Huseyin Karagoz, MD, PhD

Dr. Karagoz joined our surgical faculty as Assistant Professor of Plastic Surgery after completing the Hand Surgery Fellowship, Breast & Body Contouring Fellowship and Gender Affirming Surgery Fellowship at Vanderbilt University Medical Center. He has recently been named director of the Vanderbilt Center for Lymphedema and Lipedema. His areas of clinical expertise include lymphatic surgery, hand surgery, peripheral nerve, and microsurgery.

Research
Dr. Karagoz’s research focus spans two primary areas: peripheral nerve regeneration and lymphedema/lipedema with a strong foundation in peripheral nerve injury, repair, and regeneration. He has explored nerve regeneration specifically within Vascularized Composite Allotransplantation (VCA) contexts. Notably, his work has centered on developing a nerve graft conduit to replace autogenous nerve grafts, aiming to mitigate donor-site morbidity. This effort is supported by five published articles demonstrating significant progress, alongside ongoing grant pursuits, including active funding from the American Foundation for Surgery of the Hand (AFSH) to investigate the impact of serotonergic stimulation on peripheral nerve regeneration.

Additionally, he conducted clinical research on peripheral nerve decompression surgery to alleviate diabetic neuropathy symptoms and prevent diabetic foot ulcers. This involved performing nerve decompression procedures on 24 patients with diabetic neuropathy, followed by assessing the short and long-term outcomes, such as pain level and sensation recovery. Published in the Journal of Reconstructive Microsurgery, this research concludes that peripheral nerve decompression surgery offers a viable solution for treating the debilitating symptoms of diabetic neuropathy.

Recently, he has expanded his research scope to include lymphedema and lipedema, securing a grant from the Southeastern Society of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgeons (SESPRS). This initiative underscores my dedication to advancing knowledge and treatment options in this specialized field.
 

Included among his recent publications in numerous peer-reviewed journals are: “Experimental Cranial Nerve Models in the Rat,” Reconstructive Microsurgery 2024, “Lymphedema: Current Strategies for Diagnostics and Management”, Annals of Plastic Surgery 2024, and “Peripheral Nerve Repair is Associated with Augmented Cross-Tissue Inflammation following Vascularized Composite Allotransplantation,” Frontiers in Immunology 2023.
See Dr. Karagoz’s publications on PubMed.  

Memberships, Awards and Honors
Dr. Karagoz is board-certified in Plastic, Reconstructive and Aesthetic Surgery by the European Board of Surgery and the Turkish National Board of Surgery. He is an active member of the American Society of Peripheral Nerve, the American Society for Surgery of the Hand, and the Southeastern Society of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgeons. He is also a guest physician at the American Society of Plastic Surgeons. Notably, he was awarded the Outstanding Paper Award by the Annual Meeting of American Society for Peripheral Nerve for his paper, “Serotonergic Stimulation of Optic Nerve Regeneration: A Potential Neurotherapeutic Platform for Peripheral Nerve Injury” in 2023.

 

Education
Dr. Karagoz earned his medical degree and completed his internship at the Gülhane Military Medical Academy College of Medicine in Ankara, Turkey. He received his PhD from the Ataturk University Medical School in Erzurum, Turkey.  After attending as an Associate Professor of Plastic Surgery at the Gülhane Training and Research Hospital in Istanbul, Turkey, he completed the aforementioned Hand Surgery Fellowship, Breast and Body Contouring Fellowship, and Gender Affirming Surgery Fellowship in Plastic Surgery at Vanderbilt University Medical Center.

EMAIL:  huseyin.karagoz@vumc.org
WEBSITE:  Department of Plastic Surgery