Dr. Steven C. Haase

Erika D. Sears, MD, MS, serves as a faculty member in the Section of Plastic Surgery at the University of Michigan Health System.Dr. Sears received her Bachelors of Science in Biomedical Engineering from Northwestern University and Doctor of Medicine from the University of Michigan Medical School. She completed the Integrated Plastic Surgery Residency and Hand Surgery Fellowship at the University of Michigan. She also received additional research training in health services research as a fellow of the Robert Wood Johnson Clinical Scholars Program, where she earned a Masters of Science from the University of Michigan Rackham Graduate School.Clinical Specialization: Dr. Sears specializes in hand surgery (including treatment of upper extremity trauma, hand and wrist arthritis, nerve injury and compression, Dupuytren contracture, joint contracture, and hand tumors among other hand disorders) and reconstructive plastic surgery. Dr. Sears is highly rated in 1 condition, according to our data. Her clinical expertise encompasses Carpal Tunnel Syndrome, Frostbite, Kienbock's Disease, Ganglion Cyst, and Nerve Decompression. Dr. Sears is board certified in Surgery Of The Hand and Plastic Surgery. Dr. Sears 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.