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I N T E R V I E W : S T A R S O N T H E H O R I Z O N
Dr. Ozan Sozer
Dr. Biggs: Dr. Sozer, we’re seeing your name more and
more as a speaker in various parts of the world and
seeing publications by you. Tell us a little bit about your
background and what you’re doing now that has attracted
so much attention.
Dr.Sozer: I’m originally from Turkey but came to the
U.S. after medical school. I did a full general surgery
training at the University of Texas in Houston, a year of
microsurgery fellowship at St. Joseph’s then two years of
plastic surgery also at St. Joseph’s in Houston. I returned
to Turkey for two years working with Onur Erol, then
emigrated permanently and began my practice in El
Paso, Texas, where I work now. Initially my practice was
general in nature….I covered every emergency room
in the cityand did general plastic surgery with a lot of
free flaps, but gradually evolved into more and more
aesthetic surgery, especially body contouring.
Dr. Biggs: Why was body contouring so significant ?
Dr. Sozer: There was a lot of demand. The Hispamic
culture is very much into aesthetic surgery. The women
have early pregnancies and lose their figures.
Dr. Biggs: What is it about your body contouring work
that’s attracted so much attention?
Dr. Sozer: I can’t answer that exactly, but I do know
that as I did more and more I found that I could work
efficiently and with team effort do more and more at
one sitting.
Dr. Biggs: What do you mean,”more and more” ?
Dr. Sozer: I began doing liposuction with all my
abdominoplasties. I found if I left 1.5 to 2.0 centimeters
on the flap I could suction the whole flap.
Dr. Biggs: Did you preserve the perforators ?
Dr. Sozer: No, but I was careful to leave that fat on the
flap. No superficial liposuction. I’ve done over 200 that
way and have never had any necrosis.
Dr. Biggs: What els do you do that’s different.
Dr. Sozer: I do a breast reduction or mastopexy then
an abdominoplasty along with appropriate liposuction.
Then, when things were going smoothly I move to the
hips and thighs. If I were doing a total body sculpting
I would begin with the patient in the supine position
before doing the anterior body. Working as a team,
two surgeons, each with an assistant, we operate
simultaneously. I also follow the teachings of Jean
Francois Pascal and am careful to leave the lymphatics
intact with my initial incision in abdominoplasty…. I
incise in a cephalic direction. This is very important and
avoids seromas.
D. Biggs: Were you doing things differently with the
butrtocks ?
Dr. Sozer: Yes, definitely. I do a myocutaneous flap
based inferioly and fold it over to give fullness to the
mid portion of the buttocks. I have some drawings to
demonstrate this (see drawings ).
Dr. Biggs: How about the arms?
Dr. Sozer: Again like Dr. Pascal, I do a complete
liposuction then excise redundant skin.
Dr. Biggs: And the thighs ?
Dr. Sozer: I follow the teachings of Lockwood. I do a
liposuction followed by skin excision, then anchor to
the periosteum of the pubis.
Dr. Biggs: What do you see in the future for body
contouring ?
Dr. Sozer: More of the same with team work creating
more surgery in less time using the team approach,
then add in lipografting where indicated. With the
great rise in obesity I feel this is a field that can only
grow.
Dr. Biggs: Thank you Dr. Sozer.
14 IPRAS Journal www.ipras.org Issue 1