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Home > NC Providers > Pediatric Plastic Surgeons
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Dr. Clara Nan-Hi Lee, MD, MPP

Accepting New Patients
(Clara Lee, MD, MPP, FACS)
Specializes in: Pediatric Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, General Surgery and General Practice
Yale School of Medicine
Professional interests include: breast reconstruction, microsurgery
55 Vilcom Center Drive
Chapel Hill, NC 27514

Dr. Clara Nan-Hi Lee, MD, MPP is a pediatric plastic surgeon in Chapel Hill, NC specializing in pediatric plastic and reconstructive surgery, general surgery and general practice. She graduated from Yale School of Medicine. Dr. Clara Nan-Hi Lee, MD, MPP is affiliated with UNC Health and UNC Hospitals.

View Doctor's Full Profile (984) 215-6350

Office Locations

55 Vilcom Center Drive
Chapel Hill, NC 27514
open_in_new
6715 McCrimmon Parkway Suite 300
Cary, NC 27519
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Some issues Dr. Clara Nan-Hi Lee, MD, MPP can help you with:

Breast Reconstruction

Breast reconstruction is surgery to restore the appearance of the breast, usually after a mastectomy. The choice of how to proceed after the removal of a breast is a deeply personal one, with some women opting to wear a prosthetic form in a bra, and others choosing to embrace their new breastless form as a reminder of their strength and survival. Those options are perfectly acceptable, but many women feel most comfortable with their missing breast tissue surgically replaced. Breast reconstruction can be part of a patient's return to normal after experiencing breast cancer.

There are a few different methods used to create the round shape of the breast on the chest. A flap of fat, skin, and muscle can be taken from the side, abdomen or buttock and implanted on the chest to create a breast from the patient's own tissue. Alternatively, the skin over the chest may be gradually stretched to allow for the placement of an implant. Stretching of the skin is done using expanders, which are similar to breast implants, except they increase in size when saltwater solution is injected into them. Many women also choose to combine the flap procedure with implant placement to achieve their desired result. Once the new breast shape is formed, a nipple can be created and even tattooed to match the other side.

Reconstruction may be done in a single surgery or broken up into multiple procedures:

  • Immediate reconstruction rebuilds the breast right after mastectomy. This method is not recommended if additional chemotherapy or radiation is needed after surgery.
  • Delayed reconstruction occurs after chemotherapy or radiation has been given. These treatments may decrease the volume or alter the color of the reconstructed breast, so they should be completed before the breast is rebuilt. This type of reconstruction may happen weeks, months, or even years after mastectomy.
  • Staged reconstruction splits the reconstructive process into two parts. The first part inserts temporary expanders to stretch the skin and is done immediately after breast removal surgery. The second part replaces the expanders with implants after chemotherapy or radiation treatments have been given.

Breast reconstruction is not perfect. The two breasts may not always look exactly identical, although they will be close. There may be small scars, and a loss of sensation in the reconstructed breast. A reconstructed breast will not produce milk, so patients may have trouble breastfeeding. Still, reconstruction is a great option for women who want that part of their appearance back.

In The News (see more mentions in the news)

“Patel will work with Dr. Clara Lee, a plastic surgery specialist at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center to evaluate the BREASTChoice Patient Decision Tool, according to the release.”—"Mercy Health - Lorain receives $45k research grant focused on breast cancer", The Morning Journal, October 2022
“The main problem is using the word "feel," said Dr. Clara Lee, an associate professor of plastic surgery at Ohio State University who does reconstructive breast surgery.”—"After Mastectomies, an Unexpected Blow: Numb New Breasts (Published 2017)", New York Times, January 2017
“"That's the dirty little secret of breast reconstruction: The risk of a major complication is higher than for the average elective surgery," said Dr. Clara Lee, an associate professor of plastic...”—"'Going Flat' After Breast Cancer (Published 2016)", New York Times, November 2016

Medicare Procedure and Patient Information

2012 Medicare Procedure Volume

Volume of procedures performed by Dr. Clara Nan-Hi Lee, MD, MPP for Medicare patients.

doctor visit 20

Medicare Procedure and Patient Information

2013 Medicare Procedure Volume

Volume of procedures performed by Dr. Clara Nan-Hi Lee, MD, MPP for Medicare patients.

doctor visit 13

2013 Medicare Patient Data

Information about Medicare patients treated by Dr. Clara Nan-Hi Lee, MD, MPP.

