of Surgeons.