Raising of Microvascular Flaps

Klaus-Dietrich Wolff is Professor and Head of the Department of Maxillofacial Surgery, Klinikum rechts der Isar, Technische Universität München (TUM), Munich, Germany, since 2007. After studying medicine and dentistry at Free University Berlin, Professor Wolff completed his PhD in both subjects in 1987 and acquired his postdoctoral teaching qualification (Habilitation) in 1994. Subsequently he was appointed adjunct professor at FU Berlin in 1999. This was followed by a position at Ruhr University Bochum, where he held the Chair of Oral and Maxillofacial Plastic Surgery from 2000 to 2007 and the post of Medical Director from 2004 to 2007. He moved to TUM in 2007. Professor Wolff researches in the area of plastic reconstructive facial surgery with the aim of improving the microsurgical transfer of tissue through a better understanding of the construction, physiology, and healing of tissue transplants. He introduced an extracorporal perfusion system in the specialty of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery intended to expand the scope of reconstruction even in the most difficult situations. Moreover, he developed the national guidelines for the treatment of oral cavity carcinoma. He has been a recipient of the Martin Wassmund Award from the German Society of Maxillofacial Surgery, which is the highest scientific decoration of the German OMFS Society. Five of his academic and clinical pupils became heads and chairmen of OMFS Departments of University Hospitals within Europe. Professor Wolff has been President of the European Association for Cranio Maxillo Facial Surgery 2016-2018.

Frank Hölzle is Chairman, Full Professor, and Head of the Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery at the University Hospital of RWTH University Aachen, Germany. He was previously Vice Chairman and Assistant Professor at the Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Klinikum rechts der Isar, Technische Universität München (TUM), and prior to that Vice Chairman at the Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Plastic Surgery at Ruhr University Bochum, both periods under the leadership of his mentor Professor Klaus-Dietrich Wolff. Professor Hölzle studied medicine and dentistry at the Free University of Berlin, the Humboldt University of Berlin, the University of Glasgow, and University College London Medical School from 1989 to 1998. He was recognized as a medical Specialist for Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery in 2002, and in 2005 he achieved additional qualification as a Plastic and Reconstructive Face Surgeon. In 2006, he received his venia legendi for Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery and also became a Fellow of the European Board of Oral & Maxillofacial Surgeons, when he successfully passed the EBOMFS exam in Barcelona. Professor Hölzle is especially known for his work in the field of plastic facial reconstruction and further development of automation in microsurgical bone flaps and its utilization also for osteoplastic cranioplasty. In 2007 he received the Martin Wassmund Award from the German Society of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery for his research work on monitoring and improvement of the perfusion of microsurgical flaps and development of retrograde perfusion for perforator flaps in the head and neck. This is the highest scientific decoration of the German OMFS society. Since 2018 he is Executive Officer of the European Association for Cranio-Maxillofacial Surgery and since 2019 Executive Officer in the Section as well as in the Board of OMFS within the European Union of Medical Specialists (UEMS) in the EU.