About

Samuel O. Poore, MD, PhD, is a Professor and the Endowed Chair of Global Education in Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery at the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health. He serves as the Chair of the Division of Plastic Surgery. Dr. Poore's educational background includes an MD and PhD from Brown University in Providence, RI, and a residency in Surgery at the University of Wisconsin Department of Surgery, Division of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery. He also completed a fellowship in Microsurgery and Research at the Bernard O’Brien Institute of Microsurgery in Melbourne, Australia. His clinical specialties focus on microvascular surgery with an emphasis on breast reconstruction, as well as general plastic and reconstructive surgery, including reconstruction of the hand and post-bariatric body contouring. Dr. Poore provides a wide range of services such as Brachial Plexus Surgery, Breast Implant Removal, Breast Reconstruction, Carpal Tunnel Release Surgery, Digital Replantation, Ear Surgery (Otoplasty), Limb Salvage, Gynecologic Oncology Reconstruction, Lower Extremity Reconstruction, Microvascular Reconstruction, Nerve Repair, Pediatric Hand Surgery, Scar Revision, Skin Cancer Reconstruction, and Tendon Repairs. His research includes topics such as microsurgical education, sensory recovery in foot and ankle reconstruction, skeletal muscle mass as a predictor of postoperative outcomes, and the development of microvascular anastomosis devices. Dr. Poore's work contributes significantly to advancements in plastic and reconstructive surgery, with a focus on improving surgical techniques and patient outcomes.

Research topics

• Medicine
• Surgery
• Family medicine
• Political Science
• Internal medicine
• Computer Science
• General surgery
• Biology
• Dermatology
• Neuroscience
• Biomedical engineering
• Anatomy
• Anesthesia
• Medical education
• Nursing
• Intensive care medicine
• Psychology
• Law

Selected publications

• Low Skeletal Muscle Mass as a Key Predictor of Postoperative Diet Outcomes in Circumferential Hypopharyngeal Cancer Reconstruction

  Laryngoscope Investigative Otolaryngology · 2026-04-01

  articleOpen accessCorresponding

  ABSTRACT Objective To evaluate the association between preoperative lumbar skeletal muscle index (LSMI) and postoperative dietary outcomes (regular diet versus texture‐modified diet) in patients undergoing circumferential hypopharyngeal cancer resection with tubed anterolateral thigh flap reconstruction. Methods This single‐center retrospective cohort study included 73 patients between 2009 and 2020. LSMI was calculated from lumbar skeletal muscle cross‐sectional area at the C3 vertebral level on preoperative CT scans. The primary outcome was dietary restriction, defined as Functional Oral Intake Scale ≤ 6 at ≥ 12 months postoperatively. Candidate predictors (pre‐, intra‐ and postoperative) with p < 0.20 in univariate screening underwent theory‐driven confounder assessment based on directed acyclic graphs, prior literature, and clinical knowledge. Change‐in‐estimate criterion (Δ β ≥ 10%) supported selecting confounding. LSMI components (C3CSA, L3CSA, age, sex, weight, height, BMI) were excluded from adjustment to prevent overadjustment for mediators and multicollinearity. The final model analyzed LSMI as a continuous predictor with logistic regression. Results Fifteen patients (20.5%) developed dietary restriction (FOIS < 7). Three confounders (Eichner A, Stage IV, hemoglobin) for LSMI were identified. Multivariable adjustment improved model fit (AIC: 65.8 → 63.4; Nagelkerke R 2 : 0.237 → 0.383) while maintaining statistical significance. Each 1 cm 2 /m 2 increase in LSMI was associated with a 16.1% reduction in the odds of FOIS < 7 (adjusted OR: 0.839; p = 0.006). The optimal LSMI cut‐off value was 42.82 cm 2 /m 2 . Conclusion Preoperative LSMI independently predicts long‐term dietary outcomes after hypopharyngeal reconstruction. Restricting the cohort to uniform resection and reconstruction methods clarified the relationship between skeletal muscle mass and swallowing function, enabling precise risk stratification and supporting targeted prehabilitation interventions. Level of Evidence 4.

  PublisherDOI

• Monitoring committee in clinical trials

  Elsevier eBooks · 2026-01-01

  book-chapterSenior author
  PublisherDOI

• ESPEN guideline on clinical nutrition in inflammatory bowel disease: a guideline review

  Frontline Gastroenterology · 2025-05-10 · 2 citations

  articleSenior author

  The European Soceity for Clinical Nutrition and Metabolism (ESPEN) produced a guideline on clinical nutrition in inflammatory bowel disease in 2017, updated in 2023. In this review article we will summarise the key recommendations.

