It’s amazing how people generalize plastic surgeons. I’ve heard it said, “Well, you’re not a brain surgeon or a heart surgeon, it’s not like you’re saving lives….” But I would beg to differ. No, it’s not like someone is rushed into my OR and I have to do an emergency breast augmentation on them or they might die (although some patients do feel that way).
But every day, I get to meet people who have deliberated, searched their hearts and souls, and who at the end of the day have decided to come see me because on several levels they need a change.
I am in the business of changing lives, which, yes…. in some cases, saves lives.
People underestimate the power of personal appearance on how you feel on the inside, but I see it every day. Now, I personally feel that all people are beautiful. But I also see that they don’t feel beautiful. They don’t feel confident. They’ve tried self-help books. They’ve tried therapy and counseling. They’ve gone on the yoga retreat. They’ve changed their diet. They’ve beat themselves up and torn themselves down, and they come to my staff and sit in our practice, and it is here they start to feel a bit of hope.
Years ago, I had a 49-year-old woman who was about 15 – 20 lbs overweight and did not have the body she once had. She was a busy professional (as most of you are!) and it was difficult to lose the weight that age and lifestyle had packed on. And in this case, even if she didn’t have the extra weight, she still had shape-related problems. (Now, please understand that for surgeons we don’t think that any particular shape is a problem, but if it’s a problem for you and it keeps you from achieving the look you want and feeling the way you desire – then it’s a ‘problem’. For example – if you are pear-shaped with a narrow ribcage and petite shoulder frame and yet you can’t stand your saddlebags and you’ve worked out for years and they’re still there? Or you have skinny, tiny legs and narrow hips but have broad back, shoulders and wide ribcage with no waist even at your thinnest? That’s a shape-related problem. And I can help fix that in almost every case!)
For this particular patient we chose Smartlipo to achieve the best results for her. We did Smartlipo to the back, love handles, abdomen, and arms. This is such a minimally invasive procedure (you get it done on a Thursday or Friday and are back to work on Monday) and allows me to sculpt and shape the areas I’m working on, as well as melt and remove fat, so she saw the results instantly. Instant meaning looking in the mirror before she walked out of the office! It completely changed her demeanor, her countenance…she was upbeat and felt renewed. In a follow up appointment she said this: “Thank you so much for your talent with the Smartlipo Laser!! Not only did you remove fat, but you SHAPED my body! I have a great butt now, I even saw that another person was checking me out!! Wow. My husband asked me why I waited to have this done. Can you believe that?”
This is one of thousands of cases that ends this way. It’s why I am so passionate about what I do and how I do it. People are wondering why they waited so long and they have a new lease on life. No, it’s not brain surgery, but I’d argue to say that it does affect the ‘heart’ and the mind – it affects how people are able to love themselves, see themselves as they really are… beautiful inside and out.
