We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Michael Omidi a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Michael, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Was there a defining moment in your professional career? A moment that changed the trajectory of your career?
In 2013 we were on a mission trip to treat patients that needed surgical care. Traditionally these missions were focused on children with deformities such as cleft lips and palates. We expanded our services to adult and pediatric patients with tumors of the head and neck, breast cancer, and injuries from burns and trauma. On our very last day we planned to treat a patient, Felisa, with a breast tumor that she had been aware of for 3 years but was not able to get any care. The night prior a mother with a child with a cleft lip and palate had just learned of the mission and was pleading to have her child treated before we leave. We asked both patients to come in on the morning of surgery hoping we will be able to get extra resources such as an operating room and extra anesthesiologists to perform both procedures. Unfortunately we are not. Felisa volunteered to give up her spot to have the child treated instead. She said the children should take priority even though her condition was a death sentence if not treated. We performed the cleft lip and palate repair. Though the case went well we were struck with melancholy for Felisa. We were all impressed by Felisa’s selflessness. She stayed in the waiting area and had become friends with all the staff. In the last moment before we were about to pack up to leave, the hospital chief arrived and informed us that she was able to get staff and anesthesia for us to perform our last case. Felisa had a modified-radical mastectomy. Though she could not afford chemotherapy, she beat the tumor and has been tumor-free since 2013. The lesson and wisdom speak for themselves.
As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?
Dr. Michael Omidi is a double-board certified plastic and reconstructive surgeon focusing on rhinoplasty, tummy tuck and mommy-makeover procedures. The goal of our aesthetic practice is to take the “wild card” out of plastic surgery by providing consistently safe and beyond-expected results so patients can increase self-confidence and live a happier life with the changes they are looking for. Far too often sub-par procedures are performed by surgeons that do not have appropriate training or experience. At least 1/3rd of the rhinoplasties preformed in our practice are corrections from prior procedures. Revision surgeries are emotionally taxing and require significant resources with both time and money. We pride our practice on providing detailed and thorough consultation to determine a patient’s exact needs. Caring staff will assist in getting the procedure under way. Our surgical team have performed the same procedures hundreds of times providing the best care. The practice is not a high-volume practice spending the time necessary for each patient from the consultation, during surgery until the patient is fully healed.
Dr. Omidi is an innovator and the inventor or the Mannequin Breast LiftTM a procedure that is performed by surgeons across the world. The technique uses a lattice of sutures to provide support to the breast tissue which results in a more durable lift with more projection. He has innovated rhinoplasty techniques for using cartilage grafts to provide support to the nose which keeps the nose looking beautiful for many years after the procedure. He has perfected the tummy tuck technique to provide a natural umbilicus and a scar that is virtually invisible. He often combines laser and non-surgical modalities with surgical techniques to provide better results with less down time. One example is the transconjunctival lower eyelid blepharoplasty combined with the fractionated CO2 treatment which creates lower eyelid skin and bags without any scars.
Dr. Omidi is also a pediatric/craniofacial plastic surgeon providing pro bono surgeries to patients across the world. He has led missions to Vietnam, Colombia, Phillipines and Mexico treating patients with head and neck tumors, burns, breast cancers and congenital deformities such as cleft lips, palates and craniosynostosis. He is the founder of nmp.org (No More Poverty) which is a non-profit organization that raises awareness for many charities.
Have you ever had to pivot?
One of the most touching stories comes from a trip to Phillipines in 2013 where on the last day of our mission we had scheduled a patient with a breast cancer that had not been treated for 3 years from diagnosis. The night prior to the surgery a mother arrived to the hospital with her infant that had a cleft lip and palate. Though we wanted to perform both surgeries we only had resources for one and we decided that the breast cancer should take priority and the the cleft can be repair at a later date. On the morning of surgery, the patient with the breast cancer told us that she had learned of the baby and wished to give up her own surgery for the benefit of the child with the clef lip and palate. She felt that the baby should have the surgery and that there many not be another opportunity for many years affecting the child’s development. This was an epitome of selflessness and a lesson we all took home with us. We started the cleft procedure and could not help feel a deep sadness for the other patient. The governor of the province heard about this story and was able to attain an operator at the University hospital along with an anesthesiologist and other resources we needed to perform the breast cancer procedure. The patients procedure went very well and recovered well. Though she was not able to get the necessary chemotherapy that a patient would have received in the US, she still did well and has been cancer free for 10 years.
Training and knowledge matter of course, but beyond that what do you think matters most in terms of succeeding in your field?
In this field training, knowledge and experience is essential for excellent results. Although it may sound like a cliche, the desire to deliver excellent results is often lacking. Though the surgeon may be very experienced, key portions of the procedure are performed by surgical technicians, nurses or junior doctors. Focus is placed on quantity instead of quality to increase revenue or just being content with an acceptable but not excellent results which can require more time and resources. Our philosophy is that plastic surgery cannot be rushed and there are no prizes for the surgeon who finishes an operation first. In the long run, patients are happier, complications are less and outcomes are better which provides a better model.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.michaelomidi.com
- Instagram: @drmichaelomidi
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/search/top/?q=Michael%20Omidi https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaelomidi/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=24U-XFCfrpc https://www.ratemds.com/doctor-ratings/153587/Dr-Michael-Omidi-BEVERLY+HILLS-CA.html
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