Amado Ruiz-Razura, M.D., 1954 to 2008

Dr. Amado Ruiz-Razura died peacefully while surrounded by his family on April 6, 2008, in his hometown of Guadalajara, Mexico. Although his life ended at the early age of 53 due to pancreatic cancer, his humanitarian efforts and contributions to patient safety and to the field of plastic surgery were substantial. Dr. Ruiz-Razura’s extraordinary career in plastic surgery research began at the University of Guadalajara Medical School. He received the Mexican Presidential Award for the “most outstanding medical student” in 1974 and again in 1975, and received his medical degree in 1978. He then pursued research at the Baylor College of Medicine, Division of Neurological Surgery, in Houston, Texas. It was there that he realized that research and training were to be his life’s mission. Dr. Ruiz-Razura began residency at Baylor in general surgery. After 2 years, his father became ill and he moved back to Mexico, where he completed his training in plastic surgery with Dr. Jose Guerrerosantos at the Institute of Plastic Surgery of the University of Guadalajara. He subsequently returned to Houston to serve as a microsurgery fellow under the distinguished plastic surgery group of Cronin, Brauer, and Biggs. He eventually became director of the Microsurgical Training Program and Research Center in Houston under Chairman Dr. Benjamin Cohen. In that position, he organized and directed the research efforts and training of microsurgical fellows for two decades. During the past 5 years, Dr. Ruiz-Razura served as the Director of Clinical Research and Education at the Aesthetic Center for Plastic Surgery, a large private group practice for aesthetic plastic surgery in Houston. There, he broke new ground as one of the first full-time research plastic surgeons in private practice. Dr. Ruiz-Razura was a tireless and dedicated researcher. A brief summary of his research accomplishments include 12 major awards for his contributions in developing techniques, procedures, and instrumentation in plastic, reconstructive, and aesthetic surgery. He completed six books, four book chapters, 60 original articles, 23 surgical instructional videos, three instrument patents, and 318 scientific presentations in 32 different countries. He worked with his colleagues to introduce many ideas into plastic surgery. The sources of these projects ranged from the laboratory to the clinical arena. These ideas included laser-assisted microsurgical anastomosis and a microsurgical elongator to lengthen damaged blood vessels. Other projects included an evaluation of botulinum toxin type A efficacy with time, S-flap nipple reconstruction, use of Marcaine pumps in abdominoplasty, increased SMAS elevation with zygomaticus major muscle release, puncture gynecomastia excision, “pectoral etching,” “abdominal etching,” cultured fibroblast use in facial rejuvenation, “liquid face lift” combinations, bra strap defect correction with fat grafts, use of low-molecular-weight heparin in liposuction, increasing safety in liposuction and body contouring, fat grafts for treatment of scleroderma, and staged inflation for safer augmentation mastopexy. Dr. Ruiz-Razura also served as a professor of surgery in the Division of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery at the University of Texas Medical School at Houston. He was a founding member and past president of the Society of Latin American Plastic Surgeons of the United States and Canada and past treasurer of the Iberian Latin American Federation of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, the largest organization of Hispanic plastic surgeons in the world. He was deeply devoted to humanitarian efforts to benefit underprivileged patients with reconstructive challenges. For 15 years, Dr. Ruiz-Razura was co-director with Dr. Ernest Cronin of Operation San Jose, a charitable volunteer goodwill program sponsored by the Christus Foundation for Healthcare. In this capacity, Dr. Ruiz-Razura served children with cleft lip, cleft palate, and facial deformities. In addition, he organized and directed an international clinical training program to educate plastic surgeons in reconstructive microsurgery and cleft lip and palate surgery. His tireless efforts on behalf of disadvantaged patients earned him many awards from national and international societies. Dr. Ruiz-Razura was a member of the Houston Society of Plastic Surgeons, the Texas Society of Plastic Surgeons, and the Plastic Surgery Research Council, a fellow of the American College of Surgeons, a fellow of the International College of Surgeons, and member of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons, the American Society for Reconstructive Microsurgery, the World Society for Reconstructive Microsurgery, the American Society for Laser Medicine and Surgery, and the International Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery. His service to the plastic surgery community was sincere and committed. Although he was a brilliant physician, teacher, and scholar, he is best remembered as a distinguished gentleman with wisdom far greater than his years. He carried himself with dignity and exhibited the highest levels of professional behavior at all times. Still, he liked to relax and enjoy a good laugh and good fellowship with his friends. He cared deeply for family, friends, and colleagues and often spoke of special moments with his colleagues and family. He will be remembered as a teacher and scholar, a quiet leader and guide, and a shining light among us. Those who were fortunate enough to know him will miss him dearly. His peaceful nature and gentleness are an example and comfort to all. He was recently inducted as a “Distinguished Plastic Surgeon” in the Houston Society for Plastic Surgeons and was honored at the twenty-fifth anniversary of Operation San Jose for his 15 years of service and leadership. He was honored on May 15, 2008, at the Houston Society for Plastic Surgeons and inducted as Houston’s third “Distinguished Plastic Surgeon” at the twenty-fifth anniversary of Operation San Jose for his 15 years of service and leadership. He is survived by his two daughters, Carla Ruiz-Ney and Alexis Ruiz-Ney; his two sisters, Adriana Ruiz-Razura and Fabiola Ruiz-Razura; his mother, Estela Razura de Ruiz; and his fiancée, Fanny Herrera Lopez.Figure: Amado Ruiz-Razura, M.D., 1954 to 2008.

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