Maybe you know Dr. Ken Smith as the Founder and Director of Clinic 805, or maybe you just know him as the plastic surgeon that changed your life; either way, there’s much more to him than that! Today, he’s agreed to take some time out of his busy schedule to answer some questions about his approach to plastic surgery, his philosophies, and his life outside of the office.
What inspired you to be a plastic surgeon?
“An interest in anatomy in university took me to medical school, where numerous areas of medicine and surgery interested me. However, I think surgery lured me in because of anatomy, and a plastic surgeon in Saskatoon became a wonderful role model as someone with a real passion for the profession and for people. Plastic surgeons train to perform many different types of surgeries from trauma and burns, to elective aesthetic plastic surgery; this broad scope can never get tedious or boring.”
What is your philosophy when it comes to surgery and patient care?
“Effective surgery requires good communication and planning with your patient. Educating the patient and involving them in decisions is critical, and the organization and communication of a strong team involving nurses, anesthesiologists, and administrative staff allows for efficiency and personalized patient care.”
Are there any misconceptions about plastic surgery that you encounter?
“‘Cosmetic surgery’ is not always performed by ‘plastic surgeons’. Plastic surgeons are a specific and exclusive subspecialty who have trained in general surgery and then a wide spectrum of reconstructive and aesthetic surgical and non-surgical procedures to earn this designation. A typical plastic surgeon has at least 5-7 years of additional training after medical school to prepare themselves for their practice.
‘Cosmetic surgeons’ and ‘cosmetic physicians’ are becoming more numerous, and are often self-described rather than designated through a formal accredited program.”
What are some of the lesser-known applications of plastic surgery?
“Many people are unaware of the reconstructive areas of plastic surgeons, including reconstructive microsurgery, burn surgery, hand surgery, maxillofacial surgery, and pediatric plastic surgery. Fat grafting, facial implants, and allograft for reconstruction and aesthetic plastic surgery, or skin excision following massive weight loss are also lesser-known applications. We also participate in combination therapy for facial aging, which involves combining surgery with laser surgery, injectable treatments (such as Botox and dermal filler), and light-based treatments for best results.”
Looking back at your career, what’s something you’re proud of?
“Training in Toronto and combining trauma and reconstruction with aesthetic surgery over 25 years comes to mind, as well as making surgical trips to Guatemala and Africa, where plastic surgery is not readily available. I’m of course extremely proud of establishing the team and facility we now have at Clinic 805, but I’m perhaps most proud to have helped my wife raise 3 great kids while juggling the responsibilities of a hectic surgical practice and a private surgical facility.”
What’s your favourite surgery to perform?
“Aesthetic facial surgery such as facelifts and eyelid surgery. One of my favourite trauma surgeries was maxillofacial surgery after trauma (facial injuries).”
Are there any procedures you won’t perform? Why?
“I will not perform elective aesthetic procedures on unhealthy patients—because I could do more damage than good—or procedures on patients with unrealistic expectations who do not recognize the limitations, because they will never be able to be satisfied.”
What’s the most important lesson you’ve learned throughout your career?
“That you are going to see every problem in the book if you operate enough, and you will learn something new every day.”
What were your priorities when building the team you have at Clinic 805?
“I looked for people who are good at what they do, and who demonstrated genuine compassion for patients and passion for the job; people with a positive attitude about family, friends, and health.
I made a conscious decision not to have my name be the name of the clinic, as it is an entire team that is responsible for the patient’s care and outcome. I also wanted Clinic 805 to become a brand that could grow and add others that could contribute with the same opportunity for recognition as I have. Presently we are hoping to add more staff and a surgical partner who will be recognized under the umbrella of Clinic 805.”
What do you love about working and living in Victoria?
“Victoria is a beautiful city. We have a great urban location with easy access and minimal driving (unlike Toronto – LOL).”
Where can we find you when you’re not at the office?
“I have a physically active family, so I may be skiing, mountain biking, or hiking with my wife and/or my adult kids, or playing golf with my regulars at VGC. You might also find me socializing with my staff (we have great parties outside the pandemic), playing pool and listening to tunes. We are also keen travelers (again, outside the pandemic).”
If you could plan a vacation right now, where would you travel?
“We had to cancel a well planned trip to Africa with our kids in 2020. We don’t see this as an early return destination, so we are considering hiking in Tasmania/New Zealand/Australia who look like they will have the pandemic under control before most of the other countries.
We also took up kiteboarding in Turks a few years ago, and Covid had derailed us in our improvement. Need to get back on that!”
To book a consultation with Dr. Smith, get in touch with us at (250) 595-3888 or info@clinic805.ca.
