Karl W. Schwarz, M.D.

Plastic Surgery

8300 Health Park - Suite 205 | Raleigh, NC 27615 | 919-848-2423

News from ASPS

ASPS Urges Team Approach To Breast Reconstruction

Actress Christina Applegate's public disclosure of her breast cancer, her decision to have a double mastectomy, and plans to go forth with breast reconstruction, calls attention to the need for a medical "team" approach in the treatment and recovery from breast cancer.
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Want A Reason to Love Your Lower Belly Fat? It's Rich in Stem Cells

Fat removed from the lower abdomen and inner thigh through liposuction was found to be an excellent source of stem cells, with higher stem cell concentrations than other areas of the body, reports a Brazilian-based study in August's Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery®, the official medical journal of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS).
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Karl W. Schwarz, MD

Dr. Karl Schwarz

Dr. Schwarz grew up in Vancouver, Canada, one of four children to Carl and Betty Schwarz.  He was active in water sports, hockey, and lacrosse but ultimately chose an academic career.  While still young, his mother’s precipitous death from a brain aneurysm, and his father’s long battle with bone cancer spawned his interest and dedication to medicine.  Initially, he was drawn to oncology but soon discovered his passion for surgery. It was during surgical reconstruction of a child’s cleft lip that he refined his dream to plastic surgery. “The surgeon I was watching took such care in delicately repairing this child’s lip.  The child’s face was restored in front of my eyes.  I knew at that moment that I was going to be a plastic surgeon”.

After graduating from medical school in London, Ontario, Canada, Dr. Schwarz was accepted to a seven-year residency in general surgery at Detroit Receiving Hospital. While in the program, he completed a Masters Degree in Genetics as well as two years of basic research in wound healing.  Dr. Schwarz then moved with his wife Shauna and three sons to Durham, North Carolina.  It was there that he completed three years of specialty training in Cosmetic and Reconstructive Plastic Surgery at Duke University Medical Center.  His desire to stay and raise his family in the Triangle, prompted Dr Schwarz to move to Raleigh and establish his practice at the American Institute of Healthcare and Fitness in North Raleigh.

Dr. Schwarz is a kind, compassionate, knowledgeable, and skilled surgeon who holds true to his original ideals of becoming a doctor, as manifested by his gratification in reconstructing defects left from cancer.  He is trained in the latest cosmetic surgery techniques and delivers outstanding results.

Training

1993 University of British Columbia BSc (Cell Biology)
1997 University of Western Ontario MD
2002 Wayne State University MS (Molecular Biology and Genetics)
2004 Wayne State University General Surgery Residency
2007 Duke University Medical Center Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery

Awards

1999-2001 NIH Trauma and Burn Research Fellow
2001 Wayne State Surgical Society Excellence in Research Award
2002 Wayne State Surgical Society Excellence in Research Award
2004 Wayne State University Surgical Resident Teaching Award
2005 North Carolina Society of Plastic Surgeons Georgiade Award