Jan 11, 2018, 14:32 PM
by
Christopher Williams
Double Board Certification Allows Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgeon to Better Focus on One Specialty
Patients today are becoming more aware of the importance and benefits of seeking a “board certified” doctor or surgeon. Board certification in a particular surgical specialty assures patients that a physician has completed as many as five years surgical training
following medical school and has also completed a surgical residency program. The letters FACS after a surgeon’s name are an indication to the patient that the surgeon is a member of the Fellow of the American College of Surgeons (FACS) and has passed a thorough evaluation of both professional competence and ethical fitness.
All of the doctors and surgeons at Sansum Clinic are board certified in at least one medical specialty and many are certified in two or more specialties. David F. LaPatka, MD, FACS is one of our surgeons who is “double board certified.”
Dr. LaPatka has been with Sansum Clinic for more than 30 years as a board certified Facial Plastic Surgeon, but he has also been a board certified Reconstructive Head and Neck Surgeon in the Ear-Nose-Throat (ENT) Department. He regularly performs complex surgeries to restore normal function or appearance due to congenital issues or after traumatic injury. Physicians and other surgeons refer many patients to Dr. LaPatka for nasal and facial reconstruction and he is an “on-call” surgeon at the Trauma Center at Cottage Hospital responding to trauma emergencies throughout Santa Barbara County, as well as parts of Ventura and San Luis Obispo counties.
In June of 2017, Dr. LaPatka stopped seeing new patients in the ENT Department at Foothill Medical & Surgical Center to focus exclusively on patients at the Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery Center at 215 Pesetas Lane. “While I find the work in ENT very rewarding, my real passion has always been facial plastic and reconstructive surgery and that is where I will be focusing my practice now,” he explains.
Dr. LaPatka believes that his experience in facial plastic surgery allows him to achieve better results for patients undergoing reconstructive surgery. “So much of what we do in facial plastic surgery relies on a full understanding of the underlying structures of the face and neck,” he says. “I don’t think I would be able to achieve the results that I do without that additional ENT surgical training and experience,” he adds. Dr. LaPatka has
performed thousands of surgical and non-surgical corrections of the skin, forehead, brow, eyelids, nose, cheeks, chin and neck.
Over the years, Dr. LaPatka has been at the forefront of advancements in facial plastic surgery. Many procedures such as eyelid surgeries and nasal reconstruction are performed to improve eyesight or breathing issues and can greatly improve the quality of life for many of Dr. LaPatka’s patients. “Patients today are more informed and we, as surgeons, have many more options available that reduce the severity of surgical procedures and achieve a more natural result.”
The Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery Center at Sansum Clinic is a fully-accredited surgical facility with a dedicated surgical staff, private operating suite and licensed anesthesiology providers. The center has a private entrance to a spa-like setting and offers a complete range of facial rejuvenating laser treatments, fillers and injectables, as well as prescription-grade cosmetics and skin care products. Many of these services are provided by Heather Grieco, RN, a plastic surgery and aesthetic nurse specialist. Her experience includes an extensive surgical background and advanced certification in lasers and other aesthetic services. Heather brings the proficiency that is required to perform advanced laser and other treatments in a safe medical surrounding under the direction of Dr. LaPatka. “There is no ‘one solution fits
all’ for our patients,” says Dr. LaPatka. “We spend as much time as is needed to get to know each of our patients and understand what they are looking to achieve. Then together we develop a customized treatment plan to meet their realistic expectations.”
Patients come to see Dr. LaPatka from around the country, and the center offers discounted “stay and recovery” packages with local luxury resorts, but Dr. LaPatka admits that many of his patients are local residents who he sees regularly around Santa Barbara and the Santa Ynez Valley, where he has a home. “People come up to me all the time and ask if they can recommend me to their friends — not because they look
different in any way, but because they feel better. To me, that is the best compliment I could receive.”
David F. LaPatka, MD, FACS is the head of the distinguished Facial Plastic Surgery and Reconstructive Surgery Center at Sansum Clinic. In addition to Facial Plastic Surgery, Dr. LaPatka is a highly-qualified board-certified Head and Neck Surgeon. He
earned a medical degree with honors from Creighton University, and went on to complete a residency at LaCrosse Lutheran Hospital/Gunderson Clinic. Dr. LaPatka then served dual residencies at the University of California Irvine, followed by a City of Hope National Medical Center fellowship. He holds board certifications from both the American Board of Facial Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery and the American Board of Otolaryngology.