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| Michael C. Edwards, MD, FACS, |
By Denise Mann
The Las Vegas strip is known for its bright lights, debaucherous Hangover-style bachelor parties, high-stakes gambling, and other activities that are best left in Vegas. Yet nestled in this desert town is one of the top plastic surgery practices in the country: Edwards Plastic Surgery.
And while Michael C. Edwards, MD, FACS, freely admits that the average breast implant size tends to be a bit larger in Vegas than in other cities, his practice is really not the stuff that reality shows are made of.
Plastic Surgery Practice sat down with Edwards to discuss what a Las Vegas plastic surgery practice really looks like, as well as his growing role with the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery (ASAPS).
Here’s what he had to say about Vegas, ASAPS, and everything in-between—including his penchant for a dry martini and his Harley.
1 Procedure you perform most often?
I would say my practice is easily 45% primary breast augmentation with and without mastopexy and 45% revision breast surgery.
2 Procedure you perform least often?
I no longer perform facial surgery because I enjoy breast and body, so much of my practice has evolved in that direction. It is not that I don’t enjoy facial surgery. I do commonly use Botox and facial fillers, but I found I was doing so much more breast surgery that I chose to focus on it exclusively.
3 Tell us what plastic surgery really looks like in Las Vegas.
I am fortunate to have a very nice blend of patients from all walks of life from Las Vegas and around the world. We do certainly tend to use a larger-than-average implant size, though it is not the lifestyle depicted in the reality-type TV shows.
4 Biggest trend you are seeing in Vegas today?
By and large, patients are cautious in who they select to perform their surgery after doing their homework. Discretionary income is certainly less readily available, but the number of patients we continue to see has remained steady. I see more women seeking fuller, but natural results in their breast surgery.
5 Healthiest habits?
Watching my diet, a good bike ride out to Red Rock, and a couple of hours of tennis as often as I can.
6 Guilty pleasure?
I’m trying to read more non-medical literature, and I always enjoy a good martini at the end of the week. I also enjoy a late afternoon ride away from Las Vegas into the desert on my Harley RoadKing Classic 7.
7 Charities of record?
The American Cancer Society and The Wounded Warrior Project. I spent 19 years in the Air Force and have a soft spot for those who have served their country.
8 Practice mantra?
Do the right thing.
9 How do you balance your ASAPS responsibilities with practice?
It can make for very long days during a practice week with early starting hours and later teleconferences with many e-mails and phone calls through the course of the day. My colleagues on the East Coast have it tougher. This is such a tremendous group to work with, though I consider it an honor to be a part of it.
10 Is there a plan in place for when you take over as president?
Yes. The society serves to educate and represent board-certified plastic surgeons, so although there is typically a decrease in the number of days you operate and a subsequent income decrease, it can be compensated to some degree by supplementing your practice with a care extender or by simply rescheduling your days so you can operate while you are home. n
Denise Mann is the editor of Plastic Surgery Practice. She can be reached at [email protected].
