Norma I. Cruz, FACS

Professor

DRA NORMA CRUZ

Contact Info

  • norma.cruz4@upr.edu
  • Department of Surgery
    School of Medicine
    Medical Sciences Campus
    Office A-923
  • 787-763-2440

Education

  • BS: Science, University of Puerto Rico, 1972
  • MD: University of Puerto Rico, 1976
  • IInternship:  General Surgery, Puerto Rico University Hospital Affiliated Hospitals, 1977
  • Residency:  General Surgery, University of Puerto Rico Surgery Program, 1981
  • Fellowship:  Plastic Surgery, Yale University Plastic Surgery Program, 1983

Personal Statement

Dr. Norma Cruz completed her plastic surgery residency training at the Yale University program in 1983.  She is certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery and currently is a professor of plastic surgery at the University of Puerto Rico School of Medicine.  She has an academic and clinical practice that has concentrated in plastic surgery of the breast.

Positions and Honors

  • President, Puerto Rico Society of Plastic Surgeons: 1987-1989, 1994.
  • Moderator, Raffucci Surgical Research Forum: 1991-2021.
  • Delegate to Plastic Surgery Iberolatinamerican Federation (FILACP) 1990-2018.
  • Sub-director of International Affairs for FILACP 2016-2018.
  • Scientific Poster Award of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons, 2004.
  • President, San Juan District, PR College of Physicians and Surgeons, 2008-2010.
  • Vice-president, San Juan District, PR College Physicians & Surgeons, 2012-2018.
  • National Delegate to the International Confederation of Plastic, Reconstructive & Aesthetic Surgeons, 2011.
  • National Delegate to the International Confederation of Plastic Surgery Societies (ICOPLAST), 2016-2019.
  • Distinguished Professor of the Iberolatinamerican Federation (FILACP) 2019.
  • International Confederation of Plastic Surgery Societies Board of Directors (2019-2022)

Selected Peer-Reviewed Publications

Cruz NI, Korchin L.  Lactational performance after breast reduction with different pedicles.  Plast. Reconstr. Surg. 120:35-40, 2007.

 

Cruz NI, Korchin L.  Breastfeeding after augmentation mammaplasty with saline implants.  Annals of Plastic Surgery 64:530-533, 2010.

 

Cruz NI, Korchin L.  Breast asymmetry pattern in women with idiopathic scoliosis.  Boletín Asociación Médica de Puerto Rico 105(3):9-12, 2013.

 

Cruz NI.  History, evolution and current issues of breast implants.  In: Berrocal M, ed.  The Four Stages of the Breast: Evaluation, design and surgical procedures.  Colombia: Medical Press; pages 161-172, 2014.

Cruz NI, Santiago E, Rivera F.  Database of surgical procedures: A summary of selected characteristics of the surgical population of the University of Puerto Rico-affiliated hospitals. PR Health Sci J 35:26-29, 2016.

Cruz NI, Rivera F, Santiago E.  Gender distribution of general surgery residents at the University of Puerto Rico. PR Health Sci J 35:35-39, 2016.

Cruz NI, Santiago E, Abdul-Hadi A.  Prevalence of diabetes mellitus in the surgical population of the University of Puerto Rico affiliated hospitals: A study using the surgery database.  PR Health Sci J 35:160-164, 2016.

Cruz NI, Santiago E, Luque C.  Assessing the decrease in the surgical population of the University of Puerto Rico-Affiliated Hospitals.  PR Health Sci J 36:232-236, 2017.

Cruz NI, López LA, Santiago E.  Body Mass Index and Surgical Outcome in a Puerto Rican Population.  PR Health Sci J 37:165-169, 2018.

Cruz NI.  Breast Asymmetry in Women Requesting Plastic Surgery of the Breast.  PR Health Sci J 37:230-238, 2018.

Cooter RD, Brightman LA, Clarke HM, Cruz NI, Evans GRD, Koh KS, Murphy RX Jr, Perks GAB, Rakhorst HA.  Establishing Priorities for the International Confederation of Plastic Surgery Societies.  Plast Reconstr Surg Glob Open.  6:e1878, 2018.

Cruz NI, Santiago E, Rodríguez K.  The effect of hurricane Maria on the surgical workload of the UPR-affiliated hospitals.  PR Health Sci J 39:195-199, 2020.

Cruz NI, Santiago E, Figueroa BC. Insurance type and surgical-patient characteristics in the UPR-affiliated hospitals. PR Health Sci J 39:270-274, 2020.

Cruz NI. Are reduction mammaplasty complications in obese women decreased by preoperative weight loss?  Plast Reconstr Surg Glob Open. 8 (9 Suppl):109, 2020.

Truche P, Moeller E, Wurdeman T, Zimmerman K, Cruz N, Nakarmi K,  Rai S,  Eado Y,        Pompermaier L, Meara JG, Corlew DS.  The Plastic Surgery Workforce and Its Role in Low-income Countries. Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery Glob Open.  9(4):e3428; 2021.

Research Support and/or Scholastic Performance:

Currently the maintenance and supervision of the Surgery Department Database has been one of the main research projects.  It is supported by the Department of Surgery with a full-time epidemiologist (Elvis Santiago, MS) and I collaborate as a professor of surgery overseeing that entries are correct.  This secure database was established in 2013, and at this time it contains information on 38,224 surgical cases.