North Dakota State University. Photo: Unimatic1140, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons (https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:NDSU_Campus_1.JPG)
Gallery of Rod Rohrich (Rodney Rohrich)
University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center. Photo: CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:UT_Southwestern.jpg)
University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center. Photo: CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:UT_Southwestern.jpg)
Rodney J. Rohrich is an American plastic surgeon, educator, researcher, and author known for work in rhinoplasty, facial rejuvenation, reconstructive surgery, and patient safety. He founded and chaired the Department of Plastic Surgery at UT Southwestern, led major professional organizations, edited Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, and co-authored influential surgical textbooks.
Background
Rodney J. Rohrich was born on August 5, 1953, in Eureka, South Dakota. He grew up in North Dakota and attended Zeeland High School, where he was valedictorian in 1971. His early education connected rural North Dakota with the state's expanding university and medical institutions.
Rohrich's professional identity developed within American academic medicine and surgery. His later career remained connected to North Dakota through educational philanthropy, including a scholarship endowment at the University of North Dakota intended to support medical students interested in primary care and service in rural communities.
Education
Rohrich graduated from North Dakota State University with a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1975, graduating summa cum laude. North Dakota State, founded as an agricultural college in the nineteenth century, had developed into a broad public research university serving the northern Great Plains.
He received a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of North Dakota School of Medicine in 1977 and a Doctor of Medicine degree from Baylor College of Medicine in 1979 with high honors. The University of North Dakota's medical program served the state's physician-training needs, while Baylor College of Medicine in Houston was a major academic medical institution associated with rigorous clinical and surgical education.
After medical school, Rohrich completed general surgery training at the University of Michigan Medical Center from 1979 to 1982 and plastic and reconstructive surgery training there from 1982 to 1985. He pursued additional fellowships in pediatric plastic surgery at the Radcliffe Infirmary of Oxford University in 1983, maxillofacial surgery at UT Southwestern in 1984, craniofacial surgery at the Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México in 1984, and hand and microsurgery at Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School from 1985 to 1986.
Rohrich began his academic surgical career as an instructor in surgery at Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School from 1985 to 1986. In 1986 he joined the Division of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas as an assistant professor. He subsequently served as associate professor and became professor of surgery.
In 1991 Rohrich became chair of the Division of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery at UT Southwestern. He helped lead its transition to departmental status in 1996 and served as the founding chair of the Department of Plastic Surgery through 2014. During his tenure, the department expanded its faculty and residency program and developed a national reputation for clinical care, resident education, and research.
Rohrich held academic appointments at UT Southwestern in surgery, cell biology, and orthopedics, and was named Distinguished Teaching Professor from 2011 to 2016. He also served as chief of plastic surgery at several Dallas hospitals, including Parkland Memorial Hospital, Zale Lipshy University Medical Center, Children's Medical Center, and the Dallas Veterans Affairs Medical Center.
His professional work has focused on rhinoplasty, facial cosmetic surgery, reconstructive surgery, craniofacial surgery, body contouring, hand surgery, and surgical safety. He became a founding partner of the Dallas Plastic Surgery Institute and has served as Clinical Professor of Plastic Surgery at Baylor College of Medicine. His academic output includes hundreds of peer-reviewed articles, book chapters, textbooks, instructional media, and presentations.
Rohrich served as president of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons in 2004–2005 and as president of the Association of Academic Chairmen of Plastic Surgery. He chaired the Residency Review Committee for Plastic Surgery, which oversees accreditation standards for plastic-surgery residency education in the United States. He was editor-in-chief of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery for many years and helped develop the journal's digital and open-access publishing activities.
Achievements
Rohrich helped establish UT Southwestern's Department of Plastic Surgery as one of the first dedicated academic plastic-surgery departments in the United States and led its expansion in faculty, clinical care, research, and residency education.
He developed major academic and clinical contributions in rhinoplasty, facial rejuvenation, craniofacial reconstruction, body contouring, hand surgery, and patient-safety research.
He served as editor-in-chief of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery and helped advance the journal's digital and open-access publishing programs.
He founded or supported educational and charitable initiatives, including the Rod J. Rohrich Foundation scholarship and the Alliance in Reconstructive Surgery Foundation.
(Rohrich co-edited the fourth edition of this comprehensiv...)
2024
Views
Rohrich's documented professional philosophy places patient safety, natural and balanced results, anatomical precision, and evidence-based decision-making at the center of aesthetic and reconstructive surgery. His teaching has emphasized that surgical planning should be individualized and that technical innovation should be evaluated through outcomes and safety rather than novelty alone.
Membership
Rohrich has participated in major professional and scholarly organizations serving plastic surgery, reconstructive surgery, medical education, and scientific publishing. His activities included leadership of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons, the American Board of Plastic Surgery, the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery, and the Association of Academic Chairmen of Plastic Surgery.
He was also a founding member of the Rhinoplasty Society and participated in organizations including the American College of Surgeons, the American Association of Plastic Surgeons, the American Medical Association, the American Burn Association, the International Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery, and the World Association of Medical Editors.
Served as president from 2004 to 2005 and held numerous committee and board positions.
American Society of Plastic Surgeons
,
United States
Served as director and chaired the Oral Examination Committee from 2005 to 2007.
American Board of Plastic Surgery
,
United States
2001 - 2007
Served on its board and chaired committees concerned with education, innovative procedures, outcomes research, and aesthetic-surgery training.
American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery
,
United States
Served as president and participated in national academic leadership for plastic-surgery departments.
Association of Academic Chairmen of Plastic Surgery
,
United States
Founding member and former president.
Rhinoplasty Society
,
United States
Participated as a Fellow of the College.
American College of Surgeons
,
United States
Participated in the national professional association for academic plastic surgeons.
American Association of Plastic Surgeons
,
United States
Held roles in the Plastic Surgery Caucus and specialty-section activities.
American Medical Association
,
United States
Participated in an international organization concerned with medical-journal editing and scholarly publishing.
World Association of Medical Editors
,
International
Served as a member in an organization concerned with ethical standards in scholarly publishing.
Committee on Publication Ethics
,
International
Personality
Rohrich's professional writing and teaching emphasize patient safety, individualized evaluation, careful anatomical analysis, and the integration of clinical judgment with research evidence. His long record of teaching, editorial work, and professional leadership documents a sustained commitment to surgical education.
Interests
Medical education, surgical innovation, philanthropy, and scholarly publishing
Connections
Rohrich is married to Diane L. Gibby, M.D., and they have two children. He has maintained professional and educational connections with the University of North Dakota, the University of Michigan, Baylor College of Medicine, Harvard Medical School, and UT Southwestern Medical Center.
He founded or supported charitable and educational initiatives including the Rod J. Rohrich Foundation, the Alliance in Reconstructive Surgery Foundation, and organizations assisting cancer patients, children, and medical education. His University of North Dakota scholarship endowment supports students interested in primary care and rural service.
Wife:
Diane L. Gibby
Physician and spouse of Rodney J. Rohrich.
References
Rod J. Rohrich Curriculum Vitae 2025
Curriculum vitae documenting Rohrich's education, fellowships, academic appointments, professional societies, awards, editorial work, publications, and civic activities.
Rod Rohrich: World Class Plastic Surgeon
Biographical and professional profile describing Rohrich's clinical practice, academic career, teaching, authorship, leadership, and philanthropic activities.
