Scott David Lifchez, M.D.

Headshot of Scott David Lifchez
  • Director, Plastic Surgery and Hand Surgery Service, Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center
  • Professor of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery
Male

Languages: English, Spanish

Expertise

Arthritis, Arthritis of the Fingers, Arthritis of the Hand, Basal Cell Carcinoma (BCC), Benign Tumors, Brachial Plexus Injuries, Carpal Injuries, Carpal Tunnel Syndrome, Congenital Hand Anomalies, Cubital Tunnel Syndrome, Cutaneous Oncology, Cutaneous Surgery, Dermatologic Surgery, Dupuytren's Contracture, Flaps, Fracture Surgery, Hand Conditions, Hand Fractures, Hand Reconstruction, Hand Surgery, Microsurgical Free Tissue Transfer, Microsurgical Tissue Transfer, Microvascular Free Flap Surgery, Microvascular Reconstruction, Microvascular Surgery, Nerve Injury, Peripheral Nerve Disorders, Plastic Surgery, Polydactyly (extra fingers), Reconstruction After Skin Cancer, Reconstructive Plastic Surgery, Reconstructive Surgery, Rheumatoid Hand and Wrist Disease, Scleroderma Hand and Wrist Disease, Skin Cancer, Soft Tissue and Tendon Injuries of the Hand and Fingers, Syndactyly-Webbed Fingers, Targeted Muscle Reinnervation, Tendon Surgery, Tendon Transfer, Tendonitis of the Fingers, Tendonitis of the Hand and Wrist, Traumatic and Surgical Defects of the Trunk, Trigger Finger, Ulnar Neuropathy, Upper Extremity, Upper Extremity Reconstruction, Upper Extremity Surgery, Ventral Hernia Reconstruction, Wrist Fracture ...read more

Research Interests

Assessing the role of denervation versus traditional arthroplasty in the treatment of primary osteoarthritis of the thumb CMC joint; management of hand conditions associated with rheumatoid arthritis, scleroderma, and other rheumatologic conditions; improving efficiency and effectiveness of teaching and assessing plastic surgery trainees in a competency-based training model; effect of botulinum toxin A on vasospasm in scleroderma. ...read more

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Insurance Information

Main Phone

Outside of Maryland & Washington D.C.

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Locations

Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center

Appointment Phone: 443-997-9466
4940 Eastern Avenue
Suite A
Baltimore, MD 21224
Phone: 410-550-0407 | Fax: 410-550-1808
Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center - Google Maps

The Johns Hopkins Hospital (Main Entrance)

Appointment Phone: 443-997-9466
1800 Orleans St.
Sheikh Zayed Tower
Baltimore, MD 21287
The Johns Hopkins Hospital (Main Entrance) - Google Maps

Johns Hopkins Medicine - White Marsh

Appointment Phone: 443-997-9466
4924 Campbell Boulevard
Nottingham, MD 21236
Johns Hopkins Medicine - White Marsh - Google Maps

Background

Dr. Scott D. Lifchez is an associate professor of plastic and reconstructive surgery and orthopaedic surgery at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. He serves as director of Hand Surgery Service and section chief of Plastic Surgery at the Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center. He specializes in surgical treatments for injuries and chronic conditions of the hands and fingers.

Dr. Lifchez received his medical training at the University of Illinois College of Medicine at Chicago in 1999. He conducted a residency in plastic surgery at the Medical College of Wisconsin in Milwaukee in 2005, and in 2006 completed a fellowship in hand surgery at Curtis National Hand Center of Union Memorial Hospital in Baltimore.

He is a member of the American Society for Surgery of the Hand, the American Society of Plastic Surgeons, the American Council of Academic Plastic Surgeons, the American Association of Plastic Surgeons, and the American College of Surgeons. Dr. Lifchez has been recognized as a 2023 faculty inductee into the Miller Coulson Academy of Clinical Excellence.

