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GS: What procedure do you most often try to discourage?
AY: I turn down about 1 in every 5 people who see me, mostly because of unrealistic expectations. Sometimes people believe a plastic surgeon can do things that just aren’t possible, or I just plain wouldn’t recommend. If I don’t truly believe my patient will benefit by going under the knife, I will not perform the surgery.
GS: What procedures would you most like to perform on which celebrities?
AY: Ha! I would love to try to reverse the many plastic surgeries performed on Jocelyn Wildenstein, the Lion Woman of New York. It would be a great challenge to get her looking ‘human’ again.
GS: What procedure do you perform most often on Asian women?
AY: Breast augmentation, by far, although most Asian women do not want to become really big.
GS: What procedure do you perform most often on Asian men?
AY: Botox, either to reduce wrinkles or decrease the width of the jaw. Asian men are not the most common plastic surgery patients.
GS: What procedures tend to have the most dramatic impact on improving an Asian woman’s attractiveness?
AY: This is all individual. Asian eyelid surgery and rhinoplasty are extremely common procedures, but I don’t agree that all Asian women are good candidates, or will benefit from these procedures. There is an unfortunate tendency for many Asians to believe that looking more Caucasian will make them more attractive. That’s a terrible thing.
GS: What procedure do you feel most positive about performing?
AY: I really enjoy performing reconstructive procedures or correcting botched plastic surgery, as it takes a lot of skill and patience to get it right. I relish the challenge of fixing something that another doc may have botched.
GS: What’s the toughest thing about practicing cosmetic surgery?
AY: No matter how hard I try, how sincerely I make an effort, or how good my intentions, it is impossible to make every patient happy. Some patients may get a fabulous result yet be unsatisfied. That is the worst thing about being a plastic surgeon.
GS: What’s the best thing about practicing cosmetic surgery?
AY: I get to change lives by changing appearances, and have fun while doing it. Being a plastic surgeon has also allowed me to take part in other areas of interest, such as writing my medical school memoir In Stitches and being on TV.
GS: Give us a picture of your daily or weekly routine.
AY: I see patients Monday and Wednesday all day, operate on Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday, and spend as much time as I can with my family. When my kids are in bed at night I write my blog and my book. Next
