About Dr. Bolitho

After observing his father's work as a physician in a South African missionary hospital, Dr. Bolitho knew no other dream than medicine. "I was impressed by the impact of simple medical interventions on patients' quality of life," says Dr. Bolitho. Since then, he has explored the practice of general, reconstructive and aesthetic surgery.

Dr. Bolitho received his medical degree from the University of the Witwatersrand in Johannesburg. As a medical student he was awarded the Harwood Nash medal for Surgery, the Society of Anesthetists' prize for Anesthesia, the prize for Gynecology, and the Protea Surgical prize for the final year medical student to demonstrate the most clinical ability. He graduated cum laude in 1986.

He then embarked on general surgical and orthopedic surgical training prior to commencing plastic surgery. During this preliminary period, he elected to dedicate himself to research, in the same laboratory where Dr. Christiaan Barnard performed his early research. His primary focus was in the field of liver transplantation and microvascular surgery. Following a successful period in the laboratory, he received numerous awards including the Lennox Gordon prize for the most distinguished publication by a resident in training, the Bunny Angorn prize for the best resident presentation by the Surgical Research Society, the Association of Surgeon's medal for the best publication by a resident, and the George Sacks prize for outstanding postgraduate research. The culmination was the award of the degree of Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) by thesis. The thesis involved study of the ability of the liver to regenerate following transplantation.

He spent five years completing plastic surgery residency training at the University of Cape Town, Oxford University in the UK, and at Emory University in Atlanta. After completion of plastic surgery residency, he completed fellowships in hand surgery and surgical oncology. He was later invited to join the esteemed faculty at Emory University, in Atlanta, where he was appointed Assistant Professor in the Division of Plastic Surgery. During this time he was awarded the prestigious Teacher of the Year award, and was awarded the best (joint) author for a paper at the South Eastern Society of Plastic Surgeons meeting.

In June 2000, he entered private practice in La Jolla, CA where he currently practices. He serves as Voluntary Associate Professor in the Division of Plastic Surgery University of San Diego (non-salaried).

Dr.Bolitho is certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery, and the equivalent plastic surgery boards in Britain, Canada and his native South Africa. As such, he is the only plastic surgeon in America to have achieved quadruple board certification in plastic surgery. He is a Fellow of the American College of Surgeons (FACS), the Royal College of Surgeons of Canada (FRCSC), a member of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS), the American Society of Aesthetic Plastic surgeons (ASAPS), and the American Society of Bariatric Plastic Surgeons (ASBPS).

His clinical fellowships in hand and microsurgery, aesthetic and reconstructive breast surgery, and surgical oncology prepared him for his current practice. In addition to aesthetic surgery, he maintains an active interest in breast reconstruction after mastectomy. His hospital affiliations include Scripps Memorial La Jolla, Sharp Memorial, and Mary Birch Hospital.

He has made numerous contributions to textbooks and journals on plastic surgery in the fields of pediatric hand surgery, facial aesthetic surgery and tumor reconstruction.

From his La Jolla practice, Dr. Bolitho performs aesthetic, breast, hand and microvascular surgery. He combines enthusiasm for his chosen field with a wealth of surgical training to deliver quality care to all his patients.

Education

• MBBCh (Cum Laude) University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa, 1986
• Diploma in Primary Emergency Care, 1989
• PhD thesis in liver transplantation, 1991
• General and Plastic surgery residency, University of Cape Town, 1990 - 1995
• Fellowship in Hand surgery, University of Cape Town, 1996
• Plastic surgery training at the Radcliffe Infirmary, Oxford United Kingdom, 1997.
• Fellowship in Plastic surgery, Emory University, Atlanta 1997-1998
• Fellowship in Surgical Oncology, Emory University, Atlanta 1998-1999

Board Certifications

• Diplomate, American Board of Plastic Surgery
• Board certification in plastic surgery in Britain (General Medical Council, UK).
• Board certification in plastic surgery in Canada (Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons).
• Board certification in plastic surgery in South Africa (College of Medicine of South Africa).
• Diplomate, Emergency Care (College of Medicine of South Africa).

Memberships

• Member, American Society of Plastic Surgeons
• Member, American Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons
• Member, American Society of Bariatric Plastic Surgeons
• Member, California Society of Plastic Surgeons
• Member, San Diego Society of Plastic Surgeons
• Fellow, American College of Surgeons
• Fellow, Royal College of Surgeons of Canada
• Fellow, College of Surgeons of South Africa
• Full registration, General Medical Council, United Kingdom
• American Medical Association
• San Diego County Medical Association

Hospital Affiliations

• Scripps Memorial Hospital, La Jolla, CA
• Mary Birch Hospital for Women, San Diego
• Sharp Memorial Hospital
• Children's Hospital of San Diego

Online Profiles:

• The American Society of Plastic Surgeons
• The American Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons
• The International Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery
• California Society of Plastic Surgeons
• LookingYourBest.com
• Dr. Bolitho is an expert plastic surgeon on RealSelf.

