Bosnian Woman's Face Restored by Fort Lauderdale Plastic Surgeon

    FORT LAUDERDALE, FL, March 06, 2016 /24-7PressRelease/ -- Dr. Zoran Potparic (www.drzoran.com) was in the U.S. at a medical conference when war erupted in Sarajevo, and he's never returned since, becoming one of the most respected plastic surgeons in Fort Lauderdale. He recently revisited that time, though, when he provided the gift of his services to a Bosnian woman disfigured in a 1992 bomb blast that killed her baby brother and grandmother.

"This unique opportunity to help an individual in a situation like this is one of the reasons I became a plastic surgeon," says Dr. Z., as he's affectionately known. "It is a nice gift that our surgical team could provide to someone like Vildana, who has overcome enormous adversity in her life. It does make me proud."

Vildana Briga was 11 years old in August 1992 and playing in her front yard in Sarajevo with her brother when a bomb exploded. She was badly injured, and her brother, 17 months old, and grandmother were killed. Dr. Potparic had left the country only a few months earlier.

Briga suffered a head injury in the blast, causing major damage to her forehead and the area around her right eye. She lost the eye and was evacuated to France, where she underwent numerous surgeries to repair the wounds. She remained disfigured, however, and was told a few years ago that nothing could be done to improve her appearance.

Dr. Potparic heard of Briga's plight through a family friend, who knew of his reconstructive plastic surgery work in Fort Lauderdale with other patients like Briga. After exchanging several emails, the surgeon suggested Briga travel to the U.S. for surgery.

The initial procedure occurred at Broward Health Medical Center in December 2014 as Dr. Potparic rebuilt Briga's forehead and orbital bone structure of the right eye. He completed the fourth and final surgery in October 2015, and Briga, now a lawyer in Bosnia, says she is happy with the results.

"I'm even happier than I was expecting to be," says Briga after her last operation. "Now the symmetry of my eyebrow is very nice. I have symmetry on both sides, which I haven't had for the past 20 years. It's been a success, I think."

Dr. Potparic, who also performs cosmetic procedures such as rhinoplasty, facelift, eyelid surgery, and tummy tuck surgery that are popular in Fort Lauderdale, has devoted much of his practice to facial and craniofacial reconstruction. He says repairing and rebuilding damaged tissue, features, structure, and appearance helps patients regain confidence after suffering traumatic injuries.

"There are so many modern microsurgical and other techniques, including partial or full face transplants, now for reconstructive surgery that enable plastic surgeons to repair structures that would not have been possible to save years ago," Dr. Potparic says. "It's extremely rewarding to be part of a specialty that provides hope to individuals such as Vildana."

Dr. Zoran Potparic (www.drzoran.com) is a board-certified plastic surgeon in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, who offers patients state-of-the-art surgical techniques he's honed through experience and training in the U.S. and Europe. He is the recipient of prestigious international fellowships, including a Fulbright, a British Council fellowship, and specializes in cosmetic and reconstructive plastic surgery for the face and body. Dr. Potparic's practice offers a range of surgical and nonsurgical aesthetic procedures.

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