Gender
Male 11
Female 44
Ethnicity
Non-Hispanic White 40
Black 0
Hispanic 0
Asian 0
Other 0
Native American 0
Age
From 65 to 74 0
From 75 to 84 0
85 and over 0
Less than 65 31

Conditions of Medicare patients treated by Dr. Clara Nan-Hi Lee, MD, MPP in 2013

Hypertension 62
High Cholesterol 44
Stroke 0
Ischemic Heart Disease 20
Depression 35
Chronic Kidney Disease 24
Asthma 0
Osteoperosis 0
Atrial Fibrilation 0
Heart Failure 0
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease 0
Diabetes 0
Dementia 0
Cancer 60

Medicare Procedure and Patient Information

2014 Medicare Patient Data

Information about Medicare patients treated by Dr. Clara Nan-Hi Lee, MD, MPP.

Ethnicity
Non-Hispanic White 19
Black 0
Hispanic 0
Asian 0
Other 0
Native American 0
Age
From 65 to 74 0
From 75 to 84 0
85 and over 0
Less than 65 19

Conditions of Medicare patients treated by Dr. Clara Nan-Hi Lee, MD, MPP in 2014

Hypertension 73
High Cholesterol 33
Stroke 0
Ischemic Heart Disease 0
Depression 48
Chronic Kidney Disease 0
Asthma 0
Osteoperosis 0
Atrial Fibrilation 0
Heart Failure 0
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease 0
Diabetes 0
Dementia 0
Cancer 58

Medicare Procedure and Patient Information

2015 Medicare Patient Data

Information about Medicare patients treated by Dr. Clara Nan-Hi Lee, MD, MPP.

Ethnicity
Non-Hispanic White 28
Black 0
Hispanic 0
Asian 0
Other 0
Native American 0
Age
From 65 to 74 0
From 75 to 84 0
85 and over 0
Less than 65 32

Conditions of Medicare patients treated by Dr. Clara Nan-Hi Lee, MD, MPP in 2015

Hypertension 75
High Cholesterol 57
Stroke 0
Ischemic Heart Disease 0
Depression 43
Chronic Kidney Disease 0
Asthma 0
Osteoperosis 0
Atrial Fibrilation 0
Heart Failure 0
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease 0
Diabetes 0
Dementia 0
Cancer 57

Medicare Procedure and Patient Information

Conditions of Medicare patients treated by Dr. Clara Nan-Hi Lee, MD, MPP in 2016

Hypertension 67
High Cholesterol 41
Stroke 0
Ischemic Heart Disease 0
Depression 41
Chronic Kidney Disease 0
Asthma 0
Osteoperosis 0
Atrial Fibrilation 0
Heart Failure 0
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease 0
Diabetes 0
Dementia 0
Cancer 56

Medicare Procedure and Patient Information

2017 Medicare Procedure Volume

Volume of procedures performed by Dr. Clara Nan-Hi Lee, MD, MPP for Medicare patients.

doctor visit 26

2017 Medicare Patient Data

Information about Medicare patients treated by Dr. Clara Nan-Hi Lee, MD, MPP.

Age
From 65 to 74 29
From 75 to 84 0
85 and over 0
Less than 65 0

Conditions of Medicare patients treated by Dr. Clara Nan-Hi Lee, MD, MPP in 2017

Hypertension 65
High Cholesterol 54
Stroke 0
Ischemic Heart Disease 41
Depression 33
Chronic Kidney Disease 41
Asthma 0
Osteoperosis 0
Atrial Fibrilation 0
Heart Failure 26
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease 0
Diabetes 26
Dementia 0
Cancer 67

Medicare Procedure and Patient Information

2018 Medicare Patient Data

Information about Medicare patients treated by Dr. Clara Nan-Hi Lee, MD, MPP.

Age
From 65 to 74 14
From 75 to 84 0
85 and over 0
Less than 65 0

Conditions of Medicare patients treated by Dr. Clara Nan-Hi Lee, MD, MPP in 2018

Hypertension 57
High Cholesterol 57
Stroke 0
Ischemic Heart Disease 0
Depression 40
Chronic Kidney Disease 0
Asthma 0
Osteoperosis 0
Atrial Fibrilation 0
Heart Failure 0
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease 0
Diabetes 0
Dementia 0
Cancer 75

Medicare Procedure and Patient Information

2019 Medicare Patient Data

Information about Medicare patients treated by Dr. Clara Nan-Hi Lee, MD, MPP.

