Sheryl L. Young, M.D., F.A.C.S., says she picked plastic surgery as a career because of the variety. “It’s never boring, and no two people are the same,” she says. “It’s one of the few fields of medicine where you can offer your services to men and women, as well as several age groups. And I love the problem-solving, whether it’s cosmetic or reconstruction—can you get the patient to the desired result?”
The Baton Rouge, La.-native credits her high-school science teacher for inspiring her to pursue a career in the medical industry. “She encouraged me to go to our local hospital and volunteer,” Dr. Young says. “I was too old to be a candy striper at that point, so the coordinator put me in physical therapy.”
From there, Dr. Young worked as a summer physical therapy assistant in college, and then enrolled in medical school at Tulane University. As a medical student, Dr. Young worked with a plastic surgeon in Baton Rouge, an experience that affirmed Dr. Young’s desire to become a plastic surgeon.
Dr. Young joined the APS-KC staff 14 years ago. During that time, she says the majority of her patients have been female. “I think I have different insight than some of my partners do because I’m a female, and I can work with and relate to women,” she says. A large part of Dr. Young’s practice is breast surgery, including augmentation, reduction and reconstruction. Dr. Young also performs a number of eyelid surgeries, as well as abdominoplasties. Regardless of the procedure, Dr. Young’s philosophy is ensuring each patient receives optimum results. “We’re committed to try to get everyone to the best outcome possible,” she says.
Emerging technology is an important part of plastic surgery, but Dr. Young says the newest products aren’t always the best—instead, she focuses on what will provide the best results. “We like to offer new techniques, but we want to be sure they give good results before we do,” she says. “We may not be the first on the cutting-edge bandwagon because we want to ensure that we offer consistent, good results.”
A newer procedure that’s proven to be effective is SlimLipo, a laser-based body sculpting procedure that’s less invasive than traditional liposuction. SlimLipo can help patients achieve optimal body sculpting results in a variety of areas, which aligns with Dr. Young’s philosophy in regard to delivering a natural, high-quality outcome.
“My goal is to get you to a natural result that makes you look fit and rejuvenated,” she says.