Publications written by Dr. Bolitho:

Textbooks

• Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery
  Publisher: Lawren Products
  2 volumes, 674 pages
  An overview of plastic and reconstructive surgery, to aid in the preparation for board examinations in Plastic Surgery.

Textbook Chapters

• Compressive neuropathies in the upper extremity. DG Bolitho. Emedicine online textbook of Plastic Surgery Aesthetic blepharoplasty and ancillary techniques. P Cajano MD, M Fossarello, MD (Eds).
• Tendon transfers in Hand Surgery. DG Bolitho. Emedicine online textbook of Plastic Surgery.
  An overview of plastic and reconstructive surgery, to aid in the preparation for the final fellowship in Plastic Surgery.
• Flexor tendon injuries. DG Bolitho. Emedicine online textbook of Plastic Surgery.
• Extensor tendon injuries. DG Bolitho. Emedicine online textbook of Plastic Surgery.
• Congenital hand surgery. DG Bolitho. Emedicine online textbook of Plastic Surgery.

Journals

• Operative Techniques in Plastic Surgery. Quality Medical Publishing. Guest editor of edition entitled "Pediatric hand surgery".

Publications

• Liver regeneration after hepatic ischaemia and reduced liver autotransplantation in the rat. Glynn Bolitho, Gert Engelbrecht, Zoe Lotz, Marilyn Tyler, Heather McLeod, Kaz Jaskiewicz, Rosemary Hickman. Hepatology 1993; 17: 273-279.
• Does hepatic ischaemia influence hepatic regeneration in rats? DG Bolitho, GHC Engelbrecht, Zoe Lotz, Marilyn Tyler, Rosemary Hickman, J Terblanche. S Afr J Surg 1991; 29 ; 168.
• Integrins and connective tissue matrix proteins may regulate liver regeneration. C Tilbury, K Jaskiewicz, S Robson, M Voigt, DG Bolitho, D Kahn, R Hickman, R Kirsch. S Afr Med J 1992; 81: 113-114.
• Hepatocyte proliferation and DNA synthesis after reduced-size liver auto- and allotransplantation in rats. DG Bolitho, GHC Engelbrecht, Zoe Lotz, Marilyn Tyler, Rosemary Hickman, J Terblanche. S Afr J Surg 1992: 30; 137.
• Regeneration after in situ flushing of partially hepatectomized rat livers. DG Bolitho, GHC Engelbrecht, Z Lotz, M Tyler, H McLeod, R Hickman. S Afr J Surg 1995: 33; 78-81.
• The superficial temporal venous island flap for eyebrow reconstruction. DG Bolitho, DA Hudson. Eur J Plast Surg 1996.
• Primary epineural repair of the median nerve in children. DA Hudson, DG Bolitho, K Hodgetts. J Hand Surg (Br) 1997; 22(1); 54-56.
• Primary epineurial repair of the ulnar nerve in children. DG Bolitho, M Boustred, DA Hudson, K Hodgetts. J Hand Surg (Am) 1999: 24(1); 16-20.
• Septic arthritis of the small joints of the hand: management and prognosis. AM Boustred, M Singer, DA Hudson, DG Bolitho. Ann Plast Surg 1999: 42(6); 623-629.
• Negative-pressure dressings in the treatment of hidradenitis suppuritiva. ET Elwood, DG Bolitho. Ann Plast Surg 2001; 46(1); 49-51.
• Breast cancer after augmentation mammaplasty: Treatment by skin-sparing mastectomy and immediate reconstruction. Grant W Carlson MD, Bridgett Moore MD, James F. Thornton MD, Mark Elliott MD, Glynn Bolitho MD. Plast Recontr Surg 2001:107 (3); 687-692.
• Results of immediate breast reconstruction after skin-sparing mastectomy. Carlson GW, Losken A, Moore B, Thronton J, Elliot M, Bolitho G, Denson D. Ann Plast Surg 2001: 46(3); 222-228.
• Phlegmasia cerulea dolens of the upper extremity. DG Bolitho, E Elwood, Roberts F. Ann Plast Surg 2000; 45(6); 644-646.
• Endoscopic harvesting of four muscle flaps: safe and effective techniques. Seify H, Sigurdsen L, Sherif A, Refky M, Bolitho G, Bostwick J, Jones G. Ann Plast Surg (in press).