Age
From 65 to 74 16
From 75 to 84 0
85 and over 0
Less than 65 0

Conditions of Medicare patients treated by Dr. Clara Nan-Hi Lee, MD, MPP in 2019

Hypertension 59
High Cholesterol 47
Stroke 0
Ischemic Heart Disease 0
Depression 34
Chronic Kidney Disease 0
Asthma 0
Osteoperosis 0
Atrial Fibrilation 0
Heart Failure 0
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease 0
Diabetes 0
Dementia 0
Cancer 56

Medicare Procedure and Patient Information

2020 Medicare Patient Data

Information about Medicare patients treated by Dr. Clara Nan-Hi Lee, MD, MPP.

Ethnicity
Non-Hispanic White 27
Black 0
Hispanic 0
Asian 0
Other 0
Native American 0
Age
From 65 to 74 13
From 75 to 84 0
85 and over 0
Less than 65 0

Conditions of Medicare patients treated by Dr. Clara Nan-Hi Lee, MD, MPP in 2020

Hypertension 70
High Cholesterol 52
Stroke 0
Ischemic Heart Disease 0
Depression 44
Chronic Kidney Disease 0
Asthma 0
Osteoperosis 0
Atrial Fibrilation 0
Heart Failure 0
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease 0
Diabetes 0
Dementia 0
Cancer 59

Medicare Procedure and Patient Information

2021 Medicare Patient Data

Information about Medicare patients treated by Dr. Clara Nan-Hi Lee, MD, MPP.

Age
From 65 to 74 16
From 75 to 84 0
85 and over 0
Less than 65 0

Conditions of Medicare patients treated by Dr. Clara Nan-Hi Lee, MD, MPP in 2021

Hypertension 70
High Cholesterol 56
Stroke 0
Ischemic Heart Disease 0
Depression 44
Chronic Kidney Disease 0
Asthma 0
Osteoperosis 0
Atrial Fibrilation 0
Heart Failure 0
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease 0
Diabetes 0
Dementia 0
Cancer 70

Medicare Procedure and Patient Information

2022 Medicare Patient Data

Information about Medicare patients treated by Dr. Clara Nan-Hi Lee, MD, MPP.

Age
From 65 to 74 14
From 75 to 84 0
85 and over 0
Less than 65 0

Conditions of Medicare patients treated by Dr. Clara Nan-Hi Lee, MD, MPP in 2022

Hypertension 75
High Cholesterol 75
Stroke 0
Ischemic Heart Disease 0
Depression 39
Chronic Kidney Disease 0
Asthma 0
Osteoperosis 0
Atrial Fibrilation 0
Heart Failure 0
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease 0
Diabetes 0
Dementia 0
Cancer 73

Medicare Procedure and Patient Information

Average Medicare Procedure Volume From 2012 - 2022

Volume of procedures performed by Dr. Clara Nan-Hi Lee, MD, MPP for Medicare patients.

doctor visit 19

Average Medicare Patient Data From 2012 - 2022

Information about Medicare patients treated by Dr. Clara Nan-Hi Lee, MD, MPP.

Gender
Female 4
Male 1
Ethnicity
Black / African American 0
Asian / Pacific Islander 0
Non-Hispanic White 10
Native American / Alaskan Native 0
Hispanic 0
Other 0
Age
85 and over 0
75 to 84 0
Less than 65 7
65 to 74 9

Average of Total of Conditions of Medicare patients treated by Dr. Clara Nan-Hi Lee, MD, MPP From 2012 - 2022

The highest averages of the most common conditions of Medicare patients that Dr. Clara Nan-Hi Lee, MD, MPP treated were hypertension, cancer, high cholesterol and depression.

Hypertension 61
High Cholesterol 46
Stroke 0
Ischemic Heart Disease 5
Depression 36
Chronic Kidney Disease 5
Asthma 0
Osteoporosis 0
Heart Failure 2
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease 0
Diabetes 2
Atrial Fibrillation 0
Dementia 0
Cancer 57

Education & Training

Dr. Clara Nan-Hi Lee, MD, MPP graduated from Yale School of Medicine. She completed residency at University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) Affiliated Hospitals. She is certified by the Plastic Surgery, Board Certified and has a state license in North Carolina.