  PublisherDOI

• D67. Challenges in Detecting Artificial Intelligence in Scientific Writing: An Analysis of Clinical Reviewers and AI Detection Tools in Plastic Surgery

  Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery Global Open · 2025-05-01

  articleOpen accessSenior author

  PURPOSE: The increasing use of artificial intelligence (AI) in academic writing has raised concerns about the integrity of scientific manuscripts. This study aims to evaluate the ability of medical professionals and online AI-detection tools to detect AI involvement in plastic surgery manuscript passages. METHODS: This study analyzed eight passages, with four focused on plastic surgery topics, which were either human-written, human written and AI-edited, or fully AI-generated. Ten raters (medical students, residents, and attending plastic surgeons) classified each passage by origin, and accuracy was assessed. Fleiss’ kappa measured interrater reliability. Three online AI detection tools also analyzed the passages, with intraclass correlation coefficients (ICC) evaluating tool agreement on AI-generated content percentage. RESULTS: Human raters correctly identified the origin of the passages only 25% of the time with no difference in accuracy between plastic surgery and non-plastic surgery topics. Raters correctly identified fully AI-generated passages 27.5% of the time, while entirely human-written passages were correctly identified 20% of the time. Interrater reliability among human raters was 0.304, while ICC across the three online AI detection tools was 0.097. AI detection tools incorrectly classified human-written content as more than 50% AI-generated in two-thirds of ratings. CONCLUSION: This study highlights the difficulty in accurately identifying AI involvement in manuscripts. Human raters showed low accuracy with fair interrater agreement, while AI tools frequently misclassified human-written content as AI-generated and demonstrated poor agreement. These findings indicate a need for better methods to uphold the integrity of plastic surgery and scientific writing.

  PublisherDOI

• Evaluating the Detection Accuracy of AI-Generated Content in Plastic Surgery: A Comparative Study of Medical Professionals and AI Tools

  Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery · 2025-06-10 · 1 citations

  articleSenior author

  BACKGROUND: The growing use of artificial intelligence (AI) in academic writing raises concerns about the integrity of scientific articles and the ability to accurately distinguish human-written from AI-generated content. This study evaluated the ability of medical professionals and AI detection tools to identify AI involvement in plastic surgery written content. METHODS: Eight manuscript passages across 4 topics were assessed, including 4 on plastic surgery. Passages were human-written, human-written with AI edits, or fully AI-generated. Twenty-four raters, including medical students, residents, and attendings, classified the passages by origin. Interrater reliability was measured using Fleiss kappa. Human-written and AI-generated passages were analyzed using 3 different online AI detection tools, which identified AI-generated content within the passages in terms of percentage generated by AI. A receiver operating characteristic curve analysis was conducted to assess their accuracy in detecting AI-generated content. Intraclass correlation coefficients were calculated to assess agreement among the detection tools. RESULTS: Raters correctly identified the origin of passages 26.5% of the time. For AI-generated passages, accuracy was 34.4%, and for human-written passages, 14.5% ( P = 0.012). Interrater reliability was poor (κ = 0.078). AI detection tools showed strong discriminatory power (area under the receiver operating characteristic curve = 0.962), but false-positives were frequent at optimal cutoffs (25% to 50%). The intraclass correlation coefficient between tools was low (-0.118). CONCLUSIONS: Medical professionals and AI detection tools struggle to reliably identify AI-generated content. AI tools demonstrated high discriminatory power, but often misclassified human-written passages. These findings highlight the need for improved methods to protect the integrity of scientific writing and prevent false plagiarism claims.

  PublisherDOI

• Inconsistent Associations of Modified Frailty Index‐5 With Adverse Head and Neck Reconstruction Outcomes

