By Laura Eckstein Jones By Laura Eckstein Jones | October 18, 2021 | Lifestyle,
As a seasoned plastic surgeon, Dr. Joseph C. Berardi of Berardi Aesthetics & Plastic Surgery (theplasticsurgeon.org) has fulfilled patients’ dreams by helping them look and feel their best. Here, the award-winning doc—who has performed more than 2,000 cosmetic and reconstructive surgeries—shares his story.
What prompted you to get involved in plastic surgery?
My path to plastic surgery started when I was a sophomore in college. I entered into the pre-med program once I decided I wanted to go into medicine. My adviser recommended that I find a preceptor in the community so I could see how physicians practice. My experience until then was going to my family doctor for checkups.
Out of a recommendation from a fellow student, [it] was mentioned that a local plastic surgeon welcomed students to rotate through his practice. I called the surgeon and he said he [would be] happy to accommodate me. As a sophomore in college, I was actually scrubbing into reconstructive plastic surgery cases. My very first case I ever saw was a microvascular free flap. This involved taking a patient’s abdominal muscle and transferring it to her leg due to an injury, then reestablishing the blood supply to the muscle by suturing the vein and artery under microscope. I had no idea that this was even possible, and from that point on I knew I wanted to be a plastic surgeon.
What do you love most about what you do?
There are two things that I love most about my job. First is once my job is done, the patient is always better off than [when] we started. Whether it’s for reconstructive or aesthetic purposes, I am only dealing with happy patients in the end. The other thing is that I get to operate on patients young and old, from head to toe and from skin to bone. As plastic surgeons, we are trained in cosmetic surgery, microsurgery, hand surgery, burn surgery, reconstructive surgery, congenital surgery—therefore there will always be a variety in what I do. This keeps my job challenging and interesting.
Dr. Joseph C. Berardi of Berardi Aesthetics & Plastic Surgery. PHOTO COURTESY OF BERARDI AESTHETICS & PLASTIC SURGERY
What are some of the more challenging aspects?
Every patient is like a fingerprint. Patients are unique and we treat them as such. That being said, sometimes patients present with a physical finding that is not the norm. At that point, I utilize my knowledge and experience to devise a plan to give them the best possible outcome. Breast surgeries are a perfect example of this. There are many times where we might modify a standard procedure or even do a staged procedure to accomplish a good result in the end.
What are some procedures you’d recommend to men wanting to look their best?
Many of the procedures that we do are thought to only apply to women. However, I have many male patients that are getting liposuction, face-lifts, eyelid surgery and neck surgery. Some of the new technologies are Morpheus (radio frequency microneedling) or our Evolve platform, which helps with skin tightening, fat shaping and muscle toning. Nowadays, more established men are competing with younger individuals, so the need to stay at the top of their game and look refreshed and rejuvenated is important. Taking care of faces is the first step. Using fillers and products like Botox is not uncommon. The goal is to make the patient look more youthful but not overdone.
Evolve is amazing technology. It tightens skin, trims fat and tones muscle. It’s like going to the gym, however you’re lying on a table relaxing. If you are ambitious you can even get other spa services done while having the treatment. The first two functions of Evolve work via radio frequency, which generates heat to perform either skin tightening or fat reduction. The muscle toning portion of Evolve involves electric muscle stimulation. Anyone looking for self-improvement but not quite ready for surgery, or anyone who has been sitting at home inactive due to previous restrictions, anybody still wanting to look good in a swimsuit— those are all good candidates. Now, this does not replace the need for surgery where skin and fat might be significant enough to require surgical removal. If you are considering this, schedule a consultation.
What can readers expect from you next?
My plan is to continue growing the practice, to continue providing an exemplary patient experience, and to continue providing the latest technologies and surgical techniques to my patients so they know they are in the best hands.
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