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Dr. Zaidi's practice specializes in treating vascular disease with comprehensive treatment options including medical management, minimally invasive endovascular procedures including balloon angioplasty, atherectomy, stent procedures, and open surgical repair including bypass. His interests also include carotid disease, peripheral arterial disease, aortic aneurysms, and complex venous disease. Dr. Zaidi also provides comprehensive dialysis access care including fistula creation and maintenance.

Dr. Ranasinghe’s interests in head and neck cancer surgery include thyroid and parathyroid surgery, oral cavity and oropharynx cancer, larynx cancer, skin cancer, salivary gland, and microvascular reconstructive surgery.

Dr. Ranasinghe grew up in New York and South Carolina before attending Clemson University where he was a member of the Clemson Honors College and graduated Summa Cum Laude with a BS in Microbiology. He attended medical school at the Medical University of South Carolina where he was elected to the Alpha Omega Alpha Honor Society.

Dr. Ranasinghe completed his residency in Otorhinolaryngology – Head & Neck Surgery at the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He then completed a fellowship in Head and Neck Oncology and Microvascular Surgery at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center.

Dr. Ranasinghe believes in a multidisciplinary team approach to head and neck cancer care that provides individualized care plans for each patient. His research interests include nonmelanoma skin cancer treatment and examining sociodemographic factors that impact cancer outcomes.

Outside of patient care, Dr. Ranasinghe enjoys cooking, skiing, motorsports, and watching college football.

Dr. Cox comes to UTMB after 13 years at Duke University Medical Center in North Carolina. Prior to that, he spent 13 years on active duty in the United States Air Force, with multiple wartime deployments. He is well-known for handling the most severe and unusual cases of arterial and venous disease, utilizing minimally invasive and traditional surgical treatment options. His academic focus has been the study and implementation of novel endovascular procedures, initially in a combat setting, and subsequently for high-risk patients with aneurysmal and arterial occlusive disease. Dr. Cox has a strong interest medical education and the development of programs to train highly competent vascular surgeons that can perform the full range of vascular procedures. He enjoys working with the talented and compassionate vascular surgical team at UTMB, and coordinating professionals with many areas of expertise to deliver optimal treatment for patients with vascular conditions.

Interests: Complex aneurysmal disease including thoraco-abdominal aneurysms, branched aortic endografting and re-do aortic procedures. Salvage of vascular surgery complications such as infected bypass grafts, endoleaks, and endovascular device failure. High-risk carotid surgery. Vascular Trauma. Mesenteric arterial disease. Thoracic outlet syndrome. Creation of dialysis access in patients with multiple failed fistulas. Central venous occlusions. Congenital vascular anomalies, and unusual vascular conditions in young patients. Vascular resection and reconstruction during cancer operations. Limb salvage options for critical limb ischemia in high-risk patients. Exposure of the lumbar spine for neurosurgical and orthopedic procedures. Device trials for novel endovascular and surgical therapies.

Dr. Whittington grew up in Austin, Texas, attended Baylor University earning a BS in Neuroscience before obtaining his medical degree at Texas A&M College of Medicine. He completed his general surgery residency at the University of Tennessee Medical Center in Knoxville, Tennessee followed by a vascular surgery fellowship at the University of Wisconsin in Madison, Wisconsin.

He has returned to Texas with a focus on treating the broad field of vascular disease with special interest in both open and endovascular surgical repair of complex aortic pathology, renal and mesenteric ischemia, carotid disease, dialysis access, and peripheral arterial disease.

Throughout her career, Dr. Phillips has received a number of accolades. She has been included in the Best Doctors in America database, was listed in the Guide to America's Top Surgeons, was named a Texas "Top Doc" and has been listed in Super Doctors®. She was honored with the "Young at Heart" award from the American Society of Plastic Surgeons for her membership, and the Distinguished Service Award from the Plastic Surgery Foundation.

Linda G. Phillips, M.D., is the Truman G. Blocker, Jr., M.D. Distinguished Chair; Chief, Division of Plastic Surgery in the Department of Surgery at the University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston, Texas. She went to Medical School at the University of Chicago, Pritzker School of Medicine, Chicago, Illinois. Dr. Phillips also did her Residency at University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, at Wayne State University, Detroit, Michigan (Plastic Surgery); and Northwestern University, Chicago, Illinois (General Surgery). Dr. Phillips specializes in the healing of difficult wounds; body contouring after massive weight loss; reconstructive and aesthetic breast surgery; cosmetic facial and body contouring of all types. Dr. Phillips has Research Projects in Biology of surgical infection; use of pharmaceuticals to decrease postoperative nausea and vomiting; complications/outcomes in body contouring after massive weight loss.

Dr. Phillips is a member of 25 professional organizations, including the American Surgical Association, the Plastic Surgery Research Council, the American Society of Plastic & Reconstructive Surgeons, the Society of University Surgeons, the American Society of Maxillofacial Surgeons, the American Association for Hand Surgery, the Plastic Surgery Educational Foundation, the American Council of Academic Plastic Surgeons and the Singleton Surgical Society. She is a fellow of both the American Association of Plastic Surgeons and the American College of Surgeons. She has served as President or Chair of the Association of Women Surgeons, the Plastic Surgery Research Council, the Residency Review Committee for Plastic Surgery, the American Board of Plastic Surgery, the Plastic Surgery Foundation, the American Council of Academic Surgeons, and the Texas Society of Plastic Surgeons.

