New York plastic surgeon, Dr. John Layliev specializes in aesthetic surgery of the face, breast, and body. With a focus on delivering natural appearing results by providing his patients with the latest in surgical techniques , Dr. John Layliev uses surgical artistry to devise a personalized approach to each of his patients. Dr. Layliev sat down with Haute Beauty to discuss his most memorable patient reaction and more.

What I love most about my profession?

Are the life changing results patients experience. It means the world when a patient smiles ear to ear during their first visit back following surgery.

I also truly enjoy the versatility of plastic surgery. On a typical day, I can be doing a facelift in the morning, followed by a breast lift, and then a tummy tuck. Being able to artistically design a refined and younger version of the face and parts of the body is such an honor and I feel privileged to gain my patients’ trust.

My most requested procedures are?

Breast reconstruction (following mastectomy for breast cancer), breast augmentations and reductions, facelifts, tummy tucks, as well as body contouring for massive weight loss patients.

What surgical advancements are you most excited about?

Fat grafting has revolutionized plastic surgery over the last decade. Excess fatty tissue from one part of the body is removed via liposuction, processed and purified, and then placed into areas deficient of fat, most commonly in my practice into the breasts or various parts of the face. Fat grafting into the face as a stand-alone procedure or more commonly during a facelift lifts and fills regions of the face that have deflated with aging. Fat grafting during breast reconstruction (after mastectomy for breast cancer) has allowed results to look more natural then ever and is also a great adjunct in cosmetic breast augmentation for women seeking a modest increase in breast size without implants.

The biggest misconception about my field is?

That patients undergoing plastic surgery look fake and overdone. Most patients want to look like a better version of themselves and don’t want to be spotted across the street as having had plastic surgery. Thankfully, there are many women and men who have undergone makeovers and don’t get labeled as overdone or dramatic because of modern techniques and advancements in surgical understanding.

What are you best known for?

I am best known for my obsession for perfection and attention to detail, starting when I first mark patients before surgery and ending with the last finishing suture.

What is your most memorable patient reaction?

A few months ago, I took care of an elderly gentleman with a large invasive skin cancer invading the top of his skull, close to his brain. In a multi team effort requiring removal of a large portion of his skull, I reconstructed his scalp with microsurgery using his thigh tissue. The day after surgery, while in the intensive care unit, he greeted me saying, “Doc, you saved my life,” and cried. His reaction that day is the reason I became a doctor in the first place and it’s cases like these that blend reconstructive and aesthetic plastic surgery that are truly humbling.

What sets my practice apart is?

Is the amazing staff that I work with. With them, the process of seeing patients, operating, and postoperative care is so well streamlined that I can truly focus on delivering the best care possible.

My greatest achievement?

As much as I am proud of helping patients through cosmetic and reconstructive plastic surgery, my greatest continuous achievement is being a husband to my wonderful wife and father to my children. Without them, everything else would mean nothing, and with them, everything is just so much better.