Get to know Plastic Surgeon Dr. Barry Weintraub

Board Certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery, Dr. Barry Weintraub has over 30 years of experience and has earned a reputation for his exceptionally natural-looking results. His philosophy of compassionate, unrushed care was developed during his medical-school training as well as his plastic-surgical residency at Weill Cornell. His office provides an atmosphere of respect and support to all patients, helping them with every step of the process. “You should never be able to tell that someone had surgery. Less is always more,” says Dr. Weintraub. “I have made it my mission to give patients the most understated and natural results while circumventing any avoidable, telltale signs of surgery.” Dr. Weintraub is part of The Lanby’s trusted specialist network. We are excited to have him share his  knowledge with us here.

What inspired you to pursue plastic surgery as a specialty?

I’ve always loved science, and I’ve always possessed a highly developed sense of aesthetics. Plastic surgery is the only medical specialty that so elegantly combines art and science.

How do integrative health approaches - such as natural products and acupuncture - factor into the types of services and care you offer?

The mind and the body are undeniably related. Evidence of this is clear in every consultation, when patients reveal that when they do not look their best, they do not feel their best. Preoperatively, I encourage my patients to take certain homeopathic medications to aid in their healing process and to preempt swelling and bruising, and as well, I strongly believe in the benefits of lymphatic-drainage massage postoperatively. I have no question that one of the most crucial aspects of this field is the important integration between a patient’s psychological state and a patient’s physical state.  My staff and I work very hard to ensure that my patients are properly aligned before surgery – that their emotional state is as well prepared as their physical state. I take surgery very seriously; for this reason, every aspect of the process deserves focused attention and care.

The use of AI in surgical specialties has been on the rise. How do you see incorporating AI into plastic surgery and reconstruction subspecialties?

Of all of the fields where artificial intelligence might overtake the process, plastic surgery will likely be one of the last. This is because the topic of aesthetics is anything but simple and programmable. Think about it: if there were one standard of beauty, the world would be a desperately impoverished place! Individuals have different desired results and key to the process is not only the specificity of their desired results, but even more so, the necessity of the humanity of the interaction. Surgeons should do three key things with their patients:  listen, listen, and listen. I am deeply moved, almost to a spiritual point, that I have the privilege to operate on another human being for that person’s benefit. One of my strongest beliefs is in the sacredness of the doctor-patient relationship, and the crucial importance of the exchange of ideas while on this transcendent journey. 

What advancements or research within the field of plastic surgery are you currently most excited about?

I am excited about certain developments in the field of plastic surgery that have opened up entire new approaches to issues that were previously more difficult to solve. My employment of the multiplanar facelift in three separate planes – the extended deep plane, the SMAS (submuscular aponeurotic system), and the subcutaneous plane – allow for a more natural, and longer-lasting facelift result for men and women. In addition, deantigenized cartilage, for example, which I use in complex revision rhinoplasty cases, now makes it possible to correct situations in which patients have been to other doctors who have left them devoid of nasoseptal tissue. Laser technology can now erase fine lines and wrinkles without total ablation of the skin thanks to the pixelation of the laser beam, meaning that the result is just as effective but without a weeks- or months-long recovery period.

At The Lanby, we value hospitality as a key factor in optimizing health outcomes. In what way do you apply the tenets of hospitality to your approach to care?

When patients walk in the door, they are greeted by my staff of compassionate and empathetic individuals. We