IVO DŽEPINA, MD, Associated Professor in Plastic Surgery

I was born in Zagreb in 1958, where I attended elementary school and high school. I graduated from the Medical Faculty of the University of Zagreb in 1981. From the first year of my studies, I chose surgery as a branch of medicine that I wanted to pursue.

After graduating, I worked for 4 years in primary health care, and began my residency in general surgery in 1986 at the Clinic for Surgery, KBC Rebro in Zagreb. During my residency, I opted to work in the field of plastic surgery under the guidance of the most prominent plastic surgeon in Croatia, Academician Ivan Prpić.

I went to Germany for training in the field of plastic, reconstructive and aesthetic surgery in 1989 with Prof. Olivari, Dreifaltigkeits Krankenhaus, Wesseling. After Germany, I continued my training in Great Britain, where I stayed until 1992 in several of the largest British plastic surgery centres, The Queen Victoria Hospital – East Grinstead, Canniesburn Regional Plastic and Maxillofacial Center – Glasgow, Royal Alexandra Children’s hospital – Brighton. During my stay in the United Kingdom, I completed a course in microsurgery in Edinburgh, and a course in the application of micro-implants in cosmetic surgery in London.

I passed the specialist exam in general surgery in 1992, and became fellow in the field of plastic and reconstructive surgery in 2000. I am a member of the Croatian Surgical Society, the Croatian Society for Plastic, Reconstructive and Aesthetic Surgery, the European Society for Plastic and Aesthetic Surgery, and numerous other professional associations.

I actively participate in undergraduate classes at the Faculty of Medicine in Zagreb, and since 1997. I have been working as an assistant at the Department of Surgery. I am a lecturer in postgraduate classes in the fields of surgery, dermatology, otorhinolaryngology, orthopaedics, oncology and psychiatry. I was elected Associated Professor in 2003. Since 2002, I have been working as the Head of the Department for Scientific and Professional Work of the Clinic for Surgery at KBC Rebro, and, in addition to my daily surgical work in the plastic and reconstructive surgery program, I am also intensively involved in aesthetic surgery. I am the first plastic surgeon in Croatia to perform a surgical gender reassignment in a transsexual patient.

Since the beginning of my work, in addition to my professional work, I have also been engaged in scientific research, and have published numerous papers in domestic and foreign professional journals. I am the co-author of the book “Breast Surgery” in which modern methods of surgical treatment of the breast and aesthetic and reconstructive breast surgery are presented in the Croatian language. I regularly participate in professional and scientific meetings and courses as a lecturer and invited lecturer. I was the president of the organising committee of the IV Croatian National Congress of Plastic Surgery, which was held in 2002 in Zagreb. As a researcher, I am working on two scientific projects dealing with breast cancer research. I received my master’s degree from the Faculty of Medicine in Zagreb in 1999, and PhD in 1999.

Since 2006, after 20 years of work at KBC Rebro, I have been working in a private practice and dealing with aesthetic plastic surgery.

I am married and father of two children. I am immensely grateful to my wife and family for their support of understanding because without them there would be no success for me. You are always by my side in my most difficult moments and you are my greatest blessing. My wife is the only love of my life and I thank her for her infinite strength and patience.

DUBRAVKA LONČAR-ČAKALO, MD

(spec. of anaesthesiology and resuscitation and spec. of emergency medicine)

She completed her medical studies at the Faculty of Medicine, University of Zagreb, as well as residency in anaesthesiology and resuscitation. As a specialist anaesthesiologist, she spent most of her internship at KB Dubrava and KB Merkur in Zagreb, where she was a member of the team for solid organ transplantation. She provided continuing education by participating in congresses, symposia and courses in the field of anaesthesiology and intensive care.