Achieving Ideal Facial Appearance

J. Regan Thomas, MD, FACS

I was very pleased to be invited by Facial Plastic Surgery to have the privilege to guest edit an issue of the journal. I am indeed very pleased and honored to have the opportunity to bring together this journal issue utilizing the experience of my former fellows as the contributing authors for the issue.

My personal facial plastic surgery career has been wonderfully influenced and advanced due to my good fortune to have experienced outstanding guidance and education through interaction with superb teachers and mentors. My fellowship experience was the highlight of my training and the most influential component of my career, thanks to my own fellowship director and mentor, Eugene Tardy, MD. Dr. Tardy not only instructed and guided my facial plastic surgical skills but also opened an ongoing view and perspective of professionalism, comradery, and a dedicated quest for perfection. Importantly for me, this was accomplished in an enjoyable congenial environment. I have expressed in the past that I had the great privilege of having my professional hero become my teacher, who then became my great friend.

I hope it has been a similar experience for my own fellows. My goal for my fellows has been to not only demonstrate useful approaches and techniques in the operating room or clinic environment but also to provide an enjoyable and collegial experience. It has been expressed that often the finest teachers are individuals with whom you can enjoy a laugh and perceive as a friend rather than as an authority figure.

Treating the various aspects of facial appearance presents the surgeon with greater challenges than perhaps other anatomic areas. Facial appearance impacts many features of our patient's lives beyond the important components of function. Facial appearance influences self-image, self-confidence, social interaction, and interpersonal perception. Correcting facial function, improving facial appearance, and doing so in a safe, predictable fashion are rewarding experiences for both the surgeon and the patient.

This issue of Facial Plastic Surgery utilizes the expert skills and experiences of surgeons who were all former facial plastic surgery fellows with me as part of their training. The topic of “Achieving Ideal Facial Appearance” covers the broad spectrum of issues confronting our patients, as well as their facial plastic surgeons, related to acceptable appearance from both reconstructive needs and aesthetically. Each of the contributing authors was selected based on his/her recognized knowledge and expertise on the individual topic. I appreciate the insights and commitment involved in developing these contributions for the readers in this issue. It is with great satisfaction and genuine pride in my former fellows that I am able to coordinate this contribution to the literature of our specialty in this issue.