TAPPING DECADES OF EXPERIENCE AS A PLASTIC AND RECONSTRUCTIVE SURGEON, THIS CITY MD ADVANCES A GENTLE, CREATIVE APPROACH TO COSMETIC TREATMENTS
BY AMANDA McCOY
Since Roman Rayham, MD opened his Brooklyn practice, RR Plastix NY Plastic Surgery Center, 10 years ago, he’s seen what he terms a revolution in the administration of facial cosmetic procedures. With recent refinements in fillers and laser technology, surgeons, he explained, can now employ noninvasive techniques to address concerns that historically required a surgical solution, pushing back or even eliminating the need for an operation. Since fillers require substantially less recovery time and investment by the patient, these and other less invasive treatments have also made cosmetic procedures more attainable for the average person. While such treatment choices may not require an operating table, Rayham emphasized the critical role experience in both plastic and reconstructive surgery plays when evaluating concerns and providing care.
“As a surgeon, I know the bones and positions of the face, and also how to do the procedure from a surgical side,” he said. “We approach each case individually…analyze the shape and bone structure of each face. The goal is an artistic approach to analysis.”
Double board certified by the American Board of Surgery and the American Board of Plastic Surgery, Rayham’s training includes a medical degree from the State University of New York Brooklyn campus, residency training at Staten Island University Hospital, and certification in Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery from the Mayo Clinic. He also completed a one-year fellowship in aesthetic plastic surgery with the New York Eye and Ear Infirmary, and has participated in trips to underdeveloped countries to operate on children with congenital deformities. Fluent in English and Russian, he lives with his wife and two children in Sheepshead Bay.
The “Rayham Technique,” as his practice terms it, is three-fold: utilize knowledge of facial anatomy and surgical experience, take photographs from various angles to review all areas of concern, and if they are desired, administer treatments incrementally for gradual results. And the range of minimally invasive filler and injection choices seems to grow yearly, from Botox to Restylane, Perlane to Juvéderm, Radiesse to ArteFill, along with fat injections utilizing tissue obtained from the patient himself or herself.
“Fillers are reversible, and they do not have to be administered in one sitting,” Rayham explained. “We can do a quarter today, a quarter in a couple of weeks, and maybe that’s enough. This makes transition more gradual; people around you won’t see or recognize that you are having something done.”
His technique, the doctor explained, also addresses a common concern among patients new to the world of cosmetic medical care: the fear of looking “done.”
“People are being worried about not looking natural,” he said. “So, what I engage in, put simply, is conservative and gradual removal of the signs of looking tired…or signs of aging.” To further remedy anxiety, patients are shown traditional “before and after” photographs, and can also utilize software that produces realistic images of areas of concern, prior to and post-procedure.
“Images are taken from many different angles, and we discuss the face in detail,” he said. “Because different patients need fillers in different areas. We might lift some areas, or fill others in slightly for a less tired appearance. Also, during the procedure, patients are awake, so we can examine and discuss as it happens. The idea here is to make people look rejuvenated and natural, not like they’ve had something ‘done.’ It’s part science, part artistry.”
RR Plastix NY Plastic Surgery Center
1616B Voorhies Avenue / 718.354.8572
161 Madison Ave, Suite 11W, Manhattan / 718.354.8572 / rrplastix.com