Shelby Stockton spoke with facial plastic surgeon, Dr. Kent Davis, about patient needs and expectations during the consultation process, and educates us on some tools and technologies that improve patient outcomes.
Shelby Stockton (00:00):
Welcome to the Texas ENT Audio Blog. I'm your host, Shelby Stockton. November is facial plastics month. And to celebrate, I spoke with facial plastic surgeon Dr. Kent Davis. Dr. Davis tells us a little bit about his background and what inspired him to specialize in facial plastics. He explains how he assesses a patient's needs and expectations during the consultation process, and educates us on some tools and technologies that improve patient outcomes. Have you toyed with the idea of facial plastics? If so, this is an episode you don't want to miss.
Hi, Dr. Davis. How are you today?
Dr. Davis (00:35):
Great. Hi, Shelby.
Shelby Stockton (00:36):
It's so great to talk to you. As you may know, November is facial plastics month. So to celebrate, I get to speak with you. So I have a few questions if you don't mind.
Dr. Davis (00:48):
Excellent. I'm looking forward to it.
Shelby Stockton (00:50):
So can you tell us a little bit about your background and experience in facial plastic surgery?
Dr. Davis (00:55):
Absolutely. Yes. I am double board certified in both otolaryngology head and neck surgery, and facial plastic and reconstructive surgery. I have over 20 years of experience now in medicine, and my specialty and my passion are in facial plastic surgery. And that includes everything from trauma to cancer reconstruction, to cosmetic surgery. And in cosmetic surgery, I deal everything from the collar bones up. So eyelid surgery, facelifts, endoscopic brow, midface lips, rhinoplasties, chin augmentations, liposuction of the neck, lots of fun things.
Shelby Stockton (01:41):
Yeah, that's a lot. So what inspired you to specialize in facial plastics?
Dr. Davis (01:47):
Yeah, so in my medical training, I really fell in love with the complex anatomy of the head and neck, and I've always enjoyed working with my hands and seeing the results of what I'm doing. So that naturally led to surgery. And I've always had an eye for beauty and aesthetics, and so this just was a natural fit for me. I also love a challenge, and facial plastic surgery is definitely a challenge. There's no hiding your results under clothing when you're working on the face. And most surgeons or most plastic surgeons will all agree that rhinoplasty or cosmetic nasal surgery is the most difficult of the cosmetic surgery procedures. And so I was drawn to that and it's become the number one surgery that I do.
Shelby Stockton (02:43):
Well also, after that long list of things that you're able to do, it seems like there's a lot of variety in your line of work.
Dr. Davis (02:49):
Absolutely. It keeps life interesting.
Shelby Stockton (02:52):
That's for sure. How do you assess a patient's needs and expectations during the consultation process?
Dr. Davis (03:00):
Oh, that's easy. So it's by being a good listener. So I take the time to listen to what my patients are telling me. I keep an open mind. We will look at their face in the mirror and on computer imaging software, and I'll get a good feel for what's bothering them. And then I'll come up with a game plan on ways to help them, ranging from minimally invasive in office little procedures all the way to bigger surgical options. And then I'll also maybe expand on what they said and give some of my own advice after analyzing their face. So there might be things that they haven't even thought of that would really enhance the look, and so then I'll present that. From doing this for so long that I have, that you gain the ability to work with these patients and help them through this very intimidating process of facial plastic surgery consultations. So our staff and myself, we go out of our way to just help the patients feel comfortable through the process.
Shelby Stockton (04:24):
Are there any specific tools or technologies that have significantly improved outcomes for your patients?
Dr. Davis (04:30):
Oh, absolutely. That's what's so exciting about the field of aesthetics, is it's always changing and evolving and there's new technology coming down the pipeline. I've seen it through the years and from the simplest things like much better filler injections than we used to have, to improve technology with lasers. My latest addition to what I'm doing is InMode's FaceTite, and Morpheus machine, which uses radio frequency energy under the skin and through the surface of the skin to both tighten the tissues and also to dissolve fat. And it's definitely the best technology out there right now for facial rejuvenation, short of doing an actual surgery like a facelift or eyelid surgery, which is still the gold standard for the best results.
Shelby Stockton (05:32):
How can patients best prepare themselves for a successful outcome?
Dr. Davis (05:37):
Well, so the best way to have a successful outcome with patients is they need to have realistic expectations of the recovery process, and also realistic expectations of potential surgical results. And also keeping a good positive attitude through the whole process. It's helpful for patients to be informed and knowledgeable on the subject, but sometimes patients can take it to the extreme, and we'll have a lot of patients who just research the heck out of it and looking at YouTube videos and things like that to the point where they actually scare themselves and create a lot of anxiety before a surgical procedure. So here at Texas Facial Plastic Surgery, we pride ourselves on taking the patient and holding their hands through the whole process, and getting them to that excellent result that they're pleased with.
Shelby Stockton (06:41):
Before I let you go, any advice to somebody who's been seriously thinking about facial plastics but they're just nervous about it?
Dr. Davis (06:49):
Absolutely. So my recommendation would be to just come in and schedule an appointment with me. For strictly cosmetic procedures, my consultations are free, and so you can come in and we'll sit down and evaluate your face and concerns that you might have, and we'll come up with a great game plan that they're comfortable with. And I would recommend it because we can accomplish a lot now with our technology and our different surgical procedures, and keep a very natural look that patients love. Oftentimes, patients feel like they're aging more and they look older than they feel, or they are presenting an image of themselves that looks tired. And we can reverse that. We can reverse the effects of that aging process and help them look more youthful and energized. And it's amazing because oftentimes, the change in their personality and their excitement level afterwards is just as dramatic as the surgical results. It's fun.
Shelby Stockton (08:08):
I love that. I love it. It's a positive answer. I appreciate it, and I really do appreciate your time. Thanks so much for spending time with us today.
Dr. Davis (08:16):
Thank you Shelby.
