He and his colleagues have been treating burns in Tucson since the summer of 2012 and are now admitting approximately 220 patients a year in addition to 1,700 clinic visits each year. Lately, they have seen an increase in the number of patients with serious injuries caused by exploding e-cigarettes, and published a peer-reviewed paper on the matter. Lo Que Pasa talked with Vercruysse, also an associate professor of surgery, about why he chose medicine as a career, his experience serving as a military surgeon in Iran and Iraq, and how he and his colleagues are readying for the opening of the Banner – University burn center, which Vercruysse will head up.