Plastic Surgery
Med School/Year Graduated: Creighton University, 1997
Years in Practice: 18
Is there a different skill set for facial plastic surgery vs. body surgery? Is it like working with stone vs. clay, or some other artistic metaphor that might come to mind?
It’s not a different skill set necessarily. However, experience is the key factor in terms of maneuvering the several danger zones in the face to prevent nerve injury, contour irregularities and other issues that could be devastating to the patient’s appearance. It’s also a little bit of a different mindset. Facial work is extremely tedious, and since the results are seen by the world every day, the anxiety and concerns of the patient escalate tremendously.
What are the most common procedures you perform? Are any particularly gratifying?
[All of] the most common procedures that I perform are facial, including brow-lift, eyelid-lift, face-lift, lip-lift, fat grafting and laser resurfacing. In my opinion, the most gratifying procedure is eyelid-lift. There’s nothing more powerful to freshen up your appearance than an eyelid-lift, or blepharoplasty. Your eyes are such a focal area of your face, and the first place that people see when looking at you and having conversations with you.
What are your thoughts on the trending “sugar threads” face-lift?
We perform a lot of thread lifts in our office. [While] nothing can recreate the effect of surgically lifting, I believe thread lifts are a great option for rejuvenation. The best candidates are younger individuals or those who have already had a face-lift with very mild jowl formation. The threads are just strong enough to elevate the jowls ever so slightly to smooth out the lower face and jawline.
Who or what are the most common references patients cite for their desired results? “Give me so-and-so’s nose,” for instance.
Quite honestly, I have very few patients reference celebrities or others for their desired result. If anything, it’s just the opposite. They’ll show us photographs of people who have been overdone that they do not want to look like. They’re not interested in looking 20 years younger, but simply want to look better for their age. That’s exactly what we deliver.
What are your hobbies and interests outside medicine?
Spending time with my children is by far my favorite hobby outside of the office. I also like to stay active by working out daily, and also enjoy golfing from time to time.
“If I wasn’t a doctor, I’d be…”
There’s no question – I’d be an architect. Architecture is very similar to plastic surgery in regards to creating something aesthetically pleasing to the eye, and the ability to create angles and dimensions that accentuate the overall appearance.