 Provider is LGBTQIA+ Responsive

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Dr. Ruth L. Bush is a professor of vascular surgery and the Associate Dean for Educational Affairs at the John Sealy School of Medicine-UTMB. She is board certified in both general and vascular surgery. She has over two decades of experience in vascular surgery and undergraduate (UME) and graduate medical education (GME). Prior to joining the faculty at UTMB, she was the founding Associate Dean for Medical Education and Professor at the University of Houston College of Medicine. She has also held leadership roles at Baylor College of Medicine and Texas A&M College of Medicine where she was the former Vice Dean for Academic Affairs, holding tenured professor rank at both institutions.

A native North Carolinian, Dr. Bush graduated from R.J. Reynolds High School in Winston-Salem. She earned her bachelor’s degree from Cornell University, medical degree from University of North Carolina (UNC) School of Medicine, juris doctorate from William Taft Law School, and masters in public health from UNC Gillings School of Global Public Health. Dr. Bush completed residency at the UC Davis Medical Center in Sacramento, CA where she also spent an additional two years doing vascular surgery research. Following completion of general surgery residency, she completed a vascular surgery fellowship at Emory University Hospital in Atlanta, GA. She practiced in the VA healthcare system for 18 years and recently retired from federal service. She also has practiced in private and academic settings. Over the past decade, her clinical practice has focused primarily on venous disorders including chronic venous insufficiency, venous ulcerations, and post-thrombotic syndrome.

She is a member of several prestigious professional organizations and was elected in 2018 to the American College of Surgeons Academy of Master Surgeon Educators. Additionally, the Society for Vascular Surgery and the American Venous Forum have awarded her Distinguished Fellow status. Dr. Bush is past president of the Vascular and Endovascular Surgery Society (formerly known as the PVSS) and is president-elect (2023) of the American Venous Forum. She is editor-in-chief of the Journal of Vascular Surgery – Venous and Lymphatic Disorders.

She has authored over 150 peer-reviewed articles, >35 book chapters, and is on the editorial board of several medical journals. Dr. Bush has been an invited speaker and led workshops/courses at more than 200 national and international programs. She also is involved with her community as a volunteer at Dress for Success Houston, as a member of the American Heart Association’s Circle of Red which promotes cardiovascular health in women, and as a global volunteer to Haiti providing much needed primary care and general surgical procedures. She is passionate about medical education at all levels, patient care and barriers to care, and studying and improving health disparities in venous care.

Dr. Konofaos is Professor of Plastic Surgery at the Division of Plastic Surgery at the University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston. Dr. Konofaos received his MD degree in the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki in Thessaloniki Greece. Dr Konofaos obtained the Greek Plastic Surgery Boards in 2010 and the European Board of Plastic Reconstructive and Aesthetic Surgery (EBOPRAS) in 2014. He completed a 2-year fellowship training in brachial plexus, facial paralysis and peripheral nerve reconstruction at Eastern Virginia Medical School in Norfolk Virginia. Dr Konofaos also completed fellowship training in Microsurgery (1 year) and in Pediatric Plastic and Craniofacial Surgery (2 years) at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center.

Dr. Konofaos’ clinical practice focuses on peripheral nerve microsurgery (with emphasis on facial paralysis, brachial plexus, migraines and surgical treatment of pain) in pediatric plastic surgery and craniofacial surgery along with reconstructive microsurgery and facial aesthetics. Dr. Konofaos is a member of national and international Plastic Surgery associations and several Plastic Surgery committees related to Plastic Surgery research and education. Dr Konofaos serves on multiple editorial boards for plastic surgical journals, and he is actively involved in clinical research. Dr Konofaos has published over 130 peer-reviewed articles and co-edited several book chapters.

Jill Resendez, MSN, APRN, AGACNP-BC is a board- certified Nurse Practitioner with the Division of Plastic Surgery at UTMB. She completed her Masters of Science in Nursing from The University of Texas at Arlington. She provides patient care at the UTMB Health Plastic Surgery & Aesthetics Town Center, Plastic Surgery Specialty clinic in League City, MD Anderson League City and University Health Clinics in Galveston. Jill specializes in non-surgical aesthetic procedures such as Botox, Dermal fillers, lasers, nipple areola tattooing for breast cancer survivors, treatment of complex wounds, new plastic surgery consultations and assist in the management of post operative patients.

Orepheus M. Hamilton is a Nurse Practitioner in the Department of Surgery at the University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston, TX. She is board certified by the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners (AANP) and is licensed by the Texas Board of Nursing. As a member of the UTMB Department of Surgery, Ms. Hamilton works in the areas of colorectal and general surgery.

Ms. Hamilton completed her Bachelor of Science in Nursing in 2012 at the Chamberlain College of Nursing in Downers Grove, IL. She went on to complete the Adult/Gerontology Primary Care Nurse Practitioner (AGPCNP) program in 2015 at the Maryville University in St. Louis, MO. As an AGPCNP student, she performed clinical rotations at Memorial Hermann-Southeast in Houston, TX.

Ms. Hamilton has over 17 years of nursing experience and is also a member of the American Nurses Association, District TX09.