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Portraits of Hope

Vickie Green-Smallwood

UF surgeon gives patient a renewed look

On the morning of Feb. 2, 2007, Vickie Green-Smallwood, 43, was commuting to her office in downtown Jacksonville when a stray bullet hit her in the face.

"I didn't know what was happening," Green-Smallwood said. "The paramedics came and they rushed me to Shands."

Green-Smallwood was taken to TraumaOne, Shands Jacksonville's Level I Trauma Center, where she was treated by a multidisciplinary team of University of Florida physicians. She awoke three weeks later after being in a drug-induced coma. She could barely remember what happened, but realized that a huge portion of her lower jaw was missing.

One of the leading oral and maxillofacial surgeons in the region, Rui Fernandes, MD, a UF College of Medicine - Jacksonville assistant professor of oral and maxillofacial surgery, took on the challenge of reconstructing Green-Smallwood's jaw.

"She needed to have a new lower jaw made, as well as facial muscles and the inside of her mouth remade," said Fernandes.

Advanced surgery

In May 2007, Fernandes transplanted some of Green-Smallwood's lower leg bone, skin and muscle, along with an artery and veins, to rebuild her jaw. The procedure took about 10 hours.

"The surgery is very difficult and the technique is sensitive because of the detailed work needed to reconstruct the jaw and make it look like normal," Fernandes said. "It's the microvascular portion that is most challenging as it requires suturing with needles that are thinner than a human hair."

Fernandes said after undergoing this major operation, she underwent a second for tooth implants.

A renewed look

Fernandes does this type of microvascular procedure quite often and is the only surgeon in north Florida currently able to perform it.

Green-Smallwood said she was concerned about how her face would look after the operation and whether there would be any noticeable scarring.

"People don't notice my face – that's just how good of a job he did," Green-Smallwood said. "Dr. Fernandes is my hero. I will never forget him because he's not only talented, but he is a kind and awesome doctor."

Since the tragedy, Green-Smallwood said she's hopeful and always looks forward to spending quality time with her 14-year-old daughter. She plans to attend Florida Community College at Jacksonville to become a registered nurse.

Where to turn

Green-Smallwood said is she grateful for everyone who played a role in saving her life, particularly the paramedics and the multidisciplinary team of UF physicians and Shands nurses working at TraumaOne.

"I would not have wanted another trauma center to treat me other than Shands Jacksonville, because they really took care of me," Green-Smallwood said.

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