  The Laryngoscope · 2025-01-27 · 5 citations

  articleOpen accessSenior author

  OBJECTIVES: To investigate the consistency of associations between modified frailty index-5 (mFI-5) and postoperative adverse outcomes in head and neck cancer (HNC) reconstruction. METHODS: American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Program (ACS-NSQIP) database from 2017 to 2022 was utilized to identify HNC patients undergoing locoregional or microvascular free tissue transfers. Kaplan-Meier estimates and multivariable Cox regression analyses were utilized to compare risk of infections, bleeding, readmissions, reoperations, major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE), and mortality within the first postoperative month for each mFI-5 score with mFI-5 = 0 as reference. Further analyses investigated associations between individual mFI-5 components and the outcomes of interest. RESULTS: We included 5,573 patients (median age: 64; 31.5% female), 63% (n = 3,519) of whom underwent microvascular free tissue transfers. Unadjusted univariate analyses associated higher mFI-5 scores with longer hospital stays. In locoregional tissue transfers, adjusted hazard ratios (aHRs) for reoperation were 1.37 (p = 0.03) for mFI-5 = 1 and 2.19 (p = 0.03) for mFI-5 ≥ 3. In microvascular free tissue transfers, aHRs for MACE were 1.93 (p = 0.04) for mFI-5 = 2 and 6.53 (p < 0.001) for mFI-5 ≥ 3, while aHRs for mortality was 3.88 (p = 0.04) for mFI-5 ≥ 3. No associations were observed between increasing mFI-5 scores and increased relative risk of infection, bleeding, or readmission. Individual component analysis associated congestive heart failure with aHRs of 3.92 (1.84-8.35; p < 0.001) for MACE and 5.30 (2.03-13.88; p < 0.001) for mortality. Additionally, COPD was associated with an aHR of 1.39 (1.16-1.67; p < 0.001) for infections. CONCLUSION: The associations of higher mFI-5 scores with postoperative adverse outcomes following oncoplastic head and neck reconstruction were inconsistent and possibly driven by individual effects of its components. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: 3 Laryngoscope, 135:2342-2352, 2025.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Letter comments on: “A 5-point framework for students evaluating plastic surgery research fellowship opportunities”

  Journal of Plastic Reconstructive & Aesthetic Surgery · 2025-06-04

  letterSenior author
  PublisherDOI

• Towards optimizing target engagement in non-invasive trigeminal nerve stimulation: anatomical characterization of the human trigeminal nerve

  Journal of Neural Engineering · 2025-11-10

  articleOpen accessCorresponding

  Abstract Objective. Cranial nerve stimulation uses electric current to modulate higher-order brain activity and organ function via nerves, including the vagus and trigeminal, with applications in migraine, epilepsy, and pediatric attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. The trigeminal nerve is an emerging target for non-invasive neuromodulation due to the superficial trajectory of its branches, the supraorbital (SON), infraorbital (ION), and mental nerves (MN), and the predominantly sensory composition of the SON and ION. However, the parameters and outcomes of trigeminal nerve stimulation (TNS) remain varied. Approach. This study characterizes the anatomical course and tissue composition of the SON, ION, and MN using five human donors. Computed tomography imaging was used to localize each nerve’s exit foramen and distance to midline. Microdissections quantified nerve circumference and depth relative to the skin surface. Histological analysis described the number of fascicles and fascicular tissue area. Nerve depths were incorporated into an illustrative finite element model to assess the effect of interface properties on activation of on- and off-target neural pathways. Main results. Cadaveric measurements, histological analyses, and imaging outline the depths, branching patterns, and fascicular organization within the trigeminal nerve branches. The SON was found to be significantly more superficial than the ION and MN with a higher nerve-to-connective tissue ratio compared to the MN. Our illustrative modeling demonstrated that depth was a driving factor for neural activation and sensitivity to skin impedance properties. Significance. The SON presents the most accessible and anatomically favorable target for transcutaneous TNS among the branches examined due to its superficial location. Consistent with our previous work, however, preferential activation of low-threshold nociceptors compared to nerve trunks may lead to treatment-limiting off-target side effects. These findings offer an anatomically informed framework to guide further modeling, electrode design, and in situ imaging of nerve branching patterns to better estimate activation of on- and off- target pathways.

  PublisherDOI

• 19. Coaching for Success: Enhancing Medical Student Involvement in Plastic Surgery Research

  Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery Global Open · 2025-06-01

