Day In The Life Of Plastic Surgeon - Dr. Zachary Okhah - OwlGuru.com - Find A Career You Love (2024)

My name is Dr. Zachary Okhah, and I am the Founder and Chief Surgeon at PH-1 Miami.

There are many misconceptions about plastic surgery- like it’s all about vanity and beauty, and the patients are only the rich and famous. But, there’s more than meets the eye when it comes to providing plastic surgery. In my practice, our ultimate goal is to help our patients become their best selves- not just their best-looking selves.. To do this, we use a holistic approach that combines the most advanced body contouring techniques with proper nutrition and fitness. And we ask our clients about their motivations and if they’re ready to make changes in their lifestyle to maintain the procedure’s effectiveness.

Pros and cons

The best thing about my job is seeing my patients gain a newfound love for their bodies as well as make a commitment to a healthy lifestyle following their surgeries. I love helping someone embrace their best self and make positive changes in their life.

While working in private practice keeps me busy, social networks like Sermo and Doximity help me stay in touch with my peers in the medical field. These social platforms also connect me with healthcare professionals across the globe, thus providing unique opportunities for collaboration. There are also networks for student doctors and nurses to receive advice and assistance through all phases of their studies- from high school to private practice.

Plastic surgery is one of the most diverse and expansive surgical fields, treating both simple and complex problems of the “skin and all of its contents.” Our knowledge regarding patient physiology and healing is equally extensive as we treat people on their trajectory from “cradle to grave.”

The complexity of operations performed in the field has necessitated sub specialization, resulting in a percentage of practitioners who elect to further hone their skills in microsurgery, hand surgery, craniofacial surgery, transgender surgery, and aesthetic surgery, in addition to generalists. With such a diverse surgical milieu, the plastic surgeon’s career may be typified by opportunity for broad innovation and operative scope, staving off boredom and allowing for longitudinal excitement and novelty in practice.

Considering the rich operative armamentarium of plastic surgeons, it is difficult to digest or accept a scenario when a patient’s problem exceeds the available options for restoration of form and function. At any point, the plastic surgeon may stumble upon a problem whose solution doesn’t exist in the present. For example, the elusive nature of local and regional flap options to reconstruct severe facial defects prompted continued efforts in restoration from which facial transplantation has been born and continues to undergo refinement.

The particularly elective nature of aesthetic surgery can be present unique challenges. No surgical procedure is without consequence or cost. With cosmetic procedures, the goal is to enhance what is normal or already exists—these are not patients who are born with a cleft lip or have been disfigured by surgical resection of a cancer. Hence, the severity of the issue bothering the patient may truly only be appraised by the individual. It becomes necessary to glean with a fine lens whether improvement is possible given patient expectations. Failing to have a congruent pre-operative understanding will likely lead to tension in the patient-doctor relationship post-operatively.

Advice to aspiring plastic surgeons

In general, medicine tends to be an arduous, time-intensive discipline that takes true, unwavering passion to pursue to completion. As seasoned physicians commonly tell aspiring medical students: If you could imagine yourself in any field other than medicine, do that. Due to sensationalized media portrayal and general misconceptions, plastic surgery remains a nebulous discipline that requires exposure through shadowing to really grasp. I would recommend that those with a burgeoning interest in the field spend as much time as possible with a plastic surgeon early on to ensure that the lifestyle and clinical duties are appealing in the long run.