Dr. Justin Gusching, of Southern Surgical Arts, is triple board-certified by the American Board of Cosmetic Surgery (ABCS), the American Board of Facial Cosmetic Surgery (ABFCS) and the American Osteopathic Board of Surgery (AOBS). With locations in Chattanooga, Tenn., and Calhoun, Ga., Dr. Gusching and the team at Southern Surgical Arts have more than 69 years of experience combined.

Haute Beauty chats with Dr. Gusching about his career as a body expert, his favorite part about transforming his patients’ lives, and the future of his field.

My greatest achievement…

My greatest achievement in life, up to this point, is my education.  Medical school, surgery residency, fellowship, and board certifications are all something that takes commitment, heart, work ethic, and the willingness to go beyond the call.

The future of my field is…

The future of my field is probably the most unpredictable field of medicine. Cosmetic surgery is constantly changing for the better: quicker recovery, less down-time, better results. The amount of dedication going into improving the field is immense. I’m excited to see what the future brings in the field of cosmetic surgery.

The biggest misconception about my field is…

The biggest misconception about my field is that only vain people get cosmetic procedures performed. My patients are amazing, normal people who are looking to boost their confidence a bit. Everyone has something they are self-conscious about and I’m here to help. I don’t change the appearance of people, I change their self-esteem and self-respect. Almost all of the surgeries and procedures I do are to make someone feel younger or bring them back to where they used to be, whether after weight loss or childbirth, etc. The amount of confidence my patients display following a procedure is nothing less than amazing. It’s what motivates me to continue to do what I do.

My most requested procedure is…

My most requested procedures are clumped into two words: mommy makeover. Mommy makeover may consist of one or many procedures including, liposuction to the midsection, back, and thighs, a tummy tuck, breast augmentation, breast lift, and skin-tightening procedures. Basically, anything that will get your body back to where you were prior to having your children.

What surgical advancements are you most excited about?

The surgical advancements that I’m most excited about are the combination of less invasive procedures with surgery. Prior to some of the newest advances in skin tightening, surgeons were primarily stuck with cutting out the skin in a fairly large surgery. Now the skin can be tightened to the point that the surgical portion is much smaller and recovery is much easier. This is true with the face, breasts, abdomen, and many other applications.

What are you best known for?

I am best known for body contouring. It’s a passion of mine. I love exposing the naturally aesthetic contours of the body, whether fixing gynecomastia or the torso in a male using Vaser liposuction, or liposuction of thighs and torso with a tummy tuck in a female.  Body contouring is simply sculpting with human tissue.

What is your most memorable patient reaction?

My most memorable patient reaction was a patient that came to me to do revision surgery. She had a tummy tuck with abdominal and flank liposuction by another surgeon 6 months prior. She was unhappy with the results. I was able to do implant exchange, breast lift, and thigh liposuction to come out with a great sculpted result. The patient was so grateful and once she was completely healed, I noticed her posting so many pictures to her Instagram account – in a bikini – while enjoying the beach with her family. It was very evident that her confidence and self-esteem had sky-rocketed and I was truly honored to be a part of it.

What sets your practice apart?

What sets my practice apart is my sincere care for people. I want every patient to have the absolute best results possible and I’m willing to even lose money at times to do this.  My patients know this dedication I have towards them and their outcome. Life isn’t about money and popularity as seen so much in our society these days, but about positive interactions with people and truly caring for one another.

What do you love most about your profession?

What I love most about my profession is interacting with happy patients. Sure, I may be their surgeon, but I enjoy having a personal relationship with my patients.  I use my God given skill to operate on people making them feel better about themselves with more self-esteem.  It’s hard not to love this profession.

What new services are you excited to offer?

The new services that I am excited to offer to my patients is the latest in skin tightening. The new technology utilizes radiofrequency to produce heat thereby tightening the skin. Used by itself, it has shown great results but combined with surgical procedures it has allowed us to reach even greater results with less invasive procedures.