With over 100 years of experience in treating infants and children with a variety of diagnosis, the physicians at Pediatric Plastic Surgery Institute provide evidence-based treatment in a private clinic setting.
Outstanding Doctors

H. Steven Byrd, M.D.

H. Steven Byrd, M.D.
Dr. H. Steve Byrd is a board certified plastic surgeon, and sees patients in our Dallas and Frisco locations. He specializes in pediatric plastic and craniofacial surgery, including cleft lip and palate, congenital and acquired nasal deformities, craniofacial reconstruction, ear reconstruction and ear molding. He has authored chapters in Mustardé & Jackson’s Plastic Surgery in Infancy and Childhood (Nasal Reconstruction: Trauma and Tumors), Grabb & Smith’s Plastic Surgery (Cleft Lip), and Losee & Kirschner’s Comprehensive Cleft Care (Correction of Secondary Unilateral Cleft Lip and Nose Deformities). Dr. Byrd also pioneered the Earwell™ Infant Ear Correction system, a non-surgical device utilized in infancy to correct ear deformities.
Following completion of his residency at the University of Texas Southwestern in 1978, he entered private practice at Baylor University Medical Center at Dallas and was appointed vice-chairman to the Division of Plastic Surgery at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center. He has been distinguished as a full professor at the aforementioned University, and has served as Chief of Service at Baylor University Medical Center of Dallas.
In addition, Dr. Byrd is the Director of the Craniofacial Clinic at Medical City Children’s Hospital, is a founding member and past president of the Rhinoplasty Society and a former member of the board of the Plastic Surgery Educational Foundation, as well as holding memberships in the American Society of Plastic Surgeons and the American Cleft Palate-Craniofacial Association. He lectures nationally and internationally on rhinoplasty, unilateral & bilateral cleft lip repair, staged cleft palate repair, secondary correction of cleft lip & palate, primary and secondary repair of the cleft nasal deformity, and timing & techniques of repair of the alveolar cleft with cancellous bone grafts.
In a recent poll, “Best Doctors in America”, Dr. Byrd was elected by his peers-throughout the country, not just in Dallas-as one of the top plastic surgeons in the United States. He credits this acknowledgment to his uncompromising commitment to the highest standard of patient care, to the development of innovative and state of the art surgical techniques, and to the betterment of his specialty through the educational and governmental process. Dr. Byrd was also repeatedly named one of Texas’ SuperDoctors® by Texas Monthly Magazine, as well as one of D Magazine’s Top Pediatric Specialists.
(Super Doctors® is a registered trademark of Key Professional Media, Inc.)
To learn more about Dr. Byrd, please visit his website at www.drstevebyrd.com.

Richard Y. Ha, M.D.

Richard Y. Ha, M.D.
Dr. Richard Ha is a board certified plastic surgeon with convenient office locations in Dallas, Plano, and Frisco. He specializes in pediatric plastic and craniofacial surgery and has expertise in cleft lip and palate, ear reconstruction and ear molding, craniosynostosis and other craniofacial anomalies, jaw distraction surgical correction for speech disorders, facial reanimation for paralysis, facial trauma reconstruction, microsurgery, tissue expansion and birthmarks. He is a member of the craniofacial team at the Pediatric Plastic Surgery Institute, and is also the president of the Dallas Plastic Surgery Institute.
Dr. Ha received his undergraduate degree with honors from Brown University and his medical degree from Indiana University. He completed his general surgery, plastic surgery, and craniofacial fellowship training from UT Southwestern Medical Center.
Dr. Ha is a Clinical Instructor at UT Southwestern Department of Plastic Surgery, and is active in training residents and fellows. He holds memberships in the American Society of Plastic Surgeons and the American Cleft Palate-Craniofacial Association, and serves on several committees. Dr. Ha has published numerous articles on many plastic and craniofacial surgery topics for peer reviewed journals and chapters in leading textbooks. He continues to lecture nationally at courses and meetings.
To learn more about Dr. Ha, please visit his website at www.haplasticsurgery.com.

