With Houston’s ever emerging Health Care landscape, we’re lucky to be living in what is considered the Medical Capital of the world. Houston’s not only known for its Medical Center, but we are just as famous for our renowned teams of Physicians and Specialists. In this special section, we have reached out to our medical community and collected some advice from some of our medical experts. We hope you find it as interesting as we have.
Dr. Paul Metz
A Graduate of Texas A&M University with a Bachelor’s Degree in Biomedical Science, Dr. Metz attended the top dental school in the country, the University of Texas Health Science Center San Antonio, where he received his D.D.S. degree in 1997. Dr. Metz continued his specialty training in Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery at UTHSC, during which time he was ranked in the top of his class. Dr. Metz then obtained his Medical Doctorate from UTHSC in 2001 and is a licensed medical physician.
What is an Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeon? An Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeon is a dentist who completes a 4-6-year hospital-based training program. Oral and maxillofacial surgeons focus on performing surgical procedures, including dental extractions, dental implant placement, repair of broken bones in the jaw and face, removal of cysts and tumors of the jaws, biopsies, and jaw realignment surgery to correct bite discrepancies. Many, but not all, complete medical school and are also licensed physicians in addition to being dentists.
What made you decide to focus on this type of medicine? I admired other surgeons in this field when I was in dental school. They were considered the best of the best and the ones that were called when no one else could fix the problem. I still enjoy the challenges of this profession and take great pride in doing my job well. My wife would say it was fate that I chose oral surgery because this decision led to us meeting. OMSH grew from an existing one doctor practice first started in 1973 that I purchased in 2004. I am proud to say we are still taking care of those patients as well as their children and grandchildren.
What is the most common procedure patients come to you for? The most common procedure is teeth extractions, including wisdom teeth or tooth extraction in preparation for the dental implant.
I know you are well known for dental implants. What are dental implants and who is a good candidate for them? Dental implants are tooth root replacements commonly made of titanium that are surgically placed in your jaw to replace a missing tooth. Almost every person who is missing one or more teeth and is in general good health is a candidate for a dental implant. You and your family live in Memorial, why did you choose this area?
First, as a sixth generation Texan, I cannot imagine living anywhere other than Texas. I grew up in the Houston area and enjoy hunting and fishing in my spare time. I love that I can be at the coast or the ranch in a matter of hours. My three daughters all attend the excellent public schools in Memorial, and the neighborhood provides small town living with big city access.
Dr. Jack E. Jensen
Dr. Jack E. Jensen has always been part of the athletic world. Once he completed his athletic career in college he went on to medical school at Kansas University. He excelled in medical school then did his orthopedic training at the University of Texas where he won awards for his research. A fellowship in knees and Sportsmedicine was performed at the University of Oregon with some of the leading pioneers. Dr. Jensen is respected nation-wide with his great knowledge in orthopedics and sports medicine. He has worked with some amazing organizations such as the U.S. Olympics, The Houston Astros, Rockets, Oilers, Texans, Cirque du Soleil, professional Tennis players, Karolyi’s gymnastics and much more. AOK Medical Center includes an orthopedic clinic, physical therapy, Houston Surgery Center, HMI imaging center and Houston’s only (AOK) Urgent Orthocare. Besides all the work and advancements Dr. Jensen has even had time to write a few books, no wonder he is a great man of medicine!
SWOON: Dr. Jensen when did you know that orthopedics was your calling? I have always been very athletic and actively involved in sports. It was when I was injured in college, coincidentally with my knee that I had to be treated by a sports medicine orthopedist. That gave me the spark and well…here I am today as an orthopedic surgeon!
SWOON: What would you say is your favorite orthopedic surgery and why? My favorite orthopedic surgery is arthroscopic surgery. I prefer to take a minimally invasive approach. With continuing advances, we are getting our patients to return to play and work quicker and safer.
SWOON: I have heard that AOKC has done a lot to help with patient’s pain management, can you explain about your pain management treatments? I take my patient’s pain seriously while at the same time trying to stay true to the non-operative approach and so often times our expert physical therapists are able to work with our patients to get them back to usual activities but additionally, I have been offering regenerative medicine in my practice and treatment options for the last few years and that has had great success with patient outcomes.
