We all have different aspects of our personalities — and doctors are no exception. Here’s a peek into the lives of Peninsula Plastic Surgery’s physicians, Drs. Christopher Pellegrino and Vincent Perrotta.
“If I hadn’t been a plastic surgeon, I would have been a master chef in a famous restaurant,” said Pellegrino shortly after he emerged from performing a procedure in the practice’s operating room.
Fortunately, Pellegrino chose a career path that led to scalpels instead of saucepans, and thousands of lives have been improved because of it.
It has obviously been a satisfying decision for the physician. “I’ve kept every note and thank-you gift,” he said before going on to recall the time he restructured a young girl’s nose after a nasty collision on the basketball court as one of his many rewarding experiences. “You get to change people’s lives forever,” he commented.
But the Johns Hopkins University graduate didn’t put his interest in cuisine on a back burner as he worked toward attaining his degree in medicine and a coveted board-certification in plastic surgery. Cooking is one of the ways the busy physician unwinds after an exacting day’s surgery.
With three athletic children — Jenna a Towson freshman, Nicole and Christopher Jr., at J.M. Bennett High School — the bachelor dad spends a good deal of time in the cheering section. The whole family — except pet papillon, Monty — enjoys tennis, “Both my daughters are very good players,” said Pellegrino with pride, adding, “They finally beat their dad!” Golf, skiing, boating and trips to the beach are all family favorites, with a Caribbean cruise as a memorable highlight.
Pellegrino credits his father, “A chiropractor for 51 years and still going strong,” with being a great inspiration in his life. That’s why he travels as often as possible to visit his family and friends in Southampton, N.Y.
The doctors of Peninsula Plastic Surgery have always reached out to help the community. Dr. Farouk Sultani, who retired from the practice in 2008, now serves as chairman of the board of Peninsula Regional Medical Center. Even though he has retired from the practice of medicine, he continues to function as an integral part the medical community and to bring about positive changes.
“The Eastern Shore has the highest skin cancer rate in the state,” said Mary Bellis, mission manager for the American Cancer Society. “We appreciate the generosity of Drs. Pellegrino and Perrotta in donating their services,” she added, referring to Peninsula Plastic Surgery’s skin cancer screenings at Relay for Life.
After they heard repeatedly from patients with suspicious skin lesions that the wait to see a dermatologist was approximately nine months, Pellegrino and Perrotta decided to form the Peninsula Skin Cancer Center.Through this new system, patients are seen within two weeks of the initial phone call. Any resection and/or reconstruction is performed by Pellegrino or Perrotta.
Other non-profits supported by Pellegrino and Perrotta include The Joseph House, Village of Hope, the Wellness Community, Women Supporting Women — and that’s not all.
Perrotta finds giving back the most fulfilling part of his midlife. In particular, he points to the new medical mission he, Nancy Rodriguez-Weller and his wife Tina founded. “The first mission of ‘La-Merced,’ which translates to ‘The Mercy (of God)’ took place last year in Managua, Nicaragua. In the Mascota Hospital for Children the team operated on fifteen children with congenital deformities of the face, chest and upper extremities,” shared Perrotta.
This June, the group returns with plans to perform major operations on more than thirty. In addition, they will open a minor procedure room in Roberto Clemente Clinic for Women and Children so that even more patients can be treated.
Perrotta remembers his father as the person who influenced him most, “Dad, a navigator in the United States Air Force, was very principled and pragmatic.” In the spirit of his late father, Perrotta is passionate about his pursuit of perfection in his work.
Art was Perrotta’s earliest love. His mother, an amateur artist, taught him to paint. Presently, Perrotta channels his artistic gifts into his medical practice, considering each and every patient a work of art in progress.
But nothing provides Perrotta with more joy than his home: his loving and highly accomplished wife — who serves on the board of Lower Shore Enterprises — five children, three dogs, two cats, eight fish, and his father’s fig tree (it’s an Italian thing).
As busy parents, both Perrotta and Pellegrino understand that time is precious. And their Quick Stitch program offers prompt closure of minor lacerations for any child referred by their pediatrician.
Peninsula Plastic Surgery’s on-site operating rooms — accredited by the Accreditation Association for Ambulatory Health Care (AAAHC) and Medicare — were selected by the Star Technical Institute for the training of surgical technician students under the supervision of Perrotta and Pellegrino.
For more information on this ever-expanding practice, contact Peninsula Plastic Surgery in Salisbury, Md., 410-546-0464; Seaford, Del., 302-628-3118; or Millsboro, Del., 302-934-1174, www.penplasticsurgery.com. If you are interested in learning more about La-Merced, visit the Web site at www.la-merced.org.
