Donato LaRossa

Donato D. LaRossa (born 1941) is a medical doctor and Professor Emeritus of Surgery at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine.

Career

The following is an obituary found in Ovid Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery Issue: Volume 134(2), August 2014, p 374–376

Donato Dominic LaRossa was born on October 28, 1941, in Plainfield, New Jersey, the oldest of three children, to Dominic and Annina LaRossa. He graduated from Plainfield High School in 1959 and Seton Hall University cum laude in 1963. The following year, he married Virginia Spaldo, and they raised three daughters: Victoria Ann, Wendelyn, and Nicole. He graduated AOA from Georgetown University School of Medicine in 1967 and trained in general surgery at the University of Pennsylvania. After a chief residency year at the Milton Hershey Medical Center, he returned to Penn in 1972 for plastic surgery training under Herndon B. Lehr.

After completing his plastic surgery fellowship in 1974, Major LaRossa spent 2 years in the Army serving as assistant chief of plastic and reconstructive surgery at the Fitzsimons Army Medical Center, in Denver, Colorado, where he started the cleft palate clinic. He was recruited back to Penn by Herndon Lehr and Ralph Hamilton and was honorably discharged in 1976 with an Army Commendation Medal. Don began his career at Penn as assistant professor in the Division of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania and the Presbyterian Medical Center, and also as chief of the Division of Plastic Surgery at the Philadelphia Veterans Affairs Medical Center. His early research and clinical work at Penn focused on the advancement of microsurgical techniques, and he established the first microsurgical teaching laboratory at Penn in 1981. Working with Ralph Hamilton, he helped to pioneer the clinical application of microsurgical techniques at Penn for replantation and microsurgical reconstruction. He was a charter member of the American Society for Reconstructive Microsurgery.

Don also joined Peter Randall at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, where over the next 33 years he became well respected for his expertise in pediatric plastic surgery, including pediatric breast, congenital nevi, and conjoined twin separation, in addition to cleft surgery. He succeeded Peter Randall as the director of the cleft lip and palate program in 1980 and played a critical role in establishing this interdisciplinary team (Fig. 2). He was chief of the Division of Plastic Surgery at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia from 2001 until 2007, at which time he transitioned to emeritus professor. He retired from surgical practice in 2009 but remained an active participant on the cleft team for many years, caring for his long-standing cleft families as well as mentoring his colleagues and trainees.

Don LaRossa is best known for his artistry and passion for cleft surgery, as well as for his extensive contributions to the field of cleft care. He authored over 76 papers and 22 book chapters, including more than 13 book chapters on cleft lip and palate. He is known for popularizing his modification of the Furlow double-opposing z-plasty for primary cleft palate repair. He was an early advocate of primary cleft rhinoplasty and published extensively on the nuances of cleft lip repair. His own modification of the Mohler unilateral lip repair utilized curved incisions and a small white roll triangle, better known by his trainees as the “Don triangle,” to restore and preserve the normal curved lines of the lip anatomy. Cumulatively, his publications on cleft lip and palate represent a substantial contribution to the body of literature on the diagnosis and treatment of cleft conditions.

Don’s dedication to cleft care took him around the world with Operation Smile, Rotoplast, and Alliance for Smiles. Over the course of his career, he participated in numerous missions throughout South America, India, China, the Philippines, and the Middle East. He became a member of Rotoplast in 2005 and served on the Board of Directors, the Medical Committee, and as chairman of the International Committee.

Don LaRossa had a long history of service and leadership within the American Cleft Palate–Craniofacial Association, serving as its president in 2003. He served on countless committees, including the Executive Council, the board of the Cleft Palate Foundation, and also as the plastic surgery section editor for the Cleft Palate–Craniofacial Journal. In 2014, he was posthumously awarded the prestigious Distinguished Service Award to recognize and honor his extensive contributions to this organization. Beyond the American Cleft Palate–Craniofacial Association, Don was a member of more than 17 local, national, and international medical societies, and held leadership roles within many of these.

Don lost his wife in 2003 and his daughter Wendelyn in 2007. In 2010, Don married the second love of his life, Anne Congdon. Together they traveled on cleft missions, patronized the arts, and enjoyed their grandchildren. He is survived by two daughters, four stepchildren, his sister and brother, and 17 grandchildren.

Don LaRossa has had an immeasurable and long-lasting influence within the plastic surgery and cleft communities as a mentor and as a clinician, and will be sorely missed. His teachings live on in the practices and accomplishments of his many trainees, and his spirit, in the smiles of the many children worldwide whose lives he touched.

A true gentleman, Don LaRossa was universally respected and admired by his colleagues, trainees, and patients for his technical skill and clinical acumen as well as for his integrity, his humble demeanor, and his compassion. With endless patience, he taught the nuances of surgical technique to generations of residents and fellows at Penn and Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. His career-long dedication to teaching is recognized annually by the Don LaRossa Teaching Award, chosen by the graduating chief residents for the faculty member who has contributed most to their education.

Don’s artistry extended beyond the operating room to the studio, where he enjoying painting and sculpting. Over the past two decades, he focused on stone carving and executed many pieces in marble, alabaster, and soapstone.

Don lost his wife in 2003 and his daughter Wendelyn in 2007. In 2010, Don married the second love of his life, Anne Congdon. Together they traveled on cleft missions, patronized the arts, and enjoyed their grandchildren (Fig. 3). He is survived by two daughters, four stepchildren, his sister and brother, and 17 grandchildren.

Don LaRossa has had an immeasurable and long-lasting influence within the plastic surgery and cleft communities as a mentor and as a clinician, and will be sorely missed. His teachings live on in the practices and accomplishments of his many trainees, and his spirit, in the smiles of the many children worldwide whose lives he touched.

A blizzard came through southeastern Pennsylvania on January 21, 2014, bringing with it the beauty, wonder, and silent peace of heavy snowfall. On this day, plastic surgery lost one of its most respected and admired teachers, and a true giant in the field of cleft care. Don LaRossa passed away at the age of 72 in his home in Malvern, Pennsylvania, surrounded by his beloved family

Notes and references ==

http://ovidsp.tx.ovid.com/sp-3.25.0a/ovidweb.cgi?