  articleOpen accessSenior author

  BACKGROUND: The increasingly competitive nature of the plastic surgery residency match process has raised the bar for research productivity among medical students. As a result, many aspiring plastic surgeons choose to take one or more research years to bolster their application, lengthening their medical education and incurring additional expenses in the process. For many, the high barrier of entry into plastic surgery research–owing to the specialized nature of the field and limited research opportunities–makes it difficult for them to gain experience earlier on in medical school. To address these challenges, we developed a structured research curriculum that can be implemented by plastic surgery research fellows, residents, and faculty to lower this barrier by progressively involving junior medical students in research projects and cultivating their skills. METHODS: The curriculum serves as a blueprint for research fellows, residents, and faculty to engage medical students in ways that maximize their contributions, prevent delays in research progress, and promote successful collaborative partnerships [Fig. 1]. The curriculum is organized into several key steps and built around a graduated model. First, an intake assessment allows students to provide information on their previous research experience and skills, specific interests in plastic surgery, and available time commitment. Next, students progress through a series of workshops and project-based learning experiences. Following these workshops, students engage in essential research activities such as data collection, data analysis, and manuscript revision. In the later stages, students undertake independent projects, applying the skills they have acquired throughout the curriculum. Each phase builds on the previous one, emphasizing increasing responsibilities and a strong focus on coaching and mentorship. RESULTS: Since its implementation, 12 first- and second-year medical students are participating in the program. Of the 16 trainees who completed the curriculum, 2 (12.5%) are early-career faculty, 10 (62.5%) are residents/fellows, and 4 (25%) are fourth-year medical students. The average number of publications is 40 for faculty, 17 for residents/fellows, and 8 for medical students. Key insights from initial implementation of the curriculum include the importance of clear communication, effective task management, assessing time commitments, providing necessary resources and training, setting achievable goals and deadlines, and cultivating resilience. CONCLUSION: Our initiative aims to establish a standardized curriculum that provides a scaffolded approach to research participation. By cultivating a supportive and structured research environment, we can better prepare the next generation of plastic surgeons to contribute meaningfully to the field.

  PublisherDOI

• Combined Central and Peripheral Nerve Stimulation Improves Functional Recovery of Mixed Peripheral Nerve Injury in a Rat Forelimb Model

  bioRxiv (Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory) · 2025-01-26 · 1 citations

  preprintOpen access

  Abstract Introduction Peripheral nerve reinnervation following nerve injury is often a slow and incomplete process, resulting in significant morbidity and permanent loss of function of the injured extremity in many patients. Prior studies have shown the efficacy of electrical stimulation to synchronize the axonal regeneration of both motor and sensory neurons in peripheral nerve injury models. Moreover, separate investigations have also shown the use of cranial nerve stimulation, principally the vagus nerve, to improve functional outcomes. However, no study has investigated the synergistic effects of both intraoperative electrical stimulation and cranial nerve stimulation for functional improvement within a peripheral nerve injury model. This investigation quantifies the efficacy of combined intraoperative electrical stimulation and trigeminal nerve stimulation on motor and sensory functional recovery in a rat peripheral nerve injury model. Methods Twelve adult male Lewis rats were trained in a reach and pull task for a food reward using their right forelimb with baseline force thresholds and percent success of the pull task recorded. Baseline sensory data was retrieved using an automated von Frey monofilament test. All rats underwent surgical transection and 2mm gap repair of their median and ulnar nerve of their right forelimb followed by 1 hour of intraoperative electrical stimulation. Trigeminal nerve stimulation throughout the rehabilitation period was completed via supraorbital nerve headcap electrodes. Motor and sensory data were compared to historic cohorts comprised of sham surgery (no nerve injury), brief intraoperative electrical stimulation, trigeminal nerve stimulation, and a sham peripheral and trigeminal nerve stimulation group. Polarization sensitive optical computed tomography (PS-OCT) was used to assess nerve regeneration in fixed tissue samples. Results The combined cohort of rodents were able to recover to their pre-injury motor function by the third week of rehabilitation, faster than either of the singular electrical stimulation cohorts assessed previously. Moreover, functional sensory data of the combined stim cohort demonstrated no change when compared to their pre-injury baseline’. Conclusions Peripheral nerve electrical stimulation and trigeminal nerve stimulation are two separately acting mechanisms of therapy that employ electric waveforms to improve the functional recovery of injured peripheral nerves. The former acts within the periphery to synchronize axonal growth and regeneration of the injured neurons, while the latter acts centrally to augment neuroplasticity. When used simultaneously in a rodent peripheral nerve injury model, these modalities have shown to build upon each other to deliver a faster functional motor recovery, while sensory recovery outcomes remain to be demonstrated.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

Frequent coauthors

• Aaron M. Dingle

  University of Wisconsin–Madison

  62 shared

• Weifeng Zeng

  University of Wisconsin–Madison

  51 shared

• Jacqueline S. Israel

  Mayo Clinic in Arizona

  44 shared

• John W. Siebert

  31 shared

• Michael L. Bentz

  30 shared

• Ellen C. Shaffrey

  University of Wisconsin–Madison

  26 shared

• Peter J. Nicksic

  University of Wisconsin–Madison

  26 shared

• Kevin W. Eliceiri

  University of Wisconsin–Madison

  22 shared

Education

• M.D.

  University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health

• Ph.D.

  University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health