Education
- Fellowship - UCLA, Medical Center
- Residency - Stanford University Hospital
- Medical School - Yale University School of Medicine
Board Certifications
- Am Bd Plastic Surgery - Certified
- Am Bd Plastic Surgery (Hand Surgery) - Certified
Biography
Dr. Aaron Berger earned his medical degree and a doctorate in experimental pathology through the Medical Scientist Training Program at Yale University. Dr. Berger then completed residency training in plastic surgery at Stanford University Medical Center, followed by a fellowship in hand surgery and microsurgery at UCLA Medical Center. He was selected as the first recipient of the American Society for Surgery of the Hand’s International Hand Surgery Fellowship, where he trained at centers of excellence in China for the treatment of brachial plexus and other peripheral nerve injuries, complex extremity trauma and congenital differences of the upper extremity.
Dr. Berger has been trained in all aspects of plastic surgery, and his main surgical interests are in reconstructive surgery of the hand and extremities, including microsurgical reconstruction. His clinical practice is dedicated to the treatment of congenital hand and arm differences, brachial plexus injuries and reconstructive plastic surgery. His primary research interests are currently focused on determining optimal treatment pathways for brachial plexus birth injuries and congenital differences of the upper limb. Dr. Berger works in partnership with a multidisciplinary team at Nicklaus Children’s Hospital and its network of outpatient centers to provide evaluation and care of patients with congenital hand/arm differences, brachial plexus injuries, finger/hand amputations, tendon/nerve injuries, burn injuries, post-oncologic deformities and trauma-related injuries, including fractures/dislocations of the hand and wrist.
Dr. Berger is board certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery with sub-specialty certification in hand surgery. He is a member of the American Association for Hand Surgery and American Society for Reconstructive Microsurgery. His work has been published in multiple peer-reviewed journals and he has authored chapters for several medical textbooks.
Publications
Aber, R.N., Grossman, L.A., Berger, A.J., et al (2024). Long-Term Hand and Shoulder Function in Children following Early Surgical Intervention for a Birth-Related Upper Brachial Plexus Injury. Journal of brachial plexus and peripheral nerve injury, 19 (1), @e27-e30. View in Pubmed
Bercu, C., Bouz, A., ..., Berger, A., et al (2024). Novel Surgical Approach for Fingertip Deformity: Reconstruction of a Small Finger Hook Nail in a Child Using a Hypothenar Flap and Distal Phalanx Osteotomy. Journal of hand surgery global online, 7 (1), @92-97. View in Pubmed
Kirby, D.J., Buchalter, D.B., ..., Berger, A., et al (2024). Long-Term Results of Isolated Latissimus Dorsi to Rotator Cuff Transfer in Brachial Plexus Birth Injury. Journal of brachial plexus and peripheral nerve injury, 19 (1), @e13-e19. View in Pubmed
Berger, A.J., Elias, Y., Medina, C., et al (2023). Detailed Management of Brachial Plexus Birth Injuries: The Miami Protocol at Nicklaus Children's Hospital. Seminars in plastic surgery, 37 (2), @134-142. View in Pubmed
Berger, A.J., Zlotolow, D.A. (2023). Brachial Plexus Birth injuries. Seminars in plastic surgery, 37 (2), @84. View in Pubmed
Crum, R.P., Cervantes, L., Berger, A.J. (2022). Pediatric hand ultrasound: common indications, injury, inflammation and masses. Pediatric Radiology, 52 (9), @1671-1686. View in Pubmed
Hacquebord, J., Berger, A., Jones, N. (2021). The Role of International Traveling Fellowships in Training the Contemporary US Hand Surgeon. Journal of Hand Surgery, 46 (2), @142-145. View in Pubmed
Wang, S.F., Li, P.C., Xue, Y.H., Li F, Berger, A.J., Bhatia, A. (2021). Direct Repair of the Lower Trunk to Residual Nerve Roots for Restoration of Finger Flexion After Total Brachial Plexus Injury. Journal of Hand Surgery, 46 (5), @423.e1-423.e8. View in Pubmed
Berger, A., Salhi, S., Payares-Lizano, M. (2018). Surgical Management of Spasticity of the Elbow. Hand Clinics, 34 (4), @503-510. View in Pubmed
Berger, A.J., Meals, R.A. (2016). In Reply. The Journal of Hand Surgery, 41 (3), @488-489. View in Pubmed
Kaveh, A.H , Nicole M Seminara, N.M., ..., Berger, A.J., et al (2016). Aberrant Lymphatic Drainage and Risk for Melanoma Recurrence After Negative Sentinel Node Biopsy in Middle-Aged and Older Men. Head & neck , 38 (Suppl 1), @E754-760. View in Pubmed
Berger, A.J., Meals, R.A. (2015). In Reply. The Journal of Hand Surgery, 40 (7), @1506. View in Pubmed
Berger, A.J., Meals, R.A. (2015). Management of osteoarthrosis of the thumb joints. The Journal of Hand Surgery, 40 (4), @843-850. View in Pubmed