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Titles

  • Director, Plastic Surgery and Hand Surgery Service, Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center
  • Chief, Plastic Surgery at Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center
  • Program Director, Johns Hopkins/University of Maryland Plastic Surgery Residency
  • Professor of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery
  • Professor of Orthopaedic Surgery

Departments / Divisions

Centers & Institutes

Education

Degrees

  • MD; University of Illinois at Chicago (1999)

Residencies

  • Plastic Surgery; Medical College of Wisconsin (2005)

Fellowships

  • Hand Surgery; MedStar Health (2006)

Board Certifications

  • American Board of Plastic Surgery (Plastic Surgery) (2007)
  • American Board of Plastic Surgery (Surgery of the Hand) (2008)

Additional Training

  • American Board of Plastic Surgery / Certificate of Added Qualification in Surgery of the Hand
  • Maryland Controlled and Dangerous Substance Registration
  • Drug Enforcement Administration Registration

Research & Publications

Research Summary

In his research and clinical practice, Dr. Lifchez focuses on the surgical treatments, particularly plastic and reconstructive surgeries, for injuries and chronic conditions of the hands and fingers, including arthritis, carpal tunnel syndrome, cubital tunnel syndrome, nerve damage and compression in the hands and fingers, congenital hand anomalies and tendonitis. Dr. Lifchez has a particular interest in hand conditions associated with rheumatologic conditions including rheumatoid arthritis and scleroderma.

Clinical Trial Keywords

Thumb arthritis, denervation, Competency-based education, Raynaud's Scleroderma botulinum toxin

Selected Publications

View all on PubMed

Tuffaha SH, Quan A, Hashemi S, Parikh P, O'Brien-Coon DM, Broyles JM, Dellon AL, Lifchez SD. Selective Thumb Carpometacarpal Joint Denervation for Painful Arthritis: Clinical Outcomes and Cadaveric Study. J Hand Surg Am. 2019 Jan;44(1):64.e1-64.e8.

Williams AA, Carl HM, Lifchez SD. The Scleroderma Hand: Manifestations of Disease and Approach to Management. J Hand Surg Am. 2018 Jun;43(6):550-557.

Drolet BC, Marwaha JS, Hyatt B, Blazar PE, Lifchez SD. Electronic Communication of Protected Health Information: Privacy, Security, and HIPAA Compliance. J Hand Surg Am. 2017 Jun;42(6):411-416.

Bello RJ, Cooney CM, Melamed E, Follmar K, Yenokyan G, Leatherman G, Shah AA, Wigley FM, Hummers LK, Lifchez SD. The Therapeutic Efficacy of Botulinum Toxin in Treating Scleroderma-Associated Raynaud's Phenomenon: A Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Clinical Trial. Arthritis Rheumatol. 2017 Aug;69(8):1661-1669.

Cooney CM, Cooney DS, Bello RJ, Bojovic B, Redett RJ, Lifchez SD. Comprehensive Observations of Resident Evolution: A Novel Method for Assessing Procedure-Based Residency Training. Plast Reconstr Surg. 2016 Feb;137(2):673-8.

Lifchez SD, Friedrich JB, Hultman CS. The scope of practice of hand surgery within plastic surgery: the ACAPS national survey to assess current practice and develop educational guidelines. Ann Plast Surg. 2015 Jan;74(1):89-92. doi: 10.1097/SAP.0000000000000365. PMID: 25275477 [PubMed - in process]

Activities & Honors

Honors

  • Perioperative Services Cardinal Award, Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center
  • Greatest Supporter Award, Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center Department of Rehabilitation Services
  • "Top Doc" in Hand Surgery, Baltimore Magazine, 2011
  • Miller Coulson Academy of Clinical Excellence

Memberships

  • American Association of Plastic Surgeons
  • American College of Surgeons 
  • American Council of Academic Plastic Surgeons
  • American Society for Surgery of the Hand
  • American Society of Plastic Surgeons 
  • Northeastern Society of Plastic Surgeons
  • American College of Surgeons Academy of Master Surgeon Educators

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