By Denise Mann

Meet one of PSP’s new advisors, Duke’s Julie Woodward, MD.

Meet Julie Woodward, MD. She is the chief of oculoplastic and reconstructive surgery service at Duke WoodwardUniversity Medical Center in Durham, NC, and one of our newest Editorial Advisory Board members. Her expertise in oculoplastic surgery makes her the perfect add to our board, and her input will make sure that this group of specialists is well-represented by Plastic Surgery Practice.

While Woodward may be new to our board, she is well-known and respected among multispecialty peers and widely quoted by colleagues—many of whom she helped to train. Woodward sat down with PSP to discuss the joys of teaching, and why, when it comes to yoga, she likes it hot.

1. Procedure you perform most often?

Since I am an oculofacial surgeon, blepharoplasty is my most common surgical procedure, with ptosis repair and ablative fractional resurfacing as close runners-up.

2. Procedure you perform least often?

Hmmm. I forgot … That’s how rare it is.

3. Favorite part of academic practice?

Teaching! I consider it a privilege to teach such enthusiastic, talented, and intelligent young physicians. By passing on my knowledge and skills, I can indirectly help patients well beyond the scope of just my practice. It is also exciting to know that by training other physicians, you are altering the course of their lives for the better as well.

4. Favorite procedure?

Laser blepharoplasty. Nothing is as much fun as performing a blepharoplasty with a laser, because it is like working with a magic wand. It is precise, elegant, quick, and nearly bloodless.

5. Most challenging procedure?

Thyroid decompressions, because they involve complicated removal of bone adjacent to the patient’s dura over the brain and surrounding the infraorbital nerve. They are important for both functional and cosmetic rehabilitation of these patients. Now the bone can be removed with the Sonopet ultrasound, which has significantly less risk of damage to these surrounding structures than a drill would have.

6. Healthiest habit?

I do hot yoga at least 3 days per week. I was starting to have upper and lower back pain that a physical therapist told me was from hunching over a surgical patient 20 to 30 hours per week. Now the back pain is eliminated, and I feel strong. Crow, side crow, headstands …
all easy now.

7. Least healthiest habit?

Snowboarding. What a high! At least I haven’t broken a bone yet, so my insurance company still loves me.

8. Greatest professional accomplishment?

Read more from Julie Woodward, MD.


How to Deal with Unhappy or Difficult Patients  

The Aesthetic Teacher

Fulfilling my goals of patient care, teaching, and publishing medical papers at the same time as taking care of my three kids and husband are all grand accomplishments to me.

9. Charities of record?

As a Duke physician, we have a contract to serve all those in need within Durham County with no insurance. We treat patients every month, gratis, through this program. Also, Telluride Adaptive Sports helped me learn to snowboard with an old injury by providing excellent lessons and a device called a swivler. This group teaches many wounded warriors how to ski and snowboard no matter what the injury—from blindness to post-traumatic stress disorder to limb amputation. These veterans are often disabled and poor, so this program pays for their flights, lodging, and lessons. This is a real treat for our soldiers.

10. Technology you could not live without?

Without a doubt, my CO2 laser.

Denise Mann is the editor of Plastic Surgery Practice. She can be reached at [email protected].