Dr. Sam Fuller

Sam Fuller, MD, is a board-certified plastic and reconstructive surgeon with additional Subspecialty Certification in Surgery of the Hand (SOTH). He graduated cum laude from the University of Notre Dame with a double major in Pre-Professional Studies and Spanish Languages and Literature. He continued his education at the Pritzker School of Medicine at the University of Chicago. He then completed a Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery Residency at the University of Chicago Medical Center. He went on to complete an Orthopaedic Upper Extremity Fellowship at The Curtis National Hand Center in Baltimore, Maryland.

Dr. Fuller won numerous awards throughout his training, including the 2016 Michael S. Murphy Research Award for his research, “Design and Use of a Novel Coupling Device for Tendon Repair and Reconstruction.” Dr. Fuller and his co-authors also won Best Hand Paper in 2014 from the Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery Journal for, “Fat Transfer to the Upper and Lower Extremity in Patients with Raynaud’s Phenomenon- A Novel Therapeutic Modality.” He has a US Patent for a novel tendon repair technique.

Hand, Wrist and Forearm Surgery

Dr. Fuller specializes in hand, wrist, and forearm surgery. His diverse training allows him to bring a very unique “hybrid” approach to the upper extremity. He is able to combine his plastic surgery knowledge of microvascular and soft tissue reconstruction with his orthopedic training to properly diagnose and treat bony and ligamentous injuries. This is particularly significant in the hand and wrist, which requires anatomic expertise to address skin, tendon, nerve, vascular, and bony problems as a functioning unit. Dr. Fuller enjoys meeting his patients and establishing goals together in order to reach a satisfying and successful outcome through non-operative and operative treatment options. This may include injections, therapy, surgery, and the latest advancements in the field, such as Wide Awake Local Anesthesia No Tourniquet (WALANT), endoscopy, and arthroscopy.

Plastic Surgery

As a Plastic Surgeon, Dr. Fuller performs a variety of body contouring procedures, including breast augmentation, breast reduction, breast lift, and breast reconstruction after cancer. He also routinely performs “mommy makeovers,” including tummy tucks, abdominoplasty, rectus plication, liposuction, 360 lipo, torsoplasty, lower body lift, fat grafting, thigh lifts, and arm lifts (brachioplasty). He routinely performs surgery in patients who have lost weight, resulting in laxity and skin redundancy. He also offers in-office procedures for cellulite as well as treatment for wrinkles and volume loss of the face with Botox, Jeuveau, neurotoxins, and fillers.

Dr. Fuller participates in medical mission trips, leads regional cadaver dissection courses, and routinely gives lectures and  presentations on his broad and rewarding practice. As a native of Chicago, Dr. Fuller enjoys living in the Michiana area. His family spends their free time cheering for Notre Dame and Chicago sports teams, cooking, traveling, and enjoying Midwest life with family and friends.

University of Notre Dame

• Consulting Physician

Research Interests

• Tendon Repair and Reconstruction
• Carpal Tunnel Surgery Outcomes

Peer-Reviewed Publications

• Meals C, Osterman M. The Hand Surgery Fellowship Application Process: Expectations, Logistics, and Costs. J Hand Surg Am. 2015 Feb 24. (Acknowledgement).
• Fuller SM, Butz D, Vevang C, Makhlouf VM. Application of 3D Printing in Hand Surgery: Innovations in Technology. Abstract, Huggins Research Symposium, March 12, 2014.
• Fuller SM, Butz D, Vevang C, Makhlouf VM. Application of 3-Dimensional Printing in Hand Surgery for Production of a Novel Bone Reduction Clamp. J Hand Surg Am. 2014 Sep;39(9):1840-5.
• Bank J, Fuller SM, Henry G, Zachary LS. Fat Transfer to the Upper and Lower Extremity in Patients with Raynaud’s Phenomenon- A Novel Therapeutic Modality. Plast Reconstr Surg. 2014 May; 133(5):1109-18.
• Fuller SM, Bindra RR. Response to “Image-Guided Distal Radius Osteotomy Using Patient-Specific Instrument Guides.” J Hand Surg Am. 2014 Jan;39(1):174.
• Fuller S, Kleiber G. Soft Tissue Coverage of the Hand and Upper Extremity. In Janis JE, ed. Essentials of Plastic Surgery. 2nded. Missouri: Quality Medical Pub; 2014.
• Butz DR, Fuller S, Crosby MA. Genitourinary Reconstruction. In Janis JE, ed. Essentials of Plastic Surgery. 2nded. Missouri: Quality Medical Pub; 2014.
• Fuller SM, Bindra RR. Ulnar Head Implant Arthroplasty. In Weisel SW, ed. Operative Techniques in Orthopaedic Surgery. Volume 4. Pennsylvania: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins; 2015 (Expected year of publication).
• Fuller SM, Roughton MC, Gottlieb LJ. The Inner Prepuce Flap for Penile Scald Burns. J Burn Care Res. 2014 Jul-Aug;35(4):e250-7.
• Fuller SM, Foley RT, Siu B, Glick DB. Utilizing Recorded Commands for a Bilingual Patient During Emergence From Anesthesia. Anesthesia & Analgesia. Feb 2007, Vol 104, 2S

Common Winter Injuries to the Hand & Wrist

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Board Certification

• Diplomate of American Board of Plastic Surgery

Fellowship

• Hand, Upper Extremity, and Microvascular Surgery, The Curtis National Hand Center, Baltimore, MD

Residency

• University of Chicago Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery

Medical School

• University of Chicago Pritzker School of Medicine

Undergraduate

• University of Notre Dame

Medical Society Memberships

• American Society for Surgery of the Hand, Active Member (ASSH)
• American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS)
• Michigan Academy of Plastic Surgeons
• Notre Dame Orthopaedic Society

Leadership

• Allied Surgery Center, Quality Improvement Committee
• Honorary Board of Directors for Aging Connections of Michiana

Schedule Your Appointment

Practice Locations

• South Bend Office
• Mishawaka Office
• Plymouth Office
• Elkhart Office

Hospital & Surgery Center Locations

• Memorial Hospital of South Bend
• Saint Joseph Regional Medical Center – Mishawaka Campus
• Saint Joseph Regional Medical Center – Plymouth Campus
• Allied Physicians Surgery Center, South Bend
• Unity Medical & Surgical Hospital – Mishawaka