Tom McClellan, M.D.
Founder and Owner, McClellan Plastic Surgery
KATLIN SWISHER
Tom McClellan, M.D., is committed
to innovation in medicine.
After graduating from West Virginia
University’s (WVU) School of Medicine,
McClellan completed a plastic surgery
residency at Lahey Hospital & Medical
Center in Boston, which is an affiliate
of both Tufts University and Harvard
Medical School. He went on to Duke
University for a hand and microsurgery
fellowship, where he participated in cut-
ting-edge brachial plexus and tendon
research and then completed the renowned
Paces aesthetic fellowship at Emory Uni-
versity in Atlanta, GA.
“I chose plastic surgery because it was
such a fascinating and creative field—it’s
the ultimate 3D puzzle. You have to use
your ingenuity, knowledge and skills to
make something whole again, and it’s
just so fun and rewarding,” says McClellan.
“The other rewarding aspect about plastic
surgery is that you get to restore the form
and function of something that is missing or
deformed, such as a nose, eyelid or breast.”
In 2008, McClellan moved to Morgan
town, WV, to start his solo practice,
McClellan Plastic Surgery, where he per-
forms plastic, reconstructive and hand
surgery. He also practices full time at
Mon General Hospital and serves as the
current president of the West Virginia
Society of Plastic Surgeons.
Throughout his career, McClellan has
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WEST VIRGINIA EXECUTIVE
Photo by Impakt Media.
developed several innovative techniques
and devices to improve both plastic sur-
gery and patient care.
“Innovation within the field of plastic
surgery has been one of the most fulfilling
and rewarding aspects of my career,”
he says. “I enjoy the entire process of
dreaming, developing, patenting and
building new devices and techniques to
improve health care delivery.”
The product he is most proud of is
AlloX2, an FDA-cleared tissue expander
used for breast reconstruction after breast
cancer. It was developed and first im-
planted at Mon General in Morgantown.
“It’s a significant improvement to help
protect women and prevent complications
during the reconstructive process,” he
says. “AlloX2 is a big jump in our capa-
bilities as surgeons to improve breast
reconstruction and help prevent some of
the complications associated with implant-
based reconstruction, which is the most
common way in which a woman undergoes
breast reconstruction after breast cancer.”
AlloX2 has been widely adopted by
surgeons across the U.S. and is used in
thousands of women per year to improve
their reconstructive process.
McClellan also created Figure 8, a re-
constructive device used after open heart
surgery. This closure device creates a
stronger repair of the chest bone after
heart surgery and allows patients to leave