Dr. Elsa Raskin is a board-certified plastic surgeon and leads the headstrong team at Elsa Raskin, M.D., Plastic and Cosmetic Surgery. The services she offers make for the perfect Holiday gift to yourself or someone you love this season.
GL: What inspired you to start a career in plastic and cosmetic surgery?
ER: I chose a career in plastic surgery because I am interested in helping patients reverse the aging process and becoming a better version of themselves while at the same time improving their quality of life. I enjoy the combination of art and science, in cutting, reducing and rotating tissue, plastic surgeons perform what the Greeks originally meant when they used the term “plastikos” which means molding tissue. I can’t think of anything else I would rather do for a living.
GL: Tell us a little bit about your practice and the unique services that you offer.
ER: My practice offers the full range of cosmetic plastic surgery procedures (body contouring, breast surgery and facial plastic surgery), as well as skin care such us, fractionated laser, Radiofrequency micro-needling and of course fillers and neurotoxins.
I have a knowledgeable and welcoming staff that makes every single patient feel welcome. We also carry a medical grade skincare line, that we recommend for maintenance and after laser treatments.
Our office has a certified private operating room, where my anesthesiologist performs IV sedation for a more private experience. Patients might hesitate to go to the hospital and very often prefer our office operating room.
I do perform more involved surgeries such as abdominoplasties (tummy tucks) and breast reduction at Greenwich Hospital where I am affiliated.
GL: What has been your biggest challenge?
ER: My biggest challenge was enduring the general surgery 100 hours week while being pregnant with my two daughters who were born 13 months apart. Staying up all night while taking general surgery calls at NYU, in the last trimester of pregnancy was grueling. In the US, three years of general surgery is a prerequisite prior to plastic surgery training.
GL: What/who inspires you?
ER: My patient's courage and aspirations inspire me every day. I love helping people in such an intimate and impactful manner. I love the confidence that I am able to give my patients and take my role as a plastic surgeon very seriously but also with great humility.
GL: How is your practice different than so many others?
ER: While in private practice for over twenty years I thrive to integrate the latest cutting-edge technology into my work. The best results are achieved with dual modalities, combining the power of plastic surgery and the subtlety of skin resurfacing and filler treatments. A perfect example would be a patient having a deep plane face and neck lift, fat grafting and at the same time, a CO2 laser resurfacing of her face. Her neck and facial muscles will be re-suspended in a more youthful position while her cheeks are naturally filled with her own fat while her skin is resurfaced to erase the sun damage. This dual approach, the combination of invasive and non-invasive techniques optimize the ultimate results and minimizes the downtime; it is all done at once for a faster recovery.
GL: Explain the most rewarding aspect of your work.
ER: The most rewarding aspect of my work is the psychological impact cosmetic and reconstructive surgery have on patients. I think that seeing a better picture of ourselves in the mirror elevates brain chemicals such as serotonin and dopamine and makes us feel better about ourselves. In some cases it cures depression.
GL: What has changed in plastic surgery since you graduated?
ER: When I graduated from the New York Presbyterian Plastic Surgery program in 2001, Plastic Surgery was done with less finesse and artistry than it is now. Some results were rather cringeworthy and unnatural. Today with the combination of non-invasive modalities, our results are more linear and natural. Patients are returning to their old selves and they don’t have to look like anyone else.
To learn more about Dr. Elsa Raskin you can visit her website here: elsaraskinmd.com or follow her on Instagram @elsaraskinmd
