Patrick Tonnard
Dr. Patrick L. Tonnard graduated “cum laude” in 1987 as a physician at the Gent University. He specialized during 3 years in general surgery under Professor Dr. Fritz Derom at the University Hospital of Gent, after which he started his plastic surgery training in Bordeaux (France) at the Hopital du Tondu under Professor Dr. Jacques Baudet. Between 1990 and 1993 he worked at the side of Professor Dr. Guido Matton in the University Hopital of Gent. Finally he spent 6 months in Mexico City as personal resident of the world famous Professor Dr. Fernando Ortiz-Monasterio. He decided to start his private practice in the city of Gent in Belgium in 1994.
Since 1994 Dr. Tonnard is consultant plastic surgeon at the General Hospital St-Lucas in Gent, assistant clinical professor at the University Hospital of Gent, founder of the Coupure Centre for Plastic Surgery in 1996 and the Medical Centre ‘t Zwin in Oostburg (Netherlands) in 2005. In 2007 he raised together with his associate Dr. Alexis Verpaele the “Esthetic Medical Centre 2 (E:MC²), an exclusive private surgical centre for esthetic surgery in St-Martens-Latem.
Dr. Tonnard is member of the Royal Belgian Society for Surgery, the Belgian and Dutch Society for Plastic, Reconstructive and Aesthetic Surgery, the ISAPS (International Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons) and the ASAPS (American Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons). He is also Fellow of the Collegium Chirurgicum Plasticum Belgicum and Diplomat of the European Board of Plastic Surgery.
Dr. Tonnard is author of more than 50 scientific publications, presented more than 200 scientific papers on national and international meetings and contributed in numerous scientific articles and books. He is a highly demanded speaker and moderator on international aesthetic surgery meetings and an authority in the field of surgical rejuvenation of the face. Together with is associate Dr. Alexis Verpaele he develloped the revolutionary MACS-lift, a minimal invasive facelift technique resulting in a maximum and natural result, together with a quick recovery and minimal complications. There work in this field resulted in an international reputation. In 2004 and 2007, they wrote 2 scientific standard books on the short scar facelift technique, which appeared to be international bestsellers in the plastic surgery literature: “The MACS-lift Short Scar Rhytidectomy, 2004, St-Louis; and “Short Scar Face-lifting, Operative Strategies and Techniques”, 2007, St Louis.
For the general public, Dr. Tonnard cooperated at the book “Van Top tot Teen – Alles over plastische chirurgie” from Hubert Tytgat and in 2000 he published together with the reporter Laurens de Keyser “Schone Schijn”, a guide in plastic surgery. Together with his assosiate he published ‘Verliefd op het tweede gezicht’ (2009). This book explains in a common way facial rejuvenation and their own developed MACS-lift technique.
In 2006, Dr. Tonnard and his associate Dr. Verpaele founded together with a group of Flemish Ophthalmic surgeons the surgical mission organisation “See and Smile” (www.seeandsmile.com). This non-profit organisation undertakes surgical mission in underdeveloped region. They provide basic plastic surgery (mainly cleft lip and palate surgery) and eye surgery (mainly catharact). Mission have been undertaken in Pnom Penh (Cambodja), Oaxaca (Mexico), Sagain (Myanmar) en Flores (Indonesia).
Dr. Alexis Verpaele graduated Cum Laude in 1988 as a physician at the Gent University Hospital. He started a specialist training in general surgery under Professor Fritz Derom, and obtained the specialist degree in General Surgery in 1994. He then started a specialist training in Plastic Surgery in Norwich, UK, and then in Gent with Professor Stan Monstrey, which he finished in 1997. He also followed a postgraduate training in ear reconstruction with Professor Françoise Firmin in Paris.
Dr. Verpaele acquired the title of “Fellow of the Collegium Chirurgicum Plasticum” Magna Cum Laude in 1997, as well as the title of “Diplomate of the European Board of Plastic Surgery”.
He joined the staff of Consultants of the Gent University Hospital Department of Plastic Surgery from 1997-1999, where he was involved in perforator-flap breast reconstruction, ear reconstruction and aesthetic plastic surgery.
Dr. Verpaele is co-director of the Coupure Centrum voor Plastische Chirurgie in Gent since 1999. He is Assistant Clinical Professor at the Gent University Plastic Surgery Dept. for ear reconstructions, and consulting plastic surgeon at the AZ Sint Lucas hospital in Gent. In 2007 Dr. Verpaele established the “Esthetisch Medisch Centrum 2” or “E:MC²” together with his associate Dr. Patrick Tonnard.
Together with Dr. Tonnard Dr. Verpaele has developed the revolutionary face-lifting technique of the MACS-lift. This “short-scar” technique offers an effective correction of facial aging, while maintaining a natural appearance, allowing a swifter recovery and a very low complication rate. This technique has given both doctors an worldwide recognition. Two books from their hand were published on this subject: In 2004 “The MACS-lift short-scar rhytidectomy”, and in 2007 “Short-scar Face-lifting : Operative Strategies and Techniques”, both with QMP of St Louis. On this topic he publised together with his associate the book for the general public ‘Verliefd op het tweede gezicht’ (2009).
Dr. Verpaele is member of the Board of the Royal Belgian Society of Plastic Surgeons (RBSPS) and responsible for the Aesthetic Chapter within this society, member of the International Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery (ISAPS), of the Americal Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery (ASAPS) and of the International Consortium of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons (ICAPS).
Dr. Verpaele presented over a hundred lectures nationally and internationally and is a much-requested speaker on the subject of facelifting, botulinum toxin, soft tissue fillers, breast augmentation and breast lifting. He authored and co-authored many papers on reconstructive and aesthetic plastic surgery.
In 2006 Dr. Verpaele and Dr. Tonnard established “See and Smile” together with a group of ophthalmic surgeons, a non-profit organization for plastic and eye-surgery in third-world countries (www.seeandsmile.com). Their main activity is to operate chilDr.en and adolescents with a cleft lip or palate, and the eye-surgeons mainly treat blindness through cataract. Missions have been undertaken once or twice yearly to Birma (Myanmar), Cambodia, Mexico, Indonesia and Rwanda. Each time an average of 60-70 chilDr.en is treated on each mission.