David Colen, MD

Dr. David Colen is a Plastic and Reconstructive Surgeon and Assistant Professor of Surgery at the Yale School of Medicine who specializes in upper and lower extremity reconstruction. Dr. Colen is fellowship-trained in Hand Surgery and Microsurgery, and has a passion for treating a variety of congenital and acquired disorders of the hand and wrist as well as traumatic and oncologic defects of the extremities.

Dr. Colen attended the University of Virginia where he obtained undergraduate degrees in Neuroscience and Spanish linguistics, as well as his Doctor of Medicine. He then matriculated into the integrated Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery residency at the University of Pennsylvania, a program renowned for Reconstructive Microsurgery and Orthoplastic Surgery. At Penn, Dr. Colen was an active member of the Hand Transplantation Program who took part in three bilateral hand transplants, including the world's first and only bilateral pediatric hand transplant, during his tenure. Following residency, Dr. Colen completed a one-year fellowship in Hand and Microsurgery at the Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and Boston Children's Hospitals at Harvard Medical School, where he focused on adult orthopedic and congenital pediatric hand surgery as well as reconstructive microsurgery of the extremities.

Dr. Colen strives to obtain the best functional outcomes for his patients, and is committed to both patient care and the furthering of the field of reconstructive surgery through academic and clinical research. The author of various textbook chapters and research articles regarding hand and extremity reconstruction, Dr. Colen's research interests include optimizing outcomes following traumatic and congenital hand reconstruction and improving hand function after tendon injury or infection.