05/07/2025
5 May 2025
Dear Valued Patients,
It is with a mix of emotions that I write to inform you of my decision to retire from plastic surgical practice after 38 fulfilling years. My last day of practice will be June 30, 2025.
Over more than three and a half decades, it has been my privilege to care for you and your families. I have witnessed remarkable advancements in surgical techniques and have been fortunate to contribute to the well-being of our community. The trust you have placed in me has been the cornerstone of my career, and I am deeply grateful for the relationships we have built together.
As I prepare for this new chapter, I want to assure you that your care is of utmost importance. As a plastic surgeon, I have provided specialty care, often over multiple and ongoing episodes and sometimes involving 3 generations of care for specific conditions for your family members. For those of you with referring doctors and primary care doctors, I have already shared your medical information over the years with your doctors, including details of surgeries, pathology results and other information to facilitate continuity of your care. Unfortunately, I have no new doctor joining my practice, so I will not have anyone to assume your care in my office.
Other doctors will be able to take care of your plastic surgical needs in my place. Plastic surgery overlaps and interacts with many other specialties, including dermatology, orthopedic surgery, neurosurgery, ENT, ophthalmology and general surgery. Depending on your future medical concerns, you may find a specialist in one of these areas that will supply your needs. Locally, Mosaic (816-271-6000) has doctors in multiple areas that may be of service. Alternatively, KU, St. Luke’s (Barnes-Jewish West), and many private practices offer outstanding care. Your primary provider might help you find the right doctor for your needs.
Your medical records have been in electronic format for the past 12 years (state requirements are for keeping 7 years of records for adults) and are securely and redundantly stored. Pathology results are available for most years through Mosaic (formerly Heartland). Other pathology results were through the MAWD group in Kansas City (800-933-6293). You may request email copies or have them transferred to another healthcare provider by contacting our office at 816-364-6446 or by email at depriestplasticsurgery@gmail.com. For patients wanting their own records, the state allows a basic search fee, which is $29.47. After that initial payment, we will email the records at an additional rate of 68 cents/page. Please make any requests for records by June 30. Once again, your referring or primary care doctors will have your relevant information already.
If you need to get in touch with me or the office regarding your care, please do not hesitate to contact us.
Thank you once again for allowing me to be part of your healthcare journey. I wish you all continued good health and happiness.
Warm regards,
Michael D. DePriest, MD