Medical School: Yale School of Medicine

Residency: University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) Affiliated Hospitals

Board Certification: Plastic Surgery, Board Certified

Licensed In: North Carolina

Affiliations & Hospitals

Dr. Clara Nan-Hi Lee, MD, MPP is associated with these hospitals and organizations:

UNC Health
UNC Hospitals

Insurance Information

Please note: Insurance information may change at any time, and the provider may accept your insurance plan even if it is not listed below. Please contact the provider's office to confirm that your insurance is accepted.

Dr. Clara Nan-Hi Lee, MD, MPP appears to accept the following insurance providers: Veterans Affairs, AmeriHealth Caritas, WellCare, Aetna, UnitedHealthcare, Carolina Complete Health, BlueCross BlueShield of North Carolina (BCBSNC), Humana, Liberty Advantage, MedCost, Contigo Health, Cigna, Centene, WellCare, AmeriHealth, Medicare Advantage, Group Health Plan (GHP), OptumHealth Behavioral Solutions (United Behavioral Health), United Healthcare, Medicaid, Humana, Cigna, CHAMPVA, Longevity Health Plan I-SNP, HealthTeam Advantage, Aetna Whole Health (Tier 2), MedCost PPO, FirstCarolinaCare FirstMedicare Direct, Meritain Health, an Aetna Company, Aetna Premier Care Network Plus (APCN+) (Tier 2), Atlantic (Packaging) Corporation, Inc. (administered by Lucent Health), North Carolina State Health Plan, FirstCarolinaCare Insurance Company Group Health Plans, Contigo Health Plan (WakeMed employees only) (out-of-network beginning January 1, 2026), Veterans Affairs Community Care Network, BCBSNC Group Health Plans (except for Blue High Performance Network (BlueHPN)) and BCBSNC Blue Home with UNC Health Alliance (Blue Home with Novant Health is out of network).

Insurance Accepted by Provider includes:

According to our sources, Dr. Clara Nan-Hi Lee, MD, MPP accepts the following insurance providers:

Veterans Affairs
AmeriHealth Caritas
WellCare
Aetna
UnitedHealthcare
Carolina Complete Health
BlueCross BlueShield of North Carolina (BCBSNC)
Humana
Liberty Advantage
MedCost
Contigo Health
Cigna
Centene
WellCare
AmeriHealth
Medicare Advantage
Group Health Plan (GHP)
OptumHealth Behavioral Solutions (United Behavioral Health)
United Healthcare
Medicaid
Humana
Cigna
CHAMPVA
Longevity Health Plan I-SNP
HealthTeam Advantage
Aetna Whole Health (Tier 2)
MedCost PPO
FirstCarolinaCare FirstMedicare Direct
Meritain Health, an Aetna Company
Aetna Premier Care Network Plus (APCN+) (Tier 2)
Atlantic (Packaging) Corporation, Inc. (administered by Lucent Health)
North Carolina State Health Plan
FirstCarolinaCare Insurance Company Group Health Plans
Contigo Health Plan (WakeMed employees only) (out-of-network beginning January 1, 2026)
Veterans Affairs Community Care Network
BCBSNC Group Health Plans (except for Blue High Performance Network (BlueHPN))
BCBSNC Blue Home with UNC Health Alliance (Blue Home with Novant Health is out of network)

Ratings & Reviews

Dr. Clara Nan-Hi Lee, MD, MPP has an exceptional overall rating with an average of 4.93 out of 5 stars based on 5 ratings. We collect ratings and reviews of Dr. Clara Nan-Hi Lee, MD, MPP from all over the web to help you find the right in Chapel Hill, NC. 

4.93
Overall Rating
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General Payments

These charts describe general payments received by Dr. Clara Nan-Hi Lee, MD, MPP. Doctors may receive payments for a number of reasons, including meal compensation, travel compensation, and consulting.

Payments by Company
Integra LifeSciences Corporation $99 Flowable
$99
Innovation Technologies Inc $67 Irrisept
$67
Types of Payments
Food and Beverage $166

Biography

Dr. Clara Lee's specialties are general practice, general surgery, and pediatric plastic surgery. After completing medical school at Yale School of Medicine, she performed her residency at New York-Presbyterian Hospital, a hospital affiliated with the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF), and a hospital affiliated with Weill Cornell Medical College. Her areas of clinical interest consist of microsurgery and breast reconstruction. On average, patients gave Dr. Lee a rating of 5.0 stars (out of 5). She seems to honor Coventry, Group Health Plan (GHP), and CHAMPVA, as well as other insurance carriers. Dr. Lee is affiliated with UNC Hospitals. According to UNC Health, new patients are welcome to contact her office in Chapel Hill, NC.

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