Background & Specialties

Professional Background

Education:
Allegheny College, Meadville, Pennsylvania
B.S., Chemistry, Cum Laude

University of Pennsylvania
School of Medicine
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
(Oldest medical school in America and ranked in the top 3 for the past 40 years.) 

 Medical Training and Experience:

Stanford University
Stanford University Medical Center Intern in Surgery
    Stanford University Medical Center Fellow in Plastic Surgery and Rehabilitation
    Stanford University Medical Center Resident in General and Plastic Surgery
    Stanford University Medical Center Chief Resident in Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery

United States Military U.S. Air Force
    Honorary Citizen of the Philippines (Governor Valencia, Pampanga Province)
    United States Air Force Hospital, Clark Air Force Base, Republic of the Philippines, Chief, Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery
    Clark Air Force Base, Medical Civic Action Program Director
    Consultant in Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery to the U.S. Army, U.S. Air Force, and U.S. Navy in the Far East
    Consultant in Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Central Luzon General Hospital. San Fernando, Republic of Philippines
    Consultant and Lecturer, University of the Far East, Manila, Republic of the Philippines
    Consultant to the Philippine Air Force, Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery
    Surgeon-in-Charge, U.S. Air Force, Philippine Air Force, Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Rehabilitation Program for Underprivileged Children

Military Status:
    Major, United States Air Force (Inactive Reserves) (16 years) Recipient-U.S. Air Force Accommodation Medal
 

Teaching Appointments

Staff Appointments:

Palo Alto Center for Plastic Surgery Medical Director 2008
www.pacfps.com www.paloaltocenterforplasticsurgery.com

Stanford University Hospital 1976-2008
El Camino Hospital 1976-2008
Sequoia Hospital 1976-2008
Menlo Park Surgical Hospital 1994-2008
Plastic Surgery Center Medical Director 1990-2008
a California State licensed, Federal licensed and Stanford University approved facility. Dr. Commons daily teaches Stanford 7th year chief residents the art and science of plastic surgery. It is important to note, however, that Dr. Commons does 100% of his own private cases completely by himself.

 

Publications and Presentations

Publications-Bibliography:

"Studies in Wound Healing". Surgical Forum:
(Co-author)

British Journal of Plastic Surgery: July, l974. “Transplantation of the Great Toeto the Thumb”. (Co-author)

Safety in Large Volume Liposuction: Anesthetic and Surgical Considerations
American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery. (Co-author) Copyright 1995, l996
Lipotransformation Surgery Surgical and Anesthetic Technology for Ultrasonic Assisted Large Volume Liposuction California Society for Plastic Surgeons, Inc. (Co-Author) Copyright l997

1994 to 2008 Presentations of Large Volume Liposuction Papers-
Lipolysis Society of North America, Inc.

1995 to 2008 Aesthetic Society-Two hour course on Large Volume Liposuction

1996-2008 Ultrasonic Assisted Liposuction pre-clinical trial
UAL Instruction l997-March ’97 University of
San Francisco, California
March ’97 Cleveland Clinic Foundation Course
May ’97 Aesthetic Society of Plastic and Reconstructive
Surgery New York City UAL course

1997 The American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery, Inc.
May 2-7, l997 New York City, New York
Deep Plane Facial Rhytidectomy

1997 UAL Paper and Demonstration
The American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery, Inc.
Symposium on Aesthetic Surgery Featuring Live Surgery
Davies Medical Center, San Francisco, CA

Large Volume Liposuction (670 cases) with UAL
discussion of 57 cases (Aesthetic Plastic Surgery)

Temp studies in UAL -To Aesthetic Plastic Society

Report of 74 cases of UAL with emphasis on
complications and prevention and the UAL effect.
Aesthetic Plastic Surgery

1998 Anesthesiologist’s Manual of Surgical Procedures,
First Edition, Editors Richard A. Jaffee, Stanley
I. Samuels, “Aesthetic Surgery” “Liposuction” Pg 812-814
George W. Commons, M.D., F.A.C.S. and Bruce Halperin, M.D.

1999 “Large Volume Liposuction: A Review of 631 Cases Over
12 Consecutive Years”, George W. Commons, M.D, and Bruce Halperin, M.D. The largest article in the world’s literature on this subject.

April 1999 “Safety Issues in Ultrasound-Assisted Large-Volume Lipoplasty”, George W. Commons, M.D., and Bruce Halperin, M.D. Clinics in Plastic Surgery 26:2 pp 317-335.

April 1999 “A Comparison of Various Ultrasound Technologies”, George W. Commons, M.D.,
Clinics in Plastic Surgery 26:2 pp.261-268.

Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery article on liposuction
instrumentation and large volume liposuction 700+ cases
(to be published end of Summer, l999).

ASAPS News Release, Tuesday, May 18, l999 Ultrasound-Assisted Liposuction Experience Shows Both Pluses and Minuses, George W. Commons, M.D. and
Bruce Halperin, M.D.
Aesthetics Surgery Journal’s May/June l999 Second Thoughts column, “Alterations in Large Volume Liposuction Policy” by George W. Commons, M.D.
and Bruce Halperin, M.D.

June 2000 “Role of Liposuction in Morbid Obesity” by George W.
Commons, M.D., and Bruce D. Halperin, M.D.
Problems in General Surgery Volume 17, No. 2 pp 69-79

May 2002 “Considerations in Large-Volume Liposuction” by George
W. Commons, M.D. and Bruce D. Halperin, M.D.,
Seminars in Plastic Surgery Volume 16, No 2 pp 143-152

2003 Anesthesiologist’s Manual of Surgical Procedures,
Second Edition, Editors Richard A. Jaffee, Stanley
I. Samuels, “Aesthetic Surgery” “Liposuction” Pg 820-835
George W. Commons, M.D., F.A.C.S. and Bruce Halperin, M.D.

2005 Anesthesiologist’s Manual of Surgical Procedures,
Third Edition, Editors Richard A. Jaffee, Stanley
I. Samuels, “Aesthetic Surgery” “Liposuction” Pg 830-852
George W. Commons, M.D., F.A.C.S. and Bruce Halperin, M.D.

2008 Anesthesiologist’s Manual of Surgical Procedures,
Fourth Edition, Editors Richard A. Jaffee, Stanley
I. Samuels, “Aesthetic Surgery” “Liposuction” Pg 798-823
George W. Commons, M.D., F.A.C.S. and Bruce Halperin, M.D.

2008 "Face & Neck Remodeling with Ultrasound Assisted (Vaser)
Lipoplasty", George W. Commons, M.D., F.A.C.S. and
Alberto Di Giuseppe, M.D. Simplified Facial Rejuvenation, Melvin A.
Shiffman, M.D., Chapter 16, pp 137-148

2009 Anesthesiologist's Manual of Surgical Procedures, Fourth Edition,
Editors Richard A. Jaffee, M.D., and Stanley Samuels, M.D.,
"Nonfacial Aesthetic Surgery", pp 1084-1101, George W. Commons,
M.D, David M. Kahn, M.D, Angeline Lim, M.D., Bruce D. Halperin,
M.D. and Lindsey Vokah-Brodsky, MB, ChB, FFARCS

2009 Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, July'09 Issue, "Tissue Harvest by Means of Suction-Assisted or Third-Generation Ultrasound-Assisted Lipoaspiration Has No Effect on Osteogenic Potential of Human Adipose-Derived Stromal Cells", pp 65-73, George W. Commons, M.D, Nicholas J. Panetta, M.D., Deepak M. Gupta, M.D., Matthew D. Kwan, Derrick C. Wan, M.D., Michael T. Longaker, M.D., MBA

2009 Aesthetic Plastic Surgery, January'09, "Treatment of Axillary Hyperhidrosis/Bromidrosis Using VASER®", George W. Commons M.D, F.A.C.S., Angeline F. Lim, M.D.

2010 Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, February 2010 Issue, "Human Adipose-Derived Stromal Cells Respond to and Elaborate Bone Morphogenetic Protein-2 during In-Vitro Osteogenic Differentiation", pp 483-493, George W. Commons, M.D., Nicholas J. Panetta, M.D., Deepak M. Gupta, M.D, Jacqueline K. Lee, Derrick C. Wan, M.D., Michael T. Longaker, M.D., M.B.A.

Invited Lecturer:

Plastic Surgery Society
1996
Pre Clinical Trial Group for Ultrasonic Assisted Liposuction
Selection by UAL Committee of the Plastic Surgical Society

American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery
1991 to 2002
California Society of Plastic Surgery
1995, 1997, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002
Subject: Safety Issues in Liposuction and Facial Surgery

Cleveland Clinical Plastic Surgery Symposium
l997
Miami, Florida
Subject: Progress in Ultrasonic Liposuction

Horizons in Plastic Surgery
1999
Subject: Safety in Large Volume. Results in Large Volume Liposuction

Santa Fe Body Contour Symposium
1998
Subject: Large Volume Ultrasonic Liposuction

New York Plastic Surgery Society
1999
Subject: Safety and Efficiency in Large Volume Liposuction

