Strolling through the Bellagio hotel with Lexington, Ky-based facial plastic surgeon S. Randolph Waldman, MD, during the Vegas Cosmetic Surgery meeting he chairs is like walking through town square with the mayor.

Everyone wants to shake his hand, whisper something in his ear, congratulate him on a well-planned event, or shore up plans for later that day.

Waldman is double board certified in facial plastic and reconstructive surgery and head and neck surgery. He is also the founder and president of the Multi-Specialty Foundation for Facial Aesthetic Surgical Excellence, which sponsors a yearly meeting in Las Vegas.

Upon meeting him, it is instantly obvious that he loves what he does, and he does it well. Plastic Surgery Practice sat down with Waldman, one of our Editorial Advisory Board members, to find out more about his practice, his passions, his love affair with his iPad, and the lasting lesson he gleaned from a famous snow cone shop in New Orleans during his fellowship. Here’s what we found out:

1 Procedure you perform most often?

At one time, rhinoplasty was the most common procedure I performed. But in the past 10 years, the facelift became more common.

2 Procedure you perform least often?

Unfortunately, traditional CO2 laser resurfacing is not done nearly as often as it should be. I still believe it is the gold standard for effective rejuvenation of the face.

3 Favorite procedure?

I really like blepharoplasty. It is meticulous and completely technique dependent. I also really love doing rhinoplasties, but I am very fortunate in that I still really like performing all facial aesthetic procedures!

4 Most challenging procedure?

Even after performing 2,000 procedures over the past 25 years, I still believe rhinoplasty is the most challenging procedure I do. All noses are different, and small changes can make a huge difference. Both judgment and surgical technique play a crucial role in the success of the procedure.

5 Healthiest habit?

I like to take long walks with my wife and three dogs. I try to do this daily.

6 Least healthiest habit?

I like French fries too much!

7 Professional mantra?

“There are no shortcuts to quality.” This is a slogan that I first locked onto when I was a fellow and I became a frequent customer at Hansen’s snow cones, a landmark business in New Orleans. They used this mantra to describe their philosophy in creating the perfect snow cone.

8 Greatest personal accomplishment?

My greatest accomplishment would be helping my wife, Marianne, raise our three children, two of whom are actually in medical school and one who just graduated from college with a degree in economics and will likely go on to graduate school this year.

9 Greatest professional accomplishment?

Watch a video of Dr Waldman perform a lip injection during a seminar in Las Vegas for the Multi-Specialty Foundation Facial Cosmetic Surgery Symposium. tinyurl.com/86h7esh

My greatest contribution is bringing the four core specialties together every summer in Las Vegas at the annual Multispecialty Foundation symposium: “Vegas Cosmetic Surgery.” Many strong interspecialty bridges have been formed and relationships made at this meeting over the past 8 years. Not only do I believe in interspecialty cooperation in education, but I am a partner in our own multispecialty practice. My associate, Stephen Schantz, MD, is an outstanding plastic surgeon in his own right. Others around the country have seen our success over the past 10 years and have adopted this practice model in their own community.

10 Technology you could not live without?

My iPad has become an indispensable tool to help keep my somewhat complicated life a little more organized. Thank you so much, Steve Jobs. May you rest in peace.


Denise Mann is the editor of Plastic Surgery Practice. She can be reached at [email protected].