Matthew J Trovato MD

Matthew J Trovato MD
A graduate of Duke University, Dr. Trovato completed plastic and reconstructive surgery training in New Jersey, hand and microsurgical subspecialization at the Buncke Clinic in San Francisco, and craniofacial subspecialization at UT Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas.
As part of the craniofacial team at Pediatric Plastic Surgery Institute and faculty at Baylor University Medical Center, Dr. Trovato is active in training residents and fellows. He has published numerous articles and chapters on many plastic and craniofacial surgery topics. Board Certified in Cosmetic and Reconstructive Plastic Surgery, Dr. Trovato is a founding member of the Pediatric Plastic Surgery Institute.
In Dr. Trovato’s own words:
I spent so much of my childhood building and rebuilding things; from erector sets, lawnmower engines and antique furniture, to restoring a 1968 Ford Mustang when I was fifteen. I then joined the volunteer ambulance corps and from that experience decided to become a doctor. In medical school, I realized that plastic surgery focused on restoring the human body. That combination of art and mechanics was incredibly exciting…
When one thinks of plastic surgery, they generally think about cosmetic procedures, scars and making older people look younger. While I perform breast lifts, tummy tucks, and Botox on my adult patients – and use the same attention to detail in pediatric plastic surgery – kids benefit from a different approach.
Our pediatric patients and their families certainly have some cosmetic goals. But more importantly, for example, in a child with an ear deformity, another goal is looking like the other kids in school and not being teased or bullied. In a newborn with a cleft lip and palate, the concerns are focused on eating, speech, and smiling like all the other children. In a child who has suffered a facial injury or burn, the concerns are in repairing and restoring the damaged bones and tissues. In a child with facial paralysis, the focus is in recreating a symmetric smile.
Since general surgery, plastic surgery, hand and microsurgery, and pediatric and craniofacial training, my desire to use the skills I have learned to give back to my community has only grown. I spend Thursdays at the pediatric craniofacial clinic in Dallas and enjoy medical missions in Zimbabwe, India, and the Dominican Republic with the LEAP Foundation. I’ve been working with Operation Smile on an exciting project to give back here in the U.S.”
To learn more about Dr. Trovato, please visit his website at www.drmjtrovato.com.
*Photography by Tatyana Bessmertnaya 2013.

Bret Johnson MD

Bret Johnson MD
Dr. Johnson is a well-respected and highly trained plastic and reconstructive surgeon, having completed his training at UT Southwestern, consistently ranked as the #1 residency program in the nation, and has worked with some of the most widely known and respected names in the field of Plastic Surgery. With convenient office locations in both Dallas and Plano, he specializes in pediatric and craniofacial surgery with expertise in rhinoplasty and cleft rhinoplasty, ear molding and otoplasty, cleft lip, and palate care, craniosynostosis, orthognathic surgery, facial trauma reconstruction, lesion and birthmark excisions, and scar revisions.
Originally from a small town in Kansas, Dr. Johnson completed his undergraduate studies at the University of Kansas, graduating with the highest distinction, and received his medical degree from Saint Louis University School of Medicine. Dr. Johnson moved to Dallas following medical school and completed both his general surgery and plastic surgery residency training at UT Southwestern. He then completed his training at the Pediatric Plastic Surgery Institute, gaining additional specialized training in both pediatric and adult craniofacial surgery.
Dr. Johnson takes great pride in ensuring his patients have the best possible experience from start to finish. A custom plan is created for each patient, ensuring not just an excellent functional outcome, but the best possible cosmetic result as well. To learn more about Dr. Johnson, please visit dallasplasticsurgeon.com or call the Pediatric Plastic Surgery Institute to schedule a consultation.
Speech Pathology

Speech Pathologist
Carole Brooks

Speech Pathologist
Carole Brooks
Practicing as a speech-language pathologist since 2004, Carole has a depth of experience in the evaluation and treatment of children with communication, feeding, and swallowing disorders. Carole has experience providing support and treatment to children in all phases of development and recovery, including work in acute care, the neonatal intensive care unit, pediatric inpatient rehabilitation, intensive inpatient feeding treatment, outpatient evaluation and treatment, home care services, and the public school system. Carole has experience educating other therapists on feeding and swallowing disorders through the development and provision of continuing education courses as well as through her work as an adjunct professor at the University of North Texas.
Carole is passionate about serving children and families faced with communication, feeding, and/or swallowing disorders with a goal to empower her clients with the skills needed to interact with others in their day-to-day life, whether by improving communication or feeding abilities. As a parent of a child with communication difficulties, Carole is cognizant of the importance of family support and education for fostering success in speech therapy, and is, therefore, purposeful in providing family-centered, holistic speech therapy services.
Outstanding Staff
