Laura T. Hetzler +

Dr. Laura Hetzler, MD, FACS, is dual board-certified in Facial Plastics and Reconstructive Surgery as well as Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery. She is an Associate Professor and the Program Director at the LSU Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery.

Dr. Hetzler received her medical degree from Louisiana State University School of Medicine and subsequently completed a residency in Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery at Loyola University in Chicago, IL. Dr. Hetzler then pursued advanced training in Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery by completing a fellowship at University of California, Davis in Sacramento, CA. She joined the faculty at LSU after completion of her fellowship in June 2010.

Dr. Hetzler avidly participates in humanitarian missions around the world including China, South and Central America for cleft lip and palate surgical teams. She is the founder and director of the Our Lady of the Lake Children’s Hospital Cleft and CraniofacialTeam.

Dr. Hetzler also manages a variety of reconstructive and facial aesthetic concerns. These include extensive skin cancer reconstructions of the head, neck and face as well as victims of facial trauma, rhinoplasty, and aging face surgery. Her clinical interests also include facial reanimation for individuals suffering from facial paralysis; surgical management of these patients include direct nerve repairs, nerve grafting, cranial nerve transposition techniques as well as free tissue transfer for long-standing facial paralysis. Her research interests include facial nerve recovery and reanimation as well as speech results following cleft surgery.