Meet Board-Certified Plastic Surgeon Dr. Craig Colville

When did you first consider becoming a doctor?

I started thinking about medical school toward the end of high school. My father worked in pharmaceutical sales and he was able to get me a summer internship in the operating room of a large metropolitan hospital. It was then that I decided I wanted to be a surgeon.

What attracted you to plastic surgery?

Surgery, in general, appeals to me because you can assess a patient’s situation, create a plan, and fix a problem. That’s not always true in other specialties, in which you can treat patients but not be able to fix, or cure, the condition. As a surgeon, you’re essentially a problem‐solver. You assess the problem, devise a plan, and then implement the plan using your training and experience. I like the variety and the multiple challenges that plastic surgery offers.

What are the most common reasons people want plastic surgery?

People usually come to their consultations with some general concern about their appearance and seek self-improvement. They have a physical attribute they’re unhappy about, such as loose skin, small or asymmetrical breasts, or changes to the body due to aging, weight loss, or childbirth. However, the other side of self-improvement involves the desire to feel better by making cosmetic enhancements to improve their confidence and self-esteem. Even patients who work hard to stay healthy and fit may need extra assistance to achieve their ideal appearance.

They don’t come in and say, “I need my eyelids lifted 4 millimeters, they say “everyone says I look tired.” I sit down with patients and ask them what they would like to accomplish. I encourage people to tell me what they don’t like, what bugs them, what led them to be sitting in a plastic surgeon’s office.

Whatever it is that they’re concerned about — whether it’s the face, breasts, or body — they believe their feature is different than what others have. A woman who believes other women’s breasts are still perky and youthful doesn’t think it’s fair that hers hang down 3 inches. Or another patient with excess skin on the abdomen doesn’t believe other people have skin hanging over their belts. Patients who look in the mirror and feel they’ve aged more than their friends seek solutions to turn back the clock. Others simply want to feel more confident showing off their curves and contours in swimwear and workout gear. Regardless of what brings you into my practice, it’s important that I see your concerns through your eyes.

What procedures do you enjoy performing the most?

The procedures I most enjoy performing are the ones that correct an issue that has been troubling a patient, achieve their cosmetic goal, and bring them more confidence. Whether it be a breast surgery, abdominal surgery, or eyelid surgery, I really enjoy doing all types of procedures because it keeps my surgical skills sharp in every area. I don’t want to be a “facelift doctor,” or to be a surgeon who specializes only in breast augmentation. All the great plastic surgeons I know are exposed to working in all areas of the body and the face.

How would you describe your bedside manner?

My approach to care is to immediately put you at ease so that I can listen to your concerns, what bothers you, and your goals. This process includes having an honest and realistic conversation to help educate you about your options and the possible solutions available to you. I feel it’s important to be extremely transparent with my patients on why certain options might be better than others so that you feel fully engaged and informed. If a procedure can’t deliver the aesthetic goals you desire, I’ll be upfront with you and guide you toward what is possible.

Why is it important to choose a board‐certified plastic surgeon?

When you make the highly personal decision to invest in your appearance, it’s essential to place your trust in someone who’s specifically trained in plastic surgery. As a board-certified plastic surgeon with years of specialized training (including general surgery training), I’m uniquely qualified to provide you with the best experience and results.

You deserve (and should expect) the highest level of care from your plastic surgeon. The American Board of Plastic Surgery’s role is to help ensure that plastic surgeons meet the highest standards and safety protocols. Someone certified by the ABPS has much more training and experience than a surgeon certified in another specialty who offers cosmetic procedures. When I meet with a patient, I can help them create an objective overall plan. A patient shouldn’t go to one place for lip injections because they happened to be there with a friend and then go to another doctor for liposuction a couple of months later. It is best to have your procedures, injectables, and skin care all with the same person to provide the best continuity of care.

I offer a comprehensive menu of cosmetic services at my practice, which I believe is important. You can get injectables from a dermatologist, for example, but not surgery. I can offer a treatment for whatever is causing concern at that time but also help create a plan for the next year or 5 years.

What are some of the biggest differences you’ve seen in 25 years?

When we started, there were virtually no noninvasive aesthetic procedures. There were some laser skin treatments, but they involved much more downtime than they do now. The advances in nonsurgical treatment technology and injectable procedures have really changed the field of cosmetic enhancement and enabled us to customize your treatment.

For example, while BOTOX initially emerged as the go-to injectable, today we also offer patients a variety of neuromodulator and dermal filler options, from Dysport to XEOMIN to JUVÉDERM and more.

Another area that has seen great advancement involves surgical safety and recovery. Over the past 5 to 10 years, we’ve seen cosmetic procedures performed with less or minimal anesthesia. Essentially, everything we do today uses techniques and technologies that are much more sophisticated than even 10 years ago. I anticipate this trend will continue for the benefit of our patients.