Inventing the future of reconstructive surgery

Dino Ravnic, DO
Professor, Department of Surgery
Penn State College of Medicine

“Research is always evolving. You come up with one thing, you research it, trial it, and it leads to another question, then another. It’s never-ending,” says Dr. Dino Ravnic, adding that he loves the thought process of it. “It’s all about building on ideas. Research allows you to do something completely different, to get new and better results.”

As both a surgeon and scientist, Dr. Ravnic divides his time between the operating room, where he restores his patients’ lives, and the research lab, where he’s working on leading-edge innovations in reconstructive surgery.

“Our internal funding is allowing us to look at the future of developing reconstructed vascularized bone,” he said. “We’re inventing the future of reconstructive surgery in ways that we hope will lead to better patient outcomes and dramatically improve recovery times.”

Since arriving at Penn State Health in 2013, Dr. Ravnic has thrived in his dual role, enjoying the opportunity to blend clinical practice with research. This option was first suggested to him during his general surgery residency at Milton S. Hershey Medical Center, when he was encouraged to pause his surgical training and “do something different.” He spent three years in a basic science research lab, an experience that broadened his perspective of what was possible. While his surgical work provides immediate results, he finds the long-term potential of his research personally satisfying.

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