SWOON: Tell us a little about your nonprofit AOK Research Foundation? Through the Foundation, we’ve done thousands of high school sports-participation physicals. We do them every year at a low cost that allows them to participate in sports but if a student can’t afford it, they are never turned away. And sometimes, the sports physicals pick up things that can be lifesaving, like heart defects. We also provide athletic trainers to schools and events whenever they need athletic coverage. I’m a volunteer physician for many different schools, so I accompany them to their basketball or football games and help the injured athletes on the sidelines. There are games just about every night, and we’ve done that for years. You’re the doctor, it’s a volunteer situation and you give your time to help them out. Through the foundation, I’ve also been able to publish two books titled “A Healthy 10!” and “The One Stop Knee Shop”.
SWOON: I also have heard that you’ve been doing a lot of stem cell research, can you give us more details about this? This is an exciting topic for me because I see all of the value it has for not only the athlete but every person from every walk of life. I am the Lead investigator on a research study evaluating the effects of stem cells in orthopedic surgery.
SWOON: Due to the studies you have done in stem cell, would you think this is the future for so many sports injuries/recovery? Yes, absolutely. Allowing the body to do what is natural and to rebuild is ideal. Stem cells have a lot of promise in stimulating tissue to heal and thus lessen the chance of long term arthritis. They are also being used to enhance the healing in ligament and tendon injury. There are misleading claims about some products that are not really stem cells-the bottom line is stem-cells are a game-changer in the ortho world and we are first in line.
SWOON: Since living here in Memorial and raising your kids here, what would you say is something that keeps you here? It is a true benefit to be able to practice and live within the same community. I get great joy by running into my patients at schools, the grocery store and even church.
Dr. Angela Sturm
Dr. Angela Sturm has always been a very meticulous person, so when medicine led her into plastic surgery, where you must be very detailed and careful in every cut and stitch that you do, she knew this would be her calling. Angela has done extensive facial plastic surgeries and has received many awards in Houston. Her “family” feel to her practice sets her apart. Dr. Sturm attended medical school and residency in Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery at Baylor College of Medicine, where she received many student awards and co-authored and published many journals and articles.
Dr. Sturm when did you know that facial plastic surgery was your calling? I fell in love with Facial Plastic Surgery early in training when I observed a surgery to make an ear for a child that needed one. It all fell into place that Facial Plastic Surgery could give me all the things that I was looking for in a career. I could do something that is creative and incredibly detailed, I’d have a part of an extraordinary, often life-changing event in a person’s life, and have a positive impact not only on their health but also their confidence.
I understand that you studied under Dr. Russell Kridel, how would you say this made you one of Houston’s top facial plastic surgeons? I think that all of us get better at what we do by absorbing as much wisdom and experience as we can from the people around us, as well as by seeking out those who can provide the insight that we need. I was lucky enough not only to complete my fellowship with Dr. Kridel, who is internationally recognized for his surgical skills, teachings, and contributions to our field but also to join his practice. This gives me the ability to continue to have him as a colleague, sounding board, mentor, and resource.
What would you say makes your practice different from other plastic surgery practices? In our practice, you are not just treated like a patient, but like family by every member of our staff. We pride ourselves in not only knowing the details of your medical history but also about you as a person. My practice has patients who travel from all over the world seeking our expertise in relatively common procedures, like rhinoplasty and facelifts, as well as ones that are not so common, like septal perforation repair and facial feminization.
Is there anything else that you are passionate about, other than your work of course? I am passionate about empowering people, particularly women and girls to aim high. Whether it is talking to family and friends about their goals or formal mentoring of young girls or the residents and fellows that I teach, I get such joy from seeing them succeed at things they didn’t think were possible. Society has enforced certain ideas that can be limited such that it may not even cross a young girl’s mind that certain things are available and feasible. I love seeing their faces light up when they not only make that realization but also make it come true. I can’t wait to see that with my daughter.
We hear that you have a passion for animals and children. Being in such a busy practice when do you have time to work with animals and children? Helping others, particularly those who don’t have a voice, like animals and children, was ingrained in me at a young age. It influenced my decision to go into medicine and influences how I spend my time in general. I like to surround myself with other people who share my passions. So, participating in organizations like the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo, Citizens for Animal Protection or Star of Hope is how I enjoy spending time outside of work because it is fulfilling, I get to spend time with my friends who also enjoy these activities and what is more fun than kids and animals?
Read the entire medical section in Swoon Memorial’s August Digital publication by clicking here.
