Dr Macadam is an Associate Professor (Clinical) within the Division of Plastic Surgery at the University of British Columbia (UBC). She is Head of the UBC Breast Reconstruction Program and the Research Director within the Division of Plastic Surgery. She also is the Director of the UBC Breast Reconstruction Fellowship which trains national and international plastic surgery graduates. 

Dr Macadam performs both reconstructive and aesthetic surgery and works hard to deliver the best surgical results and care to her patients. Through clinical research she reflects on and improves her outcomes and is known to be an advocate for her patients. All of this is balanced with her family life which includes caring for her baby son Kieran.

Dr Macadam started her practice in 2008. Prior to this she obtained her medical doctorate at UBC. She went on to train at UBC and the University of Alberta as a plastic surgery resident. At the culmination of her residency Dr Macadam was awarded the IB Holubitsky Award which honors one resident across all surgical specialties who demonstrates the highest qualities of surgical excellence. She completed board examinations in both Canada and the United States and is a fellow of the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada and certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery.

Following residency training Dr Macadam went on to complete a Masters of Science in Epidemiology at the Harvard School of Public Health. She has utilized this training to incorporate clinical outcomes research into her practice. To date she has authored over 35 peer reviewed journal articles and her research has been funded by over $300,000 in grant monies from research funding agencies such as the Canadian Research Alliance. Early in her career Dr Macadam was awarded the Mentored Clinician Scientist Award from the Vancouver Coastal Health Research Institute. This competitive award promotes research capacity through peer-reviewed salary support. This early funding allowed her to dedicate time to research that examined patient satisfaction and quality of life after surgery. Dr Macadam also has a strong presence within the Canadian Society of Plastic Surgeons where she has served as both the Secretary and President of the Group for Advancement of Microsurgery.

Dr Macadam completed fellowship training in aesthetic breast surgery and reconstructive breast surgery with a focus on microvascular reconstruction. During her residency at UBC, microvascular reconstruction was rarely performed. During fellowship in Baltimore, Maryland and Winnipeg, Manitoba she trained specifically in methods to reconstruct a breast using a “free flap” such as the DIEP, SGAP and TUG flaps. She then came back to UBC and started the microvascular breast reconstruction component of the UBC Breast Reconstruction Program in 2008. This involved lobbying for dedicated operative time at Vancouver General Hospital, training nurses in both the OR and on the postoperative recovery wards and training fellows and residents in this type of surgery. Today this program is strong after a decade of growth and now offers every type of reconstruction to the patients of British Columbia. As an expert in breast surgery Dr Macadam is frequently called upon by the media for commentary and has been seen on Global TV and CTV, interviewed on the CBC and CKNW and has been quoted extensively in local and national newspapers. 

Dr Macadam has incorporated the most advanced techniques into her practice as they have become available. Examples include single stage breast reconstruction, use of acellular dermal matrix for primary breast reconstruction, prepectoral breast reconstruction, complicated revision surgery, fat grafting, nipple-sparing mastectomy, autologous reconstruction in combination with an implant, and use of SPY technology to assess blood supply to mastectomy skin. She has studied many of these newer techniques and published research assessing the best candidates for single stage reconstruction, the UBC incidence of problems with blood flow to mastectomy skin, use of a novel medication to improve blood supply to mastectomy skin, reasons for delay to surgery in BRCA patients, quality of life after saline versus silicone implants, quality of life after different abdominal flap breast reconstruction techniques and cost analyses of incorporation of these newer techniques into practice. She has presented her research nationally and internationally and has been recognized as an author of the ‘Best Breast Paper’ at the American Society of Plastic Surgery national meeting. She was also recognized as an expert on breast reconstruction and invited to author two review articles on breast reconstruction in the journal Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery.

For a more detailed description of Dr Macadam’s research, presentations and awards please see her resume here.