Bruce S. Bauer, MD

Bruce Bauer, M.D., FACS, FAAP, is a pediatric plastic surgeon at Shriners Children's Chicago who specializes in giant congenital nevi, ear deformities, and cleft lip and palate.

While his practice has covered the full spectrum of pediatric plastic surgery – including cleft lip and palate, craniofacial deformities, congenital and acquired ear deformities, and reconstruction of birthmarks, both vascular and pigmented – Dr. Bauer has a particular interest in the treatment of large and giant melanocytic nevi and pediatric tissue expansion for treatment of these patients, as well as treatment of other congenital and acquired deformities.

His longtime dedication to the pediatric subspecialty has resulted in both national and international referrals of complex reconstructive problems requiring the specialized reconstructive techniques he developed. He has authored or co-authored numerous papers and chapters as well as co-edited and contributed extensively to the two editions of Principles and Practice of Pediatric Plastic Surgery.

Dr. Bauer began his career at Children’s Memorial Hospital (now Lurie Children's) in 1979 in pediatric plastic surgery and became chief of the service in 1986. In 2009 he moved to NorthShore University as director of pediatric plastic surgery and was chief of the division of plastic and reconstructive surgery from 2010 to 2015. He joined the faculty of University of Chicago Pritzker School of Medicine as clinical professor of surgery from 2019 to 2023, though he had been involved in training their plastic and reconstructive surgery residents since the 1990s.

Dr. Bauer joined Shriners Children’s Chicago in July 2023.