Ladd, A.L., Messana, J.M. , Berger, A.J., et al (2015). Correlation of Clinical Disease Severity to Radiographic Thumb Osteoarthritis Index. The Journal of hand surgery , 40 (3), @472-482. View in Pubmed
Berger, A.J., Momeni, A., Ladd, A.L. (2014 ). Intra- And Interobserver Reliability of the Eaton Classification for Trapeziometacarpal Arthritis: A Systematic Review . Clinical orthopaedics and related research , 472 (4), @1155-1159. View in Pubmed
Gaster, R. S., Berger, A.J., Ahmadi-Kashani, M., et al (2014). Chronic Cutaneous Chest Wall Fistula and Gallstone Empyema Due to Retained Gallstones. BMJ Case reports , 2014 (), @. View in Pubmed
Berger, A.J., Gaster, R.S., Lee, G.K. (2013). Development of an Affordable System for Personalized Video-Documented Surgical Skill Analysis for Surgical Residency Training. Annals of plastic surgery , 70 (4), @442-446. View in Pubmed
Gaster, R.S., Berger, A.J., Monica, S.D., et al (2013). Histologic Analysis of Fetal Bovine Derived Acellular Dermal Matrix in Tissue Expander Breast Reconstruction. Annals of plastic surgery , 70 (4), @447-453. View in Pubmed
Berger, A.J., Khan, D. (2012). Growth and Development of the Orbit. Oral and maxillofacial surgery clinics of North America, 24 (4), @545-555. View in Pubmed
Berger, A.J., Son, J., Desai, N.K. (2012). Malignant Ameloblastoma: Concurrent Presentation of Primary and Distant Disease and Review of the Literature . Journal of oral and maxillofacial surgery , 70 (10), @2316-2326. View in Pubmed
Chien, A.J., Moore, E.C., Lonsdorf, A.S., Berger, A.J., et al (2009). Activated Wnt/beta-catenin Signaling in Melanoma Is Associated With Decreased Proliferation in Patient Tumors and a Murine Melanoma Model. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America , 106 (4), @1193-1198. View in Pubmed
Gould Rothberg, B.E., Berger, A.J., Molinaro, A.M., et al (2009). Melanoma Prognostic Model Using Tissue Microarrays and Genetic Algorithms. Journal of clinical oncology, 27 (34), @5772-5780. View in Pubmed
Kreizenbeck, G.M. , Berger, A.J., Subtil, A., et al (2008). Prognostic Significance of Cadherin-Based Adhesion Molecules in Cutaneous Malignant Melanoma. Cancer epidemiology, biomarkers & prevention , 17 (4), @949-958. View in Pubmed
Shields, J.M., Thomas, N.E., ..., Berger, A.J., et al (2007). Lack of Extracellular Signal-Regulated Kinase Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase Signaling Shows a New Type of Melanoma . Cancer research, 67 (4), @1502-1512. View in Pubmed
Cregger, M., Berger, A.J., Rimm, D.L. (2006). Immunohistochemistry and Quantitative Analysis of Protein Expression. Archives of pathology & laboratory medicine , 130 (7), @1026-1030. View in Pubmed
McCarthy M.M., DiVito, K.A., ..., Berger, A.J., et al (2006). Expression of Tumor Necrosis Factor--Related Apoptosis-Inducing Ligand Receptors 1 and 2 in Melanoma. Clinical cancer research, 12 (12), @3856-3863. View in Pubmed
Berger, A.J. , Davis, D.W., Tellez, C., et al (2005). Automated Quantitative Analysis of Activator protein-2alpha Subcellular Expression in Melanoma Tissue Microarrays Correlates With Survival Prediction . Cancer research, 65 (23), @11185-11195. View in Pubmed
Garraway, L.A., Widlund, H.R., Rubin, ..., Berger, A. J., et al (2005). Integrative Genomic Analyses Identify MITF as a Lineage Survival Oncogene Amplified in Malignant Melanoma. Nature, 436 (7047), @117-122. View in Pubmed
Harigopal, M., Berger, A.J., Camp, R. L., et al (2005). Automated Quantitative Analysis of E-cadherin Expression in Lymph Node Metastases Is Predictive of Survival in Invasive Ductal Breast Cancer. Clinical cancer research, 11 (11), @4083-4089. View in Pubmed
Berger, A.J., Camp, R.L., Divito, K.A., et al (2004). Automated Quantitative Analysis of HDM2 Expression in Malignant Melanoma Shows Association With Early-Stage Disease and Improved Outcome. Cancer research, 64 (23), @8767-8772. View in Pubmed
Chelouche-Lev, D., Kluger, H.M., Berger, A.J., et al (2004). alphaB-crystallin as a Marker of Lymph Node Involvement in Breast Carcinoma. Cancer, 100 (12), @2543-2548. View in Pubmed
Divito, K.A., Berger, A.J., Camp, R.L., et al (2004). Automated Quantitative Analysis of Tissue Microarrays Reveals an Association Between High Bcl-2 Expression and Improved Outcome in Melanoma. Cancer research, 64 (23), @8773-8777. View in Pubmed
Hoek, K. , Rimm, D.L., ..., Berger, A.J., et al (2004). Expression Profiling Reveals Novel Pathways in the Transformation of Melanocytes to Melanomas. Cancer research, 64 (15), @5270-5282. View in Pubmed
Kluger, H.M., DiVito, K., Berger, A.J., et al (2004). Her2/neu Is Not a Commonly Expressed Therapeutic Target in Melanoma -- A Large Cohort Tissue Microarray Study. Melanoma research , 14 (3), @207-210. View in Pubmed
Berger, A.J. , Kluger, H.M., Ning Li, et al (2003). Subcellular Localization of Activating Transcription Factor 2 in Melanoma Specimens Predicts Patient Survival. Cancer research, 63 (23), @8103-8107. View in Pubmed
