ALERT CONTENT PLACEHOLDER

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Summary

Dr.Baltzer is the Head of the Division of Plastic Surgery at UHN and Director of the Hand Program at Toronto Western Hospital. She is a Hand Surgeon and Clinical Investigator at the University Health Network. Clinical Interests: Peripheral Nerve and Hand Surgery. Dr. Baltzer completed her Master of Science in Medical Biophysics at the University of Toronto. Medical Residency with the Division of Plastic and Reconstruction Surgery, University of Toronto and the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, Hand and Microsurgery Fellowship. Her post-graduate degree is in Health Services Research in the Institute for Health Policy, Management, and Evaluation at the University of Toronto.

Research

  • ​Health care utilization and population health economics among hand trauma populations & Translational Research Program focusing on basilar thumb arthritis.

Team Members

  • Daniel Antflek, Clinical Research Coordinator
  • Anusha Ratneswaran, Post-doctoral fellow
  • Helal Endisha, Post-doctoral fellow
  • Helene Retrouvey, Plastic Surgery Resident
  • Adriana Dekirmendjian, Medical Student
  • Isra Hussein, Medical Student/MSc Candidate
  • Celine Yeung, Medical Student
  • Shawn Khan, Medical Student

Keywords

Basal thumb osteoarthritis; hand trauma; cost analysis; nerve transfer; digit replantation

Profiles

Summary

Dr. Jonathan Persitz is a dual fellowship-trained orthopaedic surgeon specializing in hand and wrist surgery at Toronto Western Hospital. He is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Surgery at the University of Toronto and a Clinician Investigator at the Krembil Research Institute. Dr. Persitz completed his orthopaedic surgery residency at Yitzhak Shamir Medical Center in Israel (Tel Aviv University), followed by a fellowship in upper extremity surgery at the same institution, and then advanced fellowship training in hand, wrist, and peripheral nerve surgery at the Toronto Western Hospital's Hand Program. His clinical interests include acute wrist trauma, wrist arthroscopy, complex reconstruction for distal radius malunions, scaphoid non-unions, and carpal instability, as well as the management of base of thumb arthritis and orthoplastic reconstruction for challenging hand and wrist injuries.

Research​

  • Clinical outcomes in wrist trauma and post-traumatic reconstruction, with a focus on arthroscopic techniques.
  • Population-level outcomes for hand and wrist conditions, using administrative health data to evaluate patterns of care, complications, and revision surgery to support health system improvement.

Program​

Specialty

Surgery - Hand
Surgery - Orthopaedic

Clinic

Academic Affiliation

Assistant Professor, Department of Surgery - University of Toronto

Education and Training

  • Orthopaedic Surgery Residency, Division of Orthopaedic Surgery, Yitzhak Shamir Medical Center, Affiliated with Tel Aviv University, Tzrifin, Israel.
  • Hand and Upper Extremity Surgery Clinical Fellowship, Division of Orthopaedic Surgery, Yitzhak Shamir Medical Center, Affiliated with Tel Aviv University, Tzrifin, Israel.
  • Hand and Peripheral Nerve Clinical Fellowship, The Hand Microsurgery & Peripheral Nerves Surgery Department, Inselspital, Bern, Switzerland.
  • Hand, Wrist and Peripheral Nerve Surgery Clinical Fellowship, Division of Plastic Reconstructive and Aesthetic Surgery, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.

Awards

  • Medical School – Summa Cum Laude
  • Outstanding Intern Award - Internship at Yitzhak Shamir (Assaf Harofeh) Medical Center, Tzrifin, Israel.
  • Outstanding Resident Scholarship for observership at the Hand and Wrist Unit, NHS Chelsea and Westminster Hospital, London, England.
  • The Israeli Orthopaedic Association Award - Outstanding Lead (highest score) In The National Orthopaedic Board Oral Examination.
  • First Place McMurrich Award - Validation of The Lift-Off Screw Technique in Patients Undergoing Corrective Osteotomy for Malunited Distal Radius Fractures.
    University of Toronto, Department of Surgery Gallie Day 2023 E-Poster Contest, Toronto, Canada.
  • First Place Joseph H. Boyes Award - Validation of The Lift-Off Screw Technique in Patients Undergoing Corrective Osteotomy for Malunited Distal Radius Fractures.
    The American Society for Surgery of The Hand Meeting 2023, Toronto, Canada.

Lanuages

Hebrew

Profile

Summary

Dr. Kevin Zuo is a trained Plastic Surgeon and Assistant Professor in The Hand Program at the Toronto Western Hospital who specializes in Hand Surgery, Microsurgery, Peripheral Nerve Injury and Trauma. Dr. Zuo completed his undergraduate degree at the University of Alberta, his Medical Residency at the University of Toronto and completed a Hand and Upper Extremity Fellowship at Harvard University in Boston, Massachusetts. Clinical Interest: Reconstruction of osseous non-union or avascular necrosis in the extremities with vascularized bone grafts and/or microsurgical techniques. Management of advanced wrist arthritis following ligamentous injuries or bony injuries such as scaphoid non-union. Kienböck's disease of the lunate and distal radius malunion. Improving functions in paralyzed upper extremities with nerve transfers and spastic upper extremities with hyper-selective neuroectomies. Treatment of facial paralysis and facial nerve dysfunction, such as after Bell's palsy or acoustic neuroma​.

Outside of work, he enjoys spending time with his wife and son, travelling, practicing Spanish and playing basketball.

Research​

  • ​Novel Methods of musculoskeletal imaging, peripheral nerve regeneration, vascularized composite allotransplantation, and patient-reported outcomes after hand surgery and facial paralysis surgery.

Specialty

Dr. Zuo is a hand, wrist and peripheral nerve surgeon. He has specific interests and expertise in:

  1. Reconstruction of osseous non-union (pseudarthrosis) or avascular necrosis in the upper extremity with vascularized bone grafts and/or microsurgical techniques.
  2. Management of advanced wrist arthritis following ligamentous injuries or bony injuries such as scaphoid non-union, Kienbock's disease of the lunate and distal radius malunion
  3. Treatment of facial paralysis and facial nerve dysfunction, such as after Bell's palsy or acoustic neuroma resection.

Languages

Dr. Zuo is fluent in Mandarin Chinese and French.

Profile

Summary

Dr. Ryan Paul is an Orthopaedic Surgeon and Fellowship Director of the Hand, Wrist, and Peripheral Nerve Fellowship at Toronto Western Hospital. He is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Surgery at the University of Toronto and practices within the Divisions of Orthopaedic and Plastic, Reconstructive and Aesthetic Surgery.

Dr. Paul completed his undergraduate studies at McMaster University and earned his medical degree from the University of Western Ontario. He completed his Orthopaedic Surgery residency at the University of Alberta, followed by advanced fellowship training in Hand and Upper Extremity Surgery and Sports Medicine at the University of Toronto. He provides expert clinical care for complex wrist and hand trauma, post-traumatic reconstruction, and minimally invasive surgery, serving both general and elite athletic populations.

Research

  • Clinical outcomes in wrist trauma (including distal radius fractures, minimally invasive surgical techniques and post-traumatic reconstruction)
  • Quality improvement and system-level research
  • Machine learning and AI-based clinical decision tools
  • Co-founder of the Toronto Wrist Research Group, fostering multidisciplinary research and innovation
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