JOINT BASE SAN ANTONIO-FORT SAM HOUSTON, Texas, June 17, 2026 – Brooke Army Medical Center is one of two military medical treatment facilities designated as a Center of Excellence in Maxillofacial Restoration by the Defense Health Agency.
Maxillofacial restoration is the science and art of restoring patients with injury or disease of face, mouth, and jaws.
BAMC’s Maxillofacial Restoration Program serves as one of two regional hubs, alongside Naval Medical Center San Diego, within the Military Health System that offers this complex multidisciplinary care. These MHS Centers of Excellence were established to allow the Department of War to accelerate innovation and develop evidence-based standards of care for conditions that affect servicemembers and their families.
Data from Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom demonstrated that craniomaxillofacial battle injuries to the head and neck were found in 42% of patients evacuated out of theater. Additionally, data from recent global conflicts demonstrate similar numbers, which makes maxillofacial restoration especially important for military readiness.
“Our mission is to be global leaders in facial restoration for our nation’s heroes. What sets us apart is our highly specialized and closely coordinated multi-disciplinary team,” said Air Force Maj. (Dr.) Lior Aljadeff. “By working together, we seamlessly integrate surgery, medicine, dentistry, and rehabilitation to give our warfighters the outcomes they deserve.”
BAMC’s patient-centered program brings together experts from a wide variety of specialties including oral and maxillofacial surgery, otolaryngology, maxillofacial prosthodontics, anaplastology, speech and language pathology, physical and occupational therapy, wound care, and nutrition. This allows the team to personalize treatments and provide continuity of care from initial evaluation through recovery and rehabilitation for patients referred to them from around the world.
To become a Center of Excellence, the DHA requires an institution to meet rigorous criteria to demonstrate it provides innovative, evidence-based, and multidisciplinary clinical care with excellent patient outcomes in a particular specialty.
“The application process was long and rigorous, involving multiple DHA site visits that evaluated BAMC using a scoring rubric that covered multiple domains, followed by congressional confirmation,” explained Aljadeff.
Air Force Senior Master Sgt. Christopher Fisher developed a tumor in his lower jaw that began to shift his teeth.
“At first, I honestly thought I was simply going to need braces,” Fisher said. “After getting an X-ray, it was discovered that the tumor was causing the movement. I was diagnosed with an Ameloblastoma, which is extremely rare, affecting approximately 0.09 people per million. Thankfully, it was non-cancerous.”
The first surgeon he saw in Montana recommended a procedure that involved taking bone graft material from his hip and creating a cement-like structure to replace the lower half of his jaw. The process would have required multiple surgeries and significantly delayed his ability to receive implants and regain full dental function.
“Just a few months earlier, Dr. (Aaron) Harding and Dr. (Henry) Foerster from the Postgraduate Dental School had replaced three of my front teeth with implants and they were phenomenal,” Fisher explained. “I reached back to Dr. Harding, and he strongly encouraged me to seek a second opinion from Dr. Aljadeff. He explained that the specialists at BAMC worked across multiple disciplines and that I would receive exceptional care there. Before that conversation, I believed I only had one option.”
“I am incredibly thankful that I pursued the second opinion and ultimately entrusted my care to Dr. Aljadeff, Dr. Vess, and their entire surgical and medical teams,” he said.
During the surgery, one team removed a section of his jaw that contained the tumor. Meanwhile, another team reshaped Fisher’s fibula bone to match the jaw defect and placed dental implants in it while it was still attached to its blood supply. They then separated the fibula from its blood supply in the leg and reconnected it to an artery and vein in his neck using stitches thinner than hair under a microscope. The fibula was then fixated to his jaw using custom titanium hardware and prefabricated prosthetic teeth were fixated to the dental implants.
“The care I received was exceptional,” Fisher said. “Every member of the team took the time to explain procedures thoroughly, so I always understood what was happening. They were patient with my questions and worked closely with me throughout the recovery process despite their demanding schedules. The staff consistently checked on my progress and ensured I had access to every resource I needed, including nursing support outside the hospital and physical therapy services.
“I truly believe the doctors at Brooke Army Medical Center and Wilford Hall Ambulatory Surgical Center are among the best in the world,” he added. “I have nothing but positive things to say about my experience.”
Fisher also participated in a research study the Maxillofacial Restoration team is doing in collaboration with the Center for the Intrepid to accelerate recovery times so servicemembers can return to duty as quickly as possible after fibula free flap harvest.
“I’m incredibly proud that BAMC was chosen as a Maxillofacial Restoration Center of Excellence by the DHA,” said Army Col. Kevin Kelly, BAMC commander. “This designation recognizes our commitment to providing safe, high-quality care to our service members, veterans, and civilian trauma patients.”
Kelly said BAMC is an ideal location, because it’s the only Level I Trauma Center in the Department of War.
“BAMC offers a comprehensive range of services, from complex surgical procedures to specialized treatments and critical care,” the commander said.
Derek Hudson was severely injured when his truck ran off the road into a fence. A steel pipe went through the hood of his vehicle and windshield and removed the lower third of his face.
“The care Derek received at BAMC was nothing short of phenomenal,” said Shelbi Hudson. “The oral and maxillofacial surgery team was incredible. They worked diligently to come up with a plan to reconstruct Derek's jaw and executed that plan within nine days of the accident occurring. The team made themselves available to me as his spouse to answer all of my questions, and I had a lot. I never once felt like I was being rushed or a hindrance. They always treated both Derek and myself with kindness and dignity.”
“I continue to be blown away by the OMFS team at BAMC,” she added. “Not only are they the most talented doctors I've ever had the pleasure of knowing, but they're able to add the element of humanity to their interactions that is simply unheard of in the medical field.”
Fisher agrees.
“I am deeply grateful to Dr. Aljadeff, Dr. Rethman, Dr. (Joshua) Vess and everyone involved in my treatment for ensuring I had every medical resource necessary to recover successfully,” Fisher said. “I would also like to thank the nurses and front desk personnel, whose professionalism and positive attitudes made an already difficult experience much easier.”
| Date Taken: |
06.17.2026 |
| Date Posted: |
06.17.2026 11:38 |
| Story ID: |
568004 |
| Location: |
FORT SAM HOUSTON, TEXAS, US |
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34 |
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This work, BAMC designated as DHA Maxillofacial Restoration Center of Excellence, by Lori Newman, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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