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Florida Cosmetic Surgeon - Dr. Lewis J Obi's Book

The following is the Introduction and Chapter written by Dr. Obi for the book Looking Your Best - A Comprehensive Guide to Aesthetic Plastic Surgery Written by the Experts.

Introduction

LEWIS J. OBI, M.D., F.R.S.A.

My journey into the field of plastic surgery was a combination of destiny and serendipity. My primordial interests were always in art, architecture and medicine. The accidental fusion of these interests occurred while I was serving in Korea with the Marine Corps. Although I had dropped out of high school at age 16 to join the Marines, it was my exposure to the miracles of plastic surgery at a very young age that polarized my life’s commitment. As you continue to read this book you will also realize that medicine’s contribution to art is truly the art and discipline of plastic surgery.

From age 19 until age 38, my life was dedicated to the education and training required to become a plastic surgeon. My interests in the arts continued to flourish during these very academically active years. During the early clinical years of my plastic surgery practice I became a major art patron, art student and publisher establishing the prestigious firm Obiarts, Inc. As a result of my work with the British artist Daniel Samuels, F.R.S.A. I was inducted as a fellow of the Royal Society of Art (London) in 1986. The FRSA is the oldest and perhaps the most prestigious art guild in the world.

During the first 20 years of plastic surgery practice I continued to teach and to serve my patients both domestically and in third world countries. In 1977 I opened the first comprehensive licensed ambulatory surgery center for plastic surgery in the state of Florida and the surgery center continues today as one of the premier centers in the United States. The issue of safety is foremost as is evidenced by the pristine record of the surgery center: the Samuel Wells Surgicenter.

My most active involvement has always been a profound dedication to my plastic surgery patients who are also friends whom I openly share my art and plastic surgery skills. My best friend and spouse Myra Bairstow, a playwright and art curator, has extended my artistic interests into the theater. Together we share our artistic endeavors in New York City. Our greatest artistic creation is of course our baby son Alexander Lewis Bairstow-Obi.

Many medical introductions are replete with academic degrees, honor awards and society memberships. I own my share of these distinctions but I consider my humanitarian dedication combined with a skilled artistic and surgical prowess to be more pertinent in the credentials of a plastic surgeon.

Chapter Excerpt From Book

A SHORT HISTORY OF PLASTIC SURGERY

"Plastic Surgery? What exactly does this surgical specialty encompass and what are its origins? Is it a surgical subspecialty that is primarily centered around the use of artificial materials or does the term plastic have a more primitive origin? Plastos is derived from the Greek word meaning “to mold” or “give form.” However the term “plastic surgery” was not coined until 1818 by German surgeon Von Graefe in his book entitled Rhinoplastik. Plastic Surgeon Lewis Obi delved and investigated this query half a century ago when he became interested in the field of plastic surgery while serving with the Marines during the Korean War. His medical school paper entitled “History of Rhinoplasty - An Epitome of Plastic Surgery” was written in 1965 and is a short but comprehensive 5000 year review of the history of Plastic Surgery. As the word “plastos” implies, plastic surgery was founded on the principles of reconstructive surgery as opposed to the modern day assumption that plastic surgeons are primarily cosmetic surgeons.

Egyptian reconstructive efforts are well documented in the “Edwin Smith Papyrus” the origins of which are dated approximately 3000 BC. These documents describe surgical management of facial wounds including jaw and nasal fractures. The next significant text was that of Sushruta of India in approximately 600 BC when his encyclopedic “Samhita” detailed many complex procedures including operations to restore amputated noses with flaps from the cheeks. This became known as the “Hindu” or “Indian” method of nasal reconstruction.

An era of dormancy in plastic surgery occurred during the period of domination by the Greeks and Romans. Neither Hippocrates nor Aristotle refer to skin-shifting or molding techniques although there was a mention of how to treat nasal fractures. Roman Aulus Cornelius Celsus in the first century AD does mention the Indian technique of nasal reconstruction in his book "De Re Medica.” The middle ages were highlighted by a decree from Pope Innocent III in 1215 AD: “no priest, deacon or sub deacon should perform any surgical procedures as it was incompatible with the divine mission.” With the Islamic conversion of India in the 10th century, Vedic writings and ancient Indian techniques diffused through the Middle East into Europe. The Brancas, father and son, secretly developed the arm-flap technique of nasal reconstruction which was finally perfected and published by renaissance surgeon Gaspar Tagliacozzi in Bologna. What makes Tagliacozzi’s 1597 AD book so pivotal is that his treatise of 298 pages including 47 pages of illustrations is the first book dedicated entirely to Plastic Surgery. Another renaissance surgeon Parisian Ambroise Pare briefly mentions Tagliacozzi’s rhinoplasty in his writings.

Sporadic procedures and publications pertaining to plastic surgery occurred during the ensuing generations but not until the development of asepsis by Pasteur and Lister; and anesthesia by Crawford Long and Horace Wells, did significant developments in plastic surgery occur. In addition, the wars of the 19th and 20th century placed a tremendous demand on the evolving field of plastic surgery. At the onset of World War I in 1914, only a handful of surgeons were performing any significant amount of reconstructive surgery. Among these, Vilray Blair and John Staige Davis pioneered work in this country whereas Sir Harold Gillies and Archibald McIndoe were the English pioneers of plastic surgery. With better anesthesia and improved management of infection, significant advances in plastic surgery occurred during and after World War I. At the start of World War II there were only 4 dedicated plastic surgeons in Britain and approximately 60 in the United States. The American Society of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgeons was established in 1931, the American Board of Plastic Surgery in 1941 and today more than 5000 board-certified plastic surgeons perform more than 1.2 million reconstructive and more than 1 million cosmetic procedures.

Since World War II Plastic Surgery has catapulted into the forefront of medicine as the most stellar specialty. The first organ transplant was performed in 1954 by plastic surgeon Joseph Murray who later received the Nobel Prize for this great contribution. The introduction of silicone breast implants by Cronin and Gerow in 1962 propelled the field of cosmetic surgery during a decade of increasing social and aesthetic demands. The introduction of microsurgery by Harry Buncke in the 1960’s led to many new organ and tissue transplantation techniques sensationalized by the John Travolta/Nicholas Cage movie FACE-OFF and already a face transplant has been performed successfully by French Plastic Surgeons.

Dr. Lewis Obi who began his journey in plastic surgery more than 50 years ago has studied this long and diverse history of plastic surgery which has involved many civilizations and many individuals. He states that although today we think of plastic surgeons primarily as cosmetic surgeons, this stereotyping should be modified to include the “plastos” origin. Whereas reconstructive surgery attempts to restore patients distorted by birth defects, disease or injury to normalcy, cosmetic surgery attempts to achieve super-normalcy. In either situation Plastic Surgery is truly an art. As an art historian and founder of the art firm of Obiarts, Inc. Dr. Obi is currently writing a book entitled “Medicine’s Contribution to Art - The Art of Plastic Surgery.” This book attempts to review 5000 years of art and plastic surgery history while carefully illustrating their parallels in a pictorial fashion. Dr. Obi is a board certified plastic surgeon who has practiced for 35 years in Florida. He is also a fellow of The Royal Society of Art in London."