LIVING MY LIFE TO THE FULLEST
Plastic Surgeon at the Blackhawk Plastic Surgery & MedSPA is sharing his views on this extremely popular field and highlights how he is able to make substantial improvements in peoples’ lives and make them happy.
Featured Guest: Dr. Stephen J. Ronan
Occupation: Plastic Surgeon at the Blackhawk Plastic Surgery & MedSPA
What are the most popular procedures among patients?
We do most everything that I believe is beneficial for patients and stay away from gimmicky things that aren’t in a patient’s best interest. Broadly, we do surgery, injectables, laser technology and aesthetician services. Surgery is most types of facial, breast and body procedures as well as hair restoration. Facelifts, nose jobs, breast augmentation (many with lift), tummy tucks and revisional surgery are the majority of surgeries that I perform. We have a large injectable (wrinkles) and filler practice. I’m also the Medical Director of one of the largest public laser companies, so we have a tremendous amount of technology for non-surgical services. We often run three rooms for the aestheticians and work closely with the HydraFacial Company for large cooperative events.
What is the best age to have plastic surgery?
Age is not the concern. The patient must be healthy enough for the procedure. The patient’s concern must be reasonable, and I must believe that doing the procedure justifies the costs, risks, and downtime.
Do you have patients who were addicted to plastic surgery?
No, I don’t. The whole idea of addiction to plastic surgery is an unfortunate media creation. The vast majority of people that come to my office are very normal people with a specific complaint, usually related to aging or from having kids. The media needs something sensational to sell so they often cherry-pick the weird things!
What celebrity would you rate as a perfect creation by the plastic surgeon?
Perfect celebrity??? HAHAHAHAHA! Are there any? I hope that we aren’t creating celebrities. It would be better if they became known for their talent. The celebrity plastic surgery chatter is similar to the addiction talk. It’s mostly media-driven and perhaps not the most useful information for other people.
What is the craziest thing one of your clients asked you to perform?
Some years ago, a woman came to my office with an undesired sleeve arm tattoo. She asked me to cut all the skin off from her arm and use her legs to harvest skin grafts to repair it. Of course, for the rest of her life this would leave her arms terribly deformed and her thighs with significant scars. Yet, she was insistent and wanted to proceed. She told me about how she got the tattoos when she lived in San Francisco and was part of the ‘artsy-fartsy’ scene. She thought it was cool at the time. More recently, she married a great guy who lives in the suburbs with two young children. She was very determined to make the marriage and family work. She felt humiliated at school when she saw the other moms. So much so, that she would rather have the life-long scarring than endure her own embarrassment. Fortunately, I was helping design and test a new laser for tattoo removal and we were able to get her done as a test subject. The moral of the story is that when you make changes to your body, do it in a thoughtful and deliberate manner so that you don’t regret it later.
What piece of art (book, music, movie, etc.) most influenced the person you are today?
Of course, there is no single piece. There are so many! I have read more on the subjects of society, economy and the interactions between people than I have on plastic surgery. With respect to movies, I loved the Matrix trilogy as it sure seems to fit what we are seeing right now. With music, I am a rocker!
Which would be harder for you to give up: coffee or pizza?
Coffee! I like a low carb diet so I don’t have pizza very often. The biggest exception is when I make my own using the pizza oven in my backyard! You can’t pass up those pizzas.
What do you like the most about your job?
I’m fortunate to have a very interesting and fulfilling job. While being very heavily science and engineering oriented, it is also very artistic. This allows me to work on both sides of my brain! In addition, I get to interact daily with a wonderful staff and wonderful (and sometimes challenging) patients. The best part is that I am able make substantial improvements in peoples’ lives and make them happy.
If you could re-do one day in your life, which day would it be and why?
I am in a great place in my life. My decisions, both good and bad, have provided a variety of experiences from which I have learned valuable lessons. I would not be who I am today without them. Therefore, I would not change anything. But I know that the future is always brighter, so I look forward, not backward.
What’s the one skill you think every successful entrepreneur should have?
If it only took one skill more people could do it! Certainly, vision, passion, measured risk-taking, and the ability to adapt are critical. Perseverance is ever so important. There will be obstacles and setbacks. Problems are better viewed as experiences rather than failures. Learn and move forward!
