LAM FACIAL PLASTICS

Hi Dr.Lam, two unrelated questions for you, the first one just our of sheer curiousity:

1) How do Plastic Surgeons practice and learn the practical elements of their craft. I mean as a newly practicing qualified plastic surgeon, did you use your first patients as guinea pigs to perfect your skills, or do you work on cadavres or us other such less risky methods?

2) Retin-A can't have any negative effect on fat grafting can it? I use retin-A on my face and if i Have fat grafting performed with you I'd like to know if i'll be able to keep up my regiment? And if yes I obviously assume i couldnt continue directly after surgery as there'd be bruising and the like, but when could i realistically continue?

Thanks Doc!

1) How do Plastic Surgeons practice and learn the practical elements of their craft. I mean as a newly practicing qualified plastic surgeon, did you use your first patients as guinea pigs to perfect your skills, or do you work on cadavres or us other such less risky methods?

IN GENERAL, PLASTIC SURGEONS ALREADY GO THROUGH EXTENSIVE TRAINING NOT WEEKEND COURSES IN WHICH THEY SPEND YEARS LEARNING THEIR CRAFT BEFORE OPENING SHOP. I PERFORMED MOST OF ALL MY PROCEDURES ALREADY DURING MY RESIDENCY AND FELLOWSHIPS ON PATIENTS WHO DID NOT HAVE TO PAY FOR THOSE SERVICES UNDER GUIDANCE BY A MORE EXPERIENCED SURGEON. OBVIOUSLY, AFTER YOU OPEN YOUR SHOP, YOU CONTINUE TO REFINE YOUR TECHNIQUES. FOR EXAMPLE, I DID NOT PERFORM FAT GRAFTING UNTIL AFTER MY FELLOWSHIP. HOWEVER, GIVEN THE SKILL SETS YOU ACQUIRE AFTER 7 YEARS OF TRAINING TO BE A SURGEON, YOU HAVE A GOOD SENSE OF HOW TO PERFORM SURGERY WELL NO MATTER WHAT IT IS. HOWEVER, I REMAIN ENTIRELY WITHIN MY SPHERE OF EXPERTISE AS ALL MY TRAINING HAS BEEN TOWARD DOING PROCEDURES IN THE HEAD AND NECK REGION. OBVIOUSLY, THE CONCERN IS WHEN YOU GO TO A "SURGEON" AND HE REALLY IS NOT ONE AND ONLY LEARNED HOW TO DO WHAT HE DID IN A WEEKEND COURSE. THAT IS ALWAYS RISKY. ALSO, MOST "PLASTIC SURGEONS" GO THROUGH 5 YEARS OF ABDOMINAL SURGERY WORK, THEN 2 YEARS OF "PLASTIC SURGERY" IN WHICH THEY DO MAINLY OR ONLY BODY WORK THEN GET OUT AND START TO PRACTICE. I HAVE SPENT MY ENTIRE TRAINING IN THE FACE EXCEPT THE FIRST 1.5 YEARS WHICH I ALSO WENT THROUGH GENERAL SURGERY (ABDOMINAL) WORK IN PREPARATION. THAT DISTINGUISHES ME FROM GUYS WHO WORK ON THE WHOLE BODY.

2) Retin-A can't have any negative effect on fat grafting can it? I use retin-A on my face and if i Have fat grafting performed with you I'd like to know if i'll be able to keep up my regiment? And if yes I obviously assume i couldnt continue directly after surgery as there'd be bruising and the like, but when could i realistically continue?

RETIN-A SHOULD BE FINE IN ANY CASE. NO PROBLEM WITH CONTINUING.