Dr. Richard Kline Jr. trained in microsurgery with Dr. Robert Allen, who was pioneering the DIEP, SIEA, and GAP flaps at LSU. “We knew that he [Dr. Allen] was onto something very exciting,” remembers Dr. Kline, “But, I doubt anyone back then foresaw just how sought-after those procedures would become.”
After completing his training, Dr. Kline spent several years in full-time academic surgical practice, first at LSU in New Orleans, then at the Medical University of South Carolina, during which time he performed the first successful DIEP flap in the southeastern United States. Dr. Kline established his private practice in 2000, which rapidly became a regional referral center for complex microsurgical reconstruction. Since then, his practice has evolved to focus almost exclusively on microsurgical breast reconstruction. “Our passion,” says Dr. Kline “is restoring women’s body image after mastectomy using only their own natural tissue. We and our entire staff feel very privileged to be able to use our skills to help so many people in this way.”
A Charleston native, Dr. Kline lives near his childhood home and his parents. His wife, Elizabeth, is a thoracic surgeon, and the two met in the operating room. They have two children, daughter Bellamy and son Mahlon.
Education: M.D., Medical University of South Carolina; B.S., Furman University
Residencies: The Cleveland Clinic, Louisiana State University Medical Center
Specialties: Perforator flap breast reconstruction
Certification: American Board of Plastic Surgery
