Restoring Function, Rebuilding Confidence

A Shriners Children’s Boston Plastic, Reconstructive and Laser Surgery Spotlight

The pediatric plastic and reconstructive surgery team at Shriners Children’s Boston is trusted among families to provide long-term, life-changing results. Whether a child requires reconstructive surgical care because of a congenital condition or traumatic injury, specialists at Shriners Children’s Boston offer personalized treatment plans that follow patients throughout childhood and adolescence, helping them heal, grow and regain confidence as they move into adulthood.

Branko Bojovic, M.D., is the chief of plastic, reconstructive and laser surgery at Shriners Children’s Boston and began his career rotating at the hospital as a resident. He received firsthand experience with plastic surgery techniques, setting a foundation for his practice today. “We have a very talented and highly skilled group of surgeons who offer comprehensive treatment options for patients with burn-related and congenital differences, as well as scar therapy options,” said Dr. Bojovic. “We offer patients and their families the option to continue their care journey with us, uninterrupted, for whatever ongoing needs they may have until they turn 21. This longitudinal care and continuity of care are critical to provide optimal results in the most familiar, compassionate and consistent way possible.”

Where Precision Meets Possibility

Daniel Driscoll, M.D., is a plastic surgeon who specializes in facial reconstruction for children with burn injuries and congenital conditions. Through laser treatments and other reconstructive techniques, Dr. Driscoll helps improve appearance and restore function for patients experiencing extensive burn scarring. “As children grow, their scars don't grow with them,” he said. “We can't erase the scars, but we can make them look a little better, and we can help a child function better.”

The plastic and reconstructive team treats many patients from different countries, requiring close collaboration within their own team as well as other departments. “The first thing we have to do for patients that come from abroad is to understand if they have any other medical issues, because they don't have primary care physicians,” said Dr. Driscoll. “It is a team approach. We may need X-rays or other tests before we operate. Then we can do the surgery and do it safely.”

Edwin, a patient from Honduras, returns to Shriners Children’s Boston each year to see Dr. Driscoll after sustaining burns to his face and neck when he was a baby. Edwin’s scar management plan has included both functional and aesthetic goals, requiring Dr. Driscoll to use a variety of techniques to achieve optimal results. “Edwin needed more skin on his face so he could close his eyes, open his mouth better and move his neck with greater ease,” he said. “At the same time, we’ve done work with lasers to help soften up the skin.” Dr. Driscoll assesses Edwin’s future needs during each annual visit, always looking ahead to his long-term treatment plan.

A Journey of Evolution

For more than 25 years, the Shriners Children’s Boston plastics team has been a leader in advancing the use of lasers to minimize scarring from burns, injury or other differences. Lasers reduce hospital stays, limit the need for surgery, and support better long‑term outcomes for children, including quality of life. Laser technology is something Shriners Children’s Boston has incorporated nearly since its inception and is described as a “breakthrough and game-changer” by Dr. Bojovic.

Ashley is a former patient who benefited from laser technology at Shriners Children’s Boston to treat her facial birthmark. She continued the treatments throughout her childhood, which helped lighten the birthmark’s appearance while bolstering her self-confidence. After 17 years of care, Ashley plans to become a pediatric occupational therapist, supporting children through their care journeys with the same compassion she received.

Setting the Gold Standard in Pediatrics

Shriners Children’s Boston provides wrap-around care, treating a child’s mind and body in a way that’s tailor-made for them. Surgical patients can also receive physical and occupational therapy, nutritional and mental health services, and support from child life specialists, including special programs like pet therapy.

Our hospital not only sets the standard in collaborative care, but also in pediatric medicine and research. Dr. Driscoll regularly attends the American Burn Association’s (ABA) annual meeting, where he enjoys the opportunity to learn alongside his colleagues from other hospitals and Shriners Children’s locations across the country. He is part of the ABA’s reconstructive committee and helped organize a reconstructive special interest group. “These meetings involve case presentations with other plastic surgeons and that's always very fun,” he said. “I love to learn about what is going on at other places.”

Shriners Children’s Boston is home to pioneering work in burn care, including plastic and reconstructive innovations. “Our team is doing some incredible work to help the children we see,” said Dr. Driscoll. “Some of the most innovative things happening in the field right now are going on here in Boston. Dr. Bojovic has a great talent with multiple different lasers and works very closely with our dermatology colleagues who have invented half of these lasers.”

Critical to the team’s successful outcomes, Dr. Driscoll explained, is the ability to balance time-tested techniques with new technology. “Sometimes the best course is to get back to the basics. There are a lot of older surgical techniques that are really important to pass on to the next generation as well. It’s often a challenge, but it’s a very rewarding practice.”

Providing Hope and Healing

With the support of the Shriners Children’s Boston plastic, reconstructive and laser team, children rediscover their strength and begin to feel at ease in their own skin again. Nevaeh is a burn survivor who is thriving after receiving care at Shriners Children's. She returns once or twice a year for various procedures with Dr. Bojovic, whom her family describes as “amazing” and a “great listener.” “Dr. Bojovic’s focus is talking to Nevaeh about her care, about what she wants to do, what her plan is, making sure she is happy with her outcomes,” said Nevaeh’s mom, Allison.

Through a combination of world‑class surgical expertise and empathetic pediatric care, Shriners Children’s Boston creates an environment where patients experience exceptional outcomes. “Children and their families are being cared for by one of the finest and most skilled hospitals in the world,” said Dr. Bojovic. “They should know I would not hesitate to have my own children cared for in the Shriners Children’s healthcare system if the need arose.”