An Interview with Dr. David Bray - A Facial Plastic Surgeon

Dr. David Bray, facial plastic surgeon

Surgerywatch recently caught up with Dr. David A. Bray. founder of the Bray Plastic Surgery Medical Center in Torrance, California.  Dr. Bray is an accomplished plastic surgeon and has been on the Board of Directors for the American Academy of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery and on the surgery credentials committee of the American Board of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery.

SurgeryWatch: Dr. Bray, thank you for taking the time to speak to SurgeryWatch. You have been practicing facial plastic surgery since 1973 and have over 30 years of experience in this field. That’s a great track record! How did you decide to become a plastic surgeon and choose facial plastic surgery as your specialization?

Dr. Bray:  I first became interested in facial plastic surgery when I was in residency training at UCLA My major inspiration came from Richard Webster, MD who was an extraordinary teacher and surgeon

SW: Where did you receive your plastic surgery training?

Dr. Bray:  I attended Medical School at Washington University in St. Louis, MO followed by general surgery at the University of Southern California and finally my fundamental training came from the division of Head and Neck surgery at UCLA. 

SW: Your Medical Center offers the expertise, techniques and latest technology to help your patients look and feel better. What changes have you seen in your long career, in terms of techniques, technology and trends? Was plastic surgery as popular 30 years ago?

Dr. Bray:  There have been many changes in Plastic Surgery over the years.  There is a tendency to swing from radical and exotic to minimal and less invasive and then back again.  Many of the fundamental surgical techniques have not really changed because they are based on solid surgical principals.   On the other hand, new procedures and materials are almost a daily occurrence.  Perhaps, the most impressive of the trends is the widespread use of Botox and the filler substances available today.  Through various plastic surgery courses, literature, and personal communications, I have been able to keep up and in some cases help develop some of these trends and techniques. 

The popularity of plastic surgery is increasing daily. 30 years ago, the general consensus among those who could afford it, was to get a facelift at 50.  Today, there is something for everyone, from Botox to filler substances, to facelifts. More importantly, the general population of women and men considering cosmetic procedures is closer to 35. 

SW: You are a specialist in Facial Plastic Surgery. Facial plastic surgery includes several procedures – face lifts, rhinoplasty, otoplasty, brow lift and many others. Which procedure in Facial Plastic Surgery is the most difficult to perform? And, which procedure do you find the most interesting?

Dr. Bray: There is no question that Rhinoplasty is the most difficult plastic surgical procedure from head to toe.  Therefore, it is clearly the most interesting and most challenging to perform.

SW: These days many people are choosing to have facial plastic surgery to look younger and more attractive. Is there any procedure that is more popular than the others?

Dr. Bray:  I think the most popular procedure or procedures involve rejuvenation of the upper 1/3rd of the face. This means primarily, eyelid or Blepharoplasty and forehead rejuvenation or browlifts. However, Botox is by far the most popular cosmetic procedure today. It is affordable with no downtime and patients love the results.

SW: You’ve mentioned in your website that cosmetic surgery can help a person with poor self-esteem. To what extent does having cosmetic surgery help improve a person’s psychological health? Would you like to tell us about any incident where surgery has helped a person immensely?

Dr. Bray: Plastic surgery is not at all about what your spouse or friends think.  It is about how you feel about yourself when you look in the mirror.  There is no question that people who look good and feel good about themselves are generally more successful than those who don’t. 

Some of our most grateful patients have been pro-bono victims of domestic violence. Corrective surgery has not only improved their appearance but cast away shadows of guilt and trauma. 

SW: Do you also perform facial plastic surgery on accident victims or patients with birth defects?

Dr. Bray:  Yes I do, but my son David A. Bray Jr. just returned from a trip to Columbia where he helped treat 50 patients with cleft palates and cleft lip deformities in less than a week. 

SW: As with any surgery, plastic surgery entails some risks – reaction to anesthesia, infection, hematoma, seroma, embolism and necrosis. Is there any particular procedure that has more risks than the others? How do you minimize these risks?

Dr. Bray: As a facial plastic surgeon risks really come in two categories.  The risks are the anticipation of the patient and real medical risks.  Serious medical complications rarely if ever occur in competent hands.  Patients’ anticipation and expectation is much harder to judge. 

We minimize the expectation risks by fully explaining all procedures and their results to each individual patient.  On the medical side, our operating room facilities are fully certified by AAAASF and I have had experience in over 10,000 cases. 

SW: What kind of follow-up measures need to be taken in Facial Plastic Surgery?

Dr. Bray: All patients need to be treated post-operatively as any other surgery patient would be. Photographic records need to be kept and frankly, there is a lot of hand holding for the emotional issues that occur.  In general, most patients are thrilled, happy and require minimal care.

SW: How important is it for a patient to feel comfortable with the surgeon? What kind of rapport do you share with your patients?

Dr. Bray: Being comfortable with the surgeon and his team, including everyone in the office is essential.

Our rapport is excellent, the support of the staff is excellent. We try to listen to each patient and address that patient’s individual needs. 

SW: What is the most satisfying part of your job?

Dr. Bray: It is all very satisfying, from running a practice to taking care of patients and their needs. 

SW: Your son, Dr. David A. Bray, Jr. has joined your practice. How does it feel to work with him?

Dr. Bray: It is a thrill and a privilege to be able to work with my own son.  It was easy to assess his education, but you never really know how well another surgeon can operate.  He is a gifted and meticulous surgeon. 

SW: Thank you, Dr. Bray, for taking the time to answer these questions.

Dr. Bray:  Thank you.

For more information about Dr. Bray and his Los Angeles cosmetic surgery practice, please visit http://www.drbray.com/.