A Short History of Virginia Plastic Surgery
Founding Virginia Plastic Surgery (VPS) has been the honor and pleasure of my professional career. While I have tried to carefully plan most big decisions in my life such as where to attend medical school and where to live, other events such as meeting my wife in Guatemala and becoming an entrepreneur have taken me by surprise. The history of Virginia Plastic Surgery is likewise a combination of careful planning and serendipity (with a lot of hard work sprinkled in).
Why the name "Virginia Plastic Surgery?"
I am often asked why VPS was not instead named "Morbia Plastic Surgery." Though I have nothing against my name, having it as the focus of the practice is not who I am. Who I am, however, is a lover of history—the history of our world, the history of our region and the history of my profession. Virginia and Virginians, of course, were essential to the founding of the United States and have been at the center of the nation's greatest triumphs, tragedies and controversies ever since. Following a nearly two-decade educational and training journey across the country, then, I was beyond proud in 2018 to drop roots in Hampton Roads—the Birthplace of America—and to establish my professional life and build a family here.
Perhaps less well-known than the political history of Virginia and Hampton Roads is the rich medical and surgical history, but it is no less impressive. The origin of many healthcare inventions and innovations, the region was also home to one of the largest plastic surgery training programs in the nation (EVMS, now active once again) for many years and was a favorite stop for renowned visiting professors of plastic surgery from around the globe. We plastic surgeons today stand on the shoulders of these giants, many of whom made Virginia their home. When the time came in 2021 to found and name a practice, then, "Virginia Plastic Surgery" was the obvious choice—not only for the beauty of its simplicity but also to honor the history and legacy of both the Commonwealth and the specialty of plastic surgery.
-Dr. Morbia
