Originally from the Twin Cities, Dr. Jenna Van Beck was thrilled to join a local and prominent plastic surgery center right here in Edina this summer. “I chose to be a part of the University of Minnesota Physicians (M Physicians) Hilger Face Center for many reasons,” she says. “Every staff member at the clinic has the same goal as me: to take excellent care of our patients. This is at the forefront of everything we do. At the M Physicians Hilger Face Center, we have the expertise to help a patient with whatever needs they may have for their face - from cosmetics to cancer reconstruction.”
Working alongside Dr. Peter Hilger, a fourth-generation family doctor in the practice, and Dr. Sofia Lyford-Pike, was also a huge attraction. “As the newest addition to the clinic, I have the amazing opportunity to work alongside and collaborate with two other amazing facial plastic surgeons as I continue to build my cosmetic facial plastic surgery practice. I have a real passion for this and am excited to join such an incredible team. Like my partners, I am a full-time faculty member at the University of Minnesota Medical School. Our legacy with the University goes back several generations and innovation has been a defining feature of who we are, hence, our tagline where legacy meets innovation.”
Dr. Van Beck and her patients also appreciate the welcoming family atmosphere as well as the myriad of offerings at its new location, which opened at the beginning of this year. “It's a beautiful space,” she says. “The practice really outgrew its old location which really speaks to the reputation of the physicians that are here. It’s much larger than the previous office and helps us provide the best for our patients. We have 3D imaging software, multiple exam rooms and a beautiful consultation room where we meet with patients.”
Having a comfortable space, she believes, allows patients to feel relaxed and helps the doctors connect with them. “The biggest thing that I do as a surgeon is really spend time with my patients. One of my favorite parts of my job is that I get to build relationships with people and can really have a huge impact on their lives.”
When it comes to plastic surgery, she says the top three most requested procedures are facelifts, eyelid and brow lifts, and rhinoplasty (nose job). Of course, the clinic offers a whole gamut of facial plastic surgery procedures from ear pinning to chin augmentation.
“We also have an aesthetician in-house, which is a great perk for our surgical patients,” says Dr. Van Beck. “We can send them for facials and other procedures to enhance their surgical results, expedite recovery, and maintain their results as well.”
While many patients choose to have facial surgery for cosmetic reasons, others do it to alleviate health issues. “Anytime we're doing something cosmetic, like a surgery on the nose, we're always thinking about the functional aspect as well. They go hand in hand.”
Adds Dr. Van Beck, “If someone comes in with breathing troubles, but also wants to fix the outside of their nose, our main goal is to get them breathing better. Then it's just a perk that we can also help them reach their aesthetic goals.
“As a facial plastic surgeon, I get to have these conversations with people and build these relationships, and really help them achieve their goals, whether they’re cosmetic, functional or both.”
The Hilger Face Center also carries a couple of different lines of high-quality skincare products. “One of them is SkinBetter Science and the other is Obagi,” she says. “Because we're a surgical practice, we chose a line that gave us products that we could use to enhance the results of what we do here. These lines have a wide variety of products that help with different areas such as the eyes and neck. They are also great to use post-recovery, and we carry scar gels as well.”
Specializing in the face and facial plastic surgery is something that’s unique about the Hilger Face Center. “During training, we learn the anatomy and the aesthetics of the face better than one ever could if their training wasn't that specialized,” says Dr. Van Beck. “We have this unique ability to really know the ins and outs of the face. We also perform a good number of all of these procedures, so it's not like there's something that's being done only once or twice a year.”
In addition to medical school and residency training, Dr. Van Beck did a year-long fellowship in New York focusing specifically on cosmetic surgery with a well-known expert in the field. She also teaches other physicians and practitioners in injectables such as Botox, fillers and other non-surgical procedures. She performs these procedures at the clinic as well.
Having the opportunity to work with the two other doctors at the clinic is a true honor, she says. “Dr. Hilger is a phenomenal surgeon and has really expanded and innovated the specialty of facial plastic surgery. To be able to work with him is amazing. My other partner, Dr. Lyford-Pike, is also a phenomenal, well-respected surgeon. In addition to her cosmetic and functional practice, she does a lot of work with facial nerve paralysis and helping patients regain their ability to perform facial expressions.”
Dr. Van Beck is happy to be working at a place she loves with people she admires, and she’s also delighted to be back home. “I have a wonderful husband and a young daughter, and just had a baby girl at the end of September.”
To find out more about her and the M Physicians Hilger Face Center, go to https://mphysicians.org/hilger.
"At Hilger we have the expertise to help a patient with whatever needs they may have for their face."
