A number of years ago I was completing surgery on a wonderful patient who had injured her earlobe months prior in a terrible dog bite accident. Her psychologic and physical journey was the subject of Discovery Health ChannelTM production. At the end of this minor final step, I turned toward the camera and rambled into … Read the rest 
We use “elbow grease” behind the scenes on a regular basis to keep our patients safe. Hannah, our nurse, and Anupa, our surgical technician scrub down our operating room to create a squeaky clean environment at IPSC. Patients do not always consider the importance of maintaining a pristine surgical environment in a plastic surgery practice. However, … Read the rest 
Today, I had the pleasure of seeing Luis Sanchez who returned to the practice almost 25 years after having a rhinoplasty. As a plastic surgeon, sometimes I fail to realize the impact that a procedure may have on an individual. He was so grateful, thankful, and appreciative, that it just made me feel good. I … Read the rest 
Serious Work and Comic Relief – Is There a Perfect Balance? Whatever one’s occupation might be, and surgery is certainly no exception, there are clearly times to be serious and moments where laughter is truly the best medicine Our patients depend on our ability to perform on task with near precision and total accuracy. Humor, … Read the rest 
Introduction I conceived and wrote the contents of this article over much of the past year. As such, many of the notions and assumptions in this presentation predate the recent collective experience that has occurred with the activation of the HealthCare.Gov and Covered CaliforniaTM websites, and the threatened loss of private insurance policies that is problematic to millions of Americans.Given … Read the rest 
View from Irvine Plastic Surgery Center Photo by Donald Altman, M.D. I applaud Ashley Judd for having the courage to address reports that inferred she had undergone cosmetic surgery as the star’s face appeared “puffy.” Like many plastic surgeons I am often asked to provide my input as to whether or not a celebrity has received a … Read the rest 
View from Irvine Plastic Surgery Center Photo by Donald Altman, M.D. Several weeks ago I had the pleasure of visiting Dr. Jorge Planas, the director of the The Clinica Planas in Barcelona, Spain. His father, Jaimie Planas, started the clinic, exclusively dedicated to plastic and reconstructive surgery more than 40 years. The clinic serves as … Read the rest 
View from Irvine Plastic Surgery Center, January 30, 2012Photo by Donald Altman M.D. It occurred to me this evening, that amidst my multiple Facebook updates regarding happy patients who have undergone cosmetic procedures, there needs to be equal time and mention of the brave population of women in my practice who are facing the heroic … Read the rest 
View from Irvine Plastic Surgery Center Photo by Donald Altman, M.D. “Within the first three to five minutes of meeting someone new, that person will have formed a strong feeling about who you are, how much they will like, trust and have confidence in you, and whether they will want to form a relationship with … Read the rest © 2010-2025 Donald Altman M.D.