A stunned patient woke to find his midface on the floor — and a team of reconstructive surgeons brought it back to life. (Original episode: 2 hours → Condensed: 4 minutes.) Hosts Sal Di Stefano, Adam Schafer and Justin Andrews sit with Dr. Benson Pulikkottil to unpack microvascular reconstruction, staged surgery after severe trauma, burn care physiology, nutrition strategies, hand and nerve repair, and the practical use of leeches, tissue expanders, rib cartilage and free flaps. Learn key takeaways on reconstructive surgery, wound healing, protein-driven burn recovery, rehabilitation, and emerging tools like peptides and tissue engineering — plus the mindset, training and teamwork that make these recoveries possible. Hear how breathing, smell and identity were restored, and why “if the window’s open, you jump through it.” Listen now to get the key ideas in minutes.
