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About

Won Jai Lee is a pioneering surgeon whose work sits at the intersection of robotic surgery and reconstructive microsurgery for head and neck cancer. His primary research areas include robot-assisted free flap reconstruction and minimally invasive approaches to complex head and neck defects. Lee’s major contribution is demonstrating that robotic techniques can be safely applied not only to tumor removal but also to the critical reconstructive phase, eliminating the need for disfiguring lip-split incisions or mandibulotomies. His landmark 2013 paper on robot-assisted free flap reconstruction, with 60 citations, established a new paradigm for oropharyngeal reconstruction following robotic tumor excision. He further expanded these techniques with his 2012 work on free flap reconstruction after robot-assisted neck dissection via modified face-lift and retroauricular approaches (36 citations), showing how to achieve excellent functional and aesthetic outcomes through hidden incisions. More recently, his 2022 methodology paper (5 citations) provides a systematic framework for conventional reconstruction after robotic cancer surgery, serving as a bridgehead for wider adoption. Lee’s work has been instrumental in advancing the field of robotic head and neck reconstruction, offering patients less invasive options without compromising oncologic safety.