Women have many choices when it comes to cosmetic surgery and skin care. Board-certified plastic surgeons and board-certified dermatologists are uniquely trained to provide these services. Together, Drs. Raj and Aparna Ambay provide Tampa’s first center for coordinated care.
“Quality and safety should always be a priority,” Dr. Raj Ambay, a board-certified plastic surgeon, recommends patients look past marketing hype by checking the board certification of their doctors with the Florida Dept. of Health and the American Board of Medical Specialties. “Your health and safety is too important to accept a compromise,” he said.
Dr. Ambay completed his general surgical residency at the prestigious Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn. Following his residency, he completed a plastic surgery residency at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, a cancer fellowship with the National Institutes of Health, and a second sub-specialty fellowship at MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, where he specialized in microsurgery and tissue transplantation.
“Microsurgery and tissue transplanta- tion allow me to perform the most advanced forms of breast cancer reconstruction,” said Dr. Ambay. “Knowing how to reconstruct a breast requires an artistic eye and comprehensive under- standing of anatomy. That knowledge is the foundation for delivering superior results in cosmetic surgery.”
Dr. Ambay brought his medical expertise to the Tampa area in 2010 when he relocated here with his wife, Dr. Aparna Ambay, a board certified dermatologist, and their daughter Amani.
Dr. Ambay is also a reservist, Lieutenant Colonel and an Army veteran. He was deployed to Iraq in 2011 and spent four months stationed in a combat hospital supporting a Special Forces unit.
When Dr. Ambay entered the combat zone, he recalled his commander saying, “the force behind you is far greater than the challenges ahead of you.”
“When I returned from Iraq, I felt like that was the same reason to open a medical center,” said Dr. Ambay. In early 2012, Tampa Institute of Plastic Surgery and 360 Dermatology opened together in a Seven Oaks office complex in Wesley Chapel behind Sam’s Club.
In addition to the convenience of the two disciplines working together, patients appreciate the practices’ state-of-the-art technology. Every suite has high-tech features such as iPads mirrored on large LCD screens to enhance patient education.
On Feb 5, ABC Action news featured Dr. Raj Ambay as the first practice in Florida to use HIPPA-compliant email and texting technology. This technology provides updates to anxious family members on the status of their loved ones while in surgery, at the same time, and anywhere in the world.
Another first by the Ambays’ is their use of video technology to host consultations and after-surgery check-ups. “Our patients like the option of meeting with us through their computer or smart phone because they don’t have to put their life on hold to visit the doctor” said Dr. Aparna Ambay. The facility is a spacious 4,000 square feet decorated in inviting, warm colors that make patients feel at home and at ease.
The Ambays chose Wesley Chapel for their practice because of its family friendly environment, convenience to I-75 and rapid growth. “Plus, we live close by and so we are a part of the community which we also serve.”
At 360 Dermatology, Dr. Aparna Ambay not only performs non-invasive cosmetic procedures but also specializes in Mohs surgery, a precise tissue preserving surgical technique used to treat skin cancer. It is the only on-site, state certified Mohs facility in Wesley Chapel.
“The goal is to remove all of the skin cancer while preserving surrounding healthy tissue,” said Dr. Ambay, who also said that a substantial portion of her patients choose to have their skin cancer defect reconstructed by Dr. Ambay, the plastic surgeon, rather than waiting weeks with an open wound.
Why does a woman consider plastic surgery or cosmetic dermatology?
“Our patients are intelligent women who frequently say that they have spent their lives taking care of everyone else but themselves. Now it’s their turn to do something for themselves,” said Dr. Ambay. “If cosmetic surgery and beautiful skin improves a woman’s self esteem and overall well being, then why not?”
The Tampa Institute of Plastic Surgery is located at 27716 Cashford Circle, Wesley Chapel. They can be reached at (813) 406-4835, or visit them online at www.ambayplasticsurgery.com, or at www.360DermatologyTampa.com.
This story is a feature of the advertising department.