Aesthetic Society Lecturer and Instructor
Stanford Ultrasonic Assisted Liposuction Courses at:
U.C. San Francisco Medical School-1997 to 2002
Stanford University Medical School-1998 (Director)
New York City-1999
UCLA-Los Angeles-1997
Dallas, Texas-1999
Miami, Florida-2000

Course Director
Subject: Safety in Liposuction, including Large Volume Liposuction at Aesthetic Society
1992 to 2006

Course Director
Subject: Safety in Facial Surgery
1995 to 2006-Aesthetic Society Meeting

Stanford Grand Surgeon Rounds
1997 to 2007
Subject: Large Volume Liposuction Comprehensive Discussion

Recovery Inn of Menlo Park
2000 to 2007
Subject: Large Volume Liposuction and UAL Liposuction Inservice

Pan Pacific Surgical Meeting
Honolulu, Hawaii
January 2000
UAL course director
Subject: Liposuction, Facelift and Associated Procedures
UAL Large Volume Liposuction

Taiwan Plastic Surgery Society
December 15, 16, 17, 18, 2000
Taipei, Taiwan
Subject: Safety Issues in Liposuction and Facial Surgery Course Director-2 days-Ultrasonic Assisted Liposuction/with live surgery by Drs. Commons and Bruce Halperin

New York City Annual ASAPS & ASER
May 3-9, 2001
Subject: Surviving and Avoiding Disaster, Complications, and Death in the Aesthetic Plastic Surgery Operating Room by Drs. Commons, and Bruce Halperin

California Society of Plastic Surgeons
Lipoplasty Update Panel
Rancho Mirage, California
May 25, 2002 to May 26, 2002

University of California San Francisco
UAL and Large Volume Liposuction Lecture
San Francisco, CA
September 28, 2002

American Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons
Facelift and Liposuction Lecturer-5 Courses
New York, New York
October 22, 2002 to October 26, 2002

Vaser® Liposuction Discussion/Lecture
Introduction William Cimino, PhD
George W. Commons, M.D.
Los Altos Hills, CA 94022
September 25, 2004

Sound Surgical Technologies Sponsor
Plastic Surgery Center
1515 El Camino Real Suite A
Palo Alto, CA 94306
George W. Commons, M.D.-Lecture and Surgical Vaser® Course
March 13, 2004

Sound Surgical Technologies Sponsor
Elite Surgery Center Del Mar
San Diego, CA
George W. Commons, M.D.-Lecture and Surgical Vaser® Course
July 10, 2004

ASAPS & ASERF Vancouver Meeting
Precision in Lipoplasty: Clinical Applications of Vaser® Ultrasonic
Lipoplasty Technology
George W. Commons, M.D.-Lecturer
April 19, 2004

ASAPS & ASERF New Orleans Meeting
Precision in Lipoplasty: Clinical Applications of Vaser® Ultrasonic
Lipoplasty Technology
George W. Commons, M.D.-Lecturer
May 2, 2005

ASAPS & ASERF
Maximizing Patient Safety During Aesthetic Surgery
Annual Meeting
Orlando, Florida
April 20-26, 2006

Stanford Conference Lecturer
Plastic Surgery Department
Stanford Medical Hospital
August 2, 2006

ASAPS & ASERF
Maximizing Patient Safety During Aesthetic Surgery
By George W. Commons, M.D. & Bruce Halperin, M.D.
(Stanford Chief Resident to Participate)
“Advanced Applications of Ultrasonic Lipopasty”
Co-instructor for teaching course-George W. Commons, M.D. with Mark Jewell, M.D.
New York, NY
April 19-24, 2007

2008 Research Publication Hyperhidrosis Correction via Sound Surgical Vaser LipoSelection®
(to be published in 2008)

2008 Clinical Review Article of 931 Cases of Large Volume Liposuction Cases Performed by George W. Commons, M.D. and anesthesiologist, Bruce Halperin, M.D. from 1992 to 2008. (Largest series in the world literature to date.)

Clinical Education-ASAPS Teaching Course Videotapes

1998 Surgical and Anesthetic Techniques for Large Volume Liposuction
(UAL and SAL)

2000 Panel-Complications and Long-term Results of Lipoplasty

2000 Surgical and Anesthetic Techniques for Large Volume Liposuction
(UAL and/or SAL)

2000 Health Benefits of Large Volume Liposuction

2002 (Dean Edell) Special on George W. Commons, M.D. & Large Volume Liposuction

Clinical Education-Teleplast Videotape American Society of Plastic Surgeons
and Plastic Surgery Educational Foundation

2000 EF Teleplast: Large Volume Liposuction

Stanford Clinics

Stanford Hospital Plastic Surgery Resident Program
Teach residents in Plastic Surgery
Since 1990 to present