Meet Dr. Coleman
Woodward L. Coleman, M.D., F.A.C.S.
Woodward Coleman, M.D., F.A.C.S. specializes in joint reconstruction, complex fractures, surgery of nerves and arteries, repair and reconstruction of tendons, and fingertip reconstruction. He is Board Certified in Plastic Surgery with additional qualification in surgery of the hand.
Dr. Coleman is a graduate of Millsaps College in Jackson, Mississippi. He earned his Doctor of Medicine at the University of Mississippi. He completed a five-year general surgery residency at the University of South Carolina. Dr. Coleman was then chosen for a fellowship at the Christine Kleinert Institute for Hand and Microsurgery in Louisville, Kentucky. Only eight American Surgeons and six international surgeons throughout the world are chosen to train in this prestigious program. After completion of a full hand fellowship, he continued with a residency in plastic and reconstructive surgery that included further microsurgery training with Dr. Harry Bunckie, considered the pioneering grandfather of microsurgery.
Dr. Coleman is a Fellow of the American College of Surgeons, a diplomat of the American Board of Plastic Surgery, a member of the American Society for Plastic Surgeons, the American Society for Reconstructive Microsurgery, the American Society for Surgery of the Hand, and the American Association of Hand Surgeons. He is also a member of the American Medical Society and the San Antonio Surgical Society. He holds an appointment as assistant clinical professor for the Division of Plastic Surgery at UT Health Science Center, San Antonio. Dr. Coleman is the co-author of a chapter in the textbook "Plastic Surgery Principles and Practice" edited by the Chairman of Emory University's Surgery Department.
Dr. Coleman says, "If there is one forte I hold above all others, it is the informed patient. I take great efforts to ensure that there are no unpleasant surprises after surgery. I take as much time as necessary, with subsequent appointments at no charge, until the patient and I are content with the information and feel confident moving forward with the procedure."
Dr. Coleman and his wife have 3 children, all excelling in their fields. His oldest daughter graduated from the UT Plan II honors program and UT Law School, where she was the editor for the Law Review. She is practicing in Austin. His son is a personal banker in Huntington Beach, California and his youngest daughter is presently a student at UT Austin.
Basal Joint Arthroplasty of the Thumb
Over the last 20 years, Dr. Coleman and one of his former partners researched a number of options for the Basal Joint Arthroplasty of the thumb.
Evaluating results from revisions in technique, incorporating new ideas from the literature, and conferring with other national authorities has culminated in a blend of techniques that now bring about a reconstruction of the joint that has superior range of motion, much more acceptable appearance, better function, and longer lasting outcomes than the old Ligament Reconstruction and Tendon Interposition (LRTI) technique that is currently used by many orthopedic surgeons today.
Dr. Coleman is now getting referrals from all over the state of Texas because Doctors and Hand Therapists are recognizing the excellent results when patients return to their home towns.
Examples of this surgery are described in this website. Learn more about basal joint arthritis and the treatments that we offer.