The clinical and educational foundation of the Emory plastic and reconstructive surgery service at Grady Memorial Hospital was established by the late Dr. John Culbertson in 1984. As chief of the Grady service until his untimely death in a small plane crash in December 2013, Dr. Culbertson performed a wide array of reconstructive and aesthetic procedures at the hospital, and was regarded as a genial and unpretentious mentor to hundreds of plastic and reconstructive surgery residents during their Grady rotations.  

In 2012, Dr. Culbertson was joined at Grady by Dr. Angela Cheng and Dr. Robert Fang, both of whom have extensive experience in reconstructive and aesthetic plastic surgery. Dr. Cheng and Dr. Fang now co-direct the service, which provides such procedures as facial rejuvenation, rhinoplasty, breast augmentation, breast lift, body contouring (arm lift, thigh lift, tummy tuck, and liposuction), management of hand injuries (fractures, tendon/nerve injury, revascularization/replantation), elective hand surgery (carpal tunnel release, ganglion cyst removal, arthritis surgery), management of complex wounds (grafts and flaps), cancer reconstruction (head and neck, breast, and extremity), abdominal wall reconstruction, microsurgery, and treatment of traumatic facial injuries.

Drs. Cheng and Fang also provide breast reconstruction and aesthetic surgery consultations at the Grady-based Avon Foundation Comprehensive Breast Center, a multi-disciplinary program that offers a full spectrum of clinical and support breast health care services to traditionally underserved women.

Dr. William Knaus joined the Grady plastic surgery service in 2018. He performs hand and reconstructive surgery. His specialties include wrist surgery, microsurgery, peripheral nerve surgery, hand fractures, wrist fractures, extremity surgery, traumatic injuries, and leg injuries.