Doc Talk
Random Info on the Man Behind the Scalpel
by Bahram Ghaderi, MD, FACS
What’s your favorite way to spend a weekend? Resting and spending time with family. On the weekend, I like to be home and not too busy so I can recharge for the week ahead.
What type of music are you into? A variety from country to pop to reggae
Where’s the next place on your travel bucket list and why? Dubai! The architecture there seems awesome-from the buildings to the man-made islands I would love to see it in person.
What’s your favorite ice cream topping? Whipped Cream
What’s your favorite sleeping position? Side-and I’m told I am the type of side sleeper that rolls with all the covers.
In the summer, would you rather sleep with the window open or blast the AC? That’s a tough one. I don’t have hair to protect my head from the arctic blast of the AC, but I can’t sleep with the window open if it is too humid or there are too many night-time “nature noises” going on outside the window.
Which meal is your favorite: breakfast, lunch, or dinner? I would go with a combination – Brunch because it usually means it’s the weekend or I’m on vacation.
What song always gets you out on the dance floor? It’s usually a person, not a song, that gets me out on the dance floor.
What activity instantly calms you? Mindless TV
What do you do on your commute to/from work? Zone out to the radio-thankfully my commute is usually 15-20min on average
How do you take your coffee? Usually cream and sugar or just flavored creamer. Depending on the coffee though, sometimes I’ll just take it black. I’m not too picky with my caffeine source.
Is there any product that you couldn’t live without? Hate to admit it, but my phone. I don’t personally use social media, but I use it for music, reading the news, working, and it’s a way my patients can get in touch with me if needed.
Would you rather spend a day at the beach or poolside? I’m originally from California, so for sure the beach.
How would your 10-year-old self react to what you do as a job? Even at that age, I knew I wanted to be a doctor. So I think my 10-year-old self would be happy but probably wonder how I became interested in plastic surgery. That wasn’t even on the radar at 10 years old.
What was your first job? It was in a lab at UCLA washing the flasks and other things used in medical experiments
Do you hit the snooze button or wake up immediately? Never hit snooze – I turn the alarm off right after the first ring and get up within a minute of my alarm going off.
When making a PB&J sandwich, do you put on the peanut butter or jelly first? Peanut butter first, doesn’t everyone?
If you had to eat one thing for every meal going forward, what would you eat? Bread, definitely bread
What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever been given? It was in a book (The Road Less Traveled) a friend of mine gave me before I started my training and it said basically – Life is difficult, deal with it.
If you could invite 3 people, dead or alive, to a dinner party, who would they be, and why? Condoleezza Rice – She has had fascinating experiences and I like politics and her calm strength. Tom Brady – He went to Michigan and I like his dedication to excellence and hard work. Mark Wahlberg – I like all the movies he has done.
A Healthy Treat
New year, new you! One of the top resolutions made is to lose weight. With that, people seek out healthy recipes to replace some not so healthy choices. No bake energy balls are the perfect quick & healthy treat that will keep you on track. Here is the recipe:
- 1 cup old fashioned oats
- 1/2 cup peanut butter
- 1/3 cup honey
- 1/4 cup coconut flakes
- 1/2 cup mini chocolate chips
Mix all ingredients together. Let mixture refrigerate for 30 min to 1 hour. Roll into small bites. Enjoy!
Robotic Surgery
Originally, NASA and the military funded robotic surgery research to facilitate remote operations in forward areas and near-space, where surgical subspecialists are in short supply. It turned out this was not immediately practical, and the technology was licensed to Intuitive Surgical (Sunnyvale, CA), maker of the DaVinci surgical robot. The company designed the first generation surgical robot for minimally invasive cardiac surgery.
It has been 30 years since the first robot was used in a surgical procedure. Since then, the field of robotic surgery has changed at an amazing pace, and the use of the DaVinci robot is now commonplace in some specialties. This revolution has taken longer to become adapted in the plastic surgery community because we do not often engage in minimally invasive surgery.
The benefits of robotic surgery are numerous, including reduced blood loss, reduced postoperative pain, faster recovery, and improved cosmetic appearance with smaller incisions. In relation to plastic and reconstructive surgery, robotic surgery may assist with the elimination of tremor and potentially improve the accuracy and reproducibility of surgical outcomes due to the greater degree of freedom and motion of the instrument. With some procedures, we are beginning to approach the limits of human dexterity, at which point the robot may prove to be advantageous.
The potential for robotic head and neck reconstruction is exciting. It is one of the areas that will most definitely see growth as the robot allows access to areas where human hands cannot reach without destructive incisions. Robotic mastectomies with reconstruction have also been performed with decreased scarring often involved with mastectomies. With new equipment being invented that will undoubtedly make robotic applications easier on the skin and soft tissue, more and more plastic surgery will be performed with the precision of the robot.
Robotic surgery’s main disadvantage is the high cost of the equipment, which will improve with time as a higher number of procedures are performed. Another disadvantage is that robotic surgery often results in longer operative times. Length of time improves with proficiency, and in some cases, operative time with robotics is now comparable to traditional techniques.
It is still too early to tell if the use of robotics in plastic surgery is truly of benefit to patients and surgeons. The journey is definitely in high gear right now.
Holiday Baking Tips
Holiday baking is something many people look forward to every year. Thumbprint cookies, gingerbread men, and homemade fudge are just a few treats made. We found some tips to make your baking easier and have listed them below:
Don’t grease your cookie sheets. Use parchment paper or silicone baking sheets instead. It makes for an easy clean up and keeps the cookies looking great.
Don’t use flour to roll out cookie dough. For light color dough, use powder sugar and for chocolate cookies use cocoa powder.
Freeze cut out cookies before baking. After the cookie is cut out & placed on a cookie sheet, place the cookies in the freezer for 10 minutes then bake. This will help the cookie hold its shape.
Give yourself two days to make cookies. To avoid feeling overwhelmed, mix all the cookie dough one day and refrigerate it. Then bake all the cookies on a different day. Cookie dough can be stored in the fridge for a week.
Source: tidymom.net
Future Mrs
We would like to congratulate Dichelle and her fiancé Dave on their engagement this past September! The two have been dating for over 7 years.
We are so excited for her to begin this next chapter.
Gabrielle’s Favorite Things
Inspired by the annual ‘Oprah’s Favorite Things’, Gabrielle curated a list of her favorite things that may inspire you for your holiday gifts this year. She listed them below:
A Cozy Home
I love candles. I have a candle burning in every room in my house. It makes the house feel so cozy. My personal favorite scent is “Flannel” from Bath & Body Works. (Bath & Body Works Candles, $24.95)
A Sweet Mix
Trader Joe’s has THE BEST holiday treat called Jingle Jangle. I look forward to it’s release every year. It has a mix of chocolate covered pretzels, Oreos, and popcorn as well as M&Ms. I can eat the whole tin in one sitting! (Trader Joe’s Jingle Jangle, $8.99)
Warm Me Up
The Ember mug is my absolute favorite, especially in the office when I can’t drink my coffee or tea quickly. It is temperature controlled by an app on my phone. It keeps my coffee or tea warm for hours! (Ember 10oz mug, $99.95)
Mask The Tiredness
I was gifted these eye masks that help reduce swelling for my tired eyes. I loved that I didn’t have to have my whole face in a sheet mask and only had to keep them on for 15 minutes. I instantly felt my eyes were rejuvenated after using these! (Sephora Eye Masks, $5.00)
‘Twas the Night Before Christmas
Christmas morning is so exciting. Anna and her family prepare for the exciting fun-filled day ahead with some help from a “Christmas Eve Kit.” On the night of Christmas Eve, they get their kit filled with new pjs, holiday movies, hot cocoa, and snacks. They get into the holiday spirit by using everything in their kit. It’s a fun tradition that her son looks forward to every year!
From all of us at St. Charles Plastic Surgery,Happy Holidays!
