Dr. Erika D. Sears

Steven C. Haase, M.D. serves as a faculty member in the Section of Plastic Surgery at the University of Michigan Health System. As Medical Director for Wound Care, Dr. Haase also helps coordinate the inpatient and outpatient aspects of wound care for many patients in our health system.Dr. Haase attended college at Taylor University in Upland, Indiana, where he obtained a Bachelor of Arts degree in Chemistry/Pre-Medicine. He then received his M.D. degree from the University of Illinois before moving to Ann Arbor to begin General Surgery Residency training at St. Joseph Mercy Hospital. Following this, he finished Plastic Surgery Fellowship training at the University of Michigan. To expand on his interest in hand surgery, he then traveled to Rochester, Minnesota, to complete a Hand Surgery Fellowship at the Mayo Clinic.Dr. Haase is board-certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery, Inc, with additional certification in the subspecialty of Hand Surgery. He is an active member of several surgical societies, including to the American Society for Surgery of the Hand, the American Association for Hand Surgery, and the American Society of Plastic Surgeons.Clinical Specialization:Dr. Haase specializes in hand surgery and reconstructive plastic surgery. As a hand surgeon, he cares for a wide variety of clinical problems, including trauma (fractures, tendon lacerations, nerve injury), nerve compression (carpal tunnel and others), wrist injuries and fractures, job-related injuries or disorders, and arthritis. He has a special interest in skin cancers of the hand, as well as other hand tumors and growths. Dr. Haase is highly rated in 7 conditions, according to our data. His clinical expertise encompasses Dupuytren Contracture, Ganglion Cyst, Carpal Tunnel Syndrome, Trigger Thumb, and Fasciotomy. Dr. Haase is board certified in Surgery Of The Hand and Plastic Surgery. Dr. Haase is currently accepting new patients.

Christian J. Vercler, M.D. is a faculty member in the Section of Plastic Surgery in the Department of Surgery with a joint appointment in the Department of Neurosurgery at Michigan Medicine. He serves as Co-Chief of the Clinical Ethics Service of the Center for Bioethics and Social Sciences in Medicine at the University of Michigan. He is a diplomate of both the American Board of Surgery and the American Board of Plastic Surgery.Dr. Vercler received his Bachelor of Science in Biology and Master of Arts in Theological Studies from Wheaton College (IL). He attended medical school at the University of Illinois College of Medicine. He completed general surgery training at Emory University and plastic surgery at the Harvard Plastic Surgery Program. He then did an additional fellowship in Craniofacial Surgery at the University of Michigan.Dr. Vercler has a special interest in medical ethics. He completed a Fellowship in Clinical Ethics at the Emory University Center for Ethics and earned a Masters of Arts degree in Bioethics from Trinity. He currently serves as the Chair of the Pediatric Ethics Committee of C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital and is Co-Chair of the Adult Ethics Committee at Michigan Medicine. Additionally, he is chair of the Bioethics Committee of the Michigan State Medical Society and past chair of both the ASPS Ethics Committee and Ethics Interest Group of the American Cleft Palate-Craniofacial Association.Clinical Specialization:Dr. Vercler focuses primarily on pediatric plastic surgery and craniofacial deformities in children and adults. Dr. Vercler is highly rated in 47 conditions, according to our data. His clinical expertise encompasses Metopic Ridge, Craniosynostosis, Plagiocephaly, Bone Graft, and Myringotomy. Dr. Vercler is board certified in Surgery and Plastic Surgery. Dr. Vercler is currently accepting new patients.

Dr. Aakalu serves as chair of the Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences and is an ophthalmologist and oculofacial plastic surgeon. He completed his undergraduate training at Johns Hopkins University and earned his medical degree from the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. He subsequently completed residency and fellowship training at University of Illinois Chicago, where he later held multiple leadership roles. He went on to serve as section leader and medical director of Eye Plastics, Orbital, and Facial Cosmetic Surgery at the University of Michigan.Dr. Aakalu’s clinical interests include functional and aesthetic eyelid and facial surgery, thyroid eye disease, orbital and periorbital neoplastic conditions, and lacrimal surgery.An internationally recognized clinician-scientist, Dr. Aakalu has authored more than 100 peer-reviewed publications and has received funding from the NIH, Department of Defense, and the VA. His research focuses on ocular surface disease and translational therapeutics for rare conditions such as Niemann-Pick disease type C. He is a Fellow of the American College of Surgeons and the American Academy of Ophthalmology, and a Gold Fellow of the Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology. He has also contributed extensively to national organizations, including service with the American Board of Ophthalmology and the American Society of Ophthalmic Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery. Dr. Aakalu is highly rated in 11 conditions, according to our data. His clinical expertise encompasses Ptosis, Eyelid Drooping, Blocked Tear Duct, and Graves Disease. Dr. Aakalu is board certified in Ophthalmology. Dr. Aakalu is currently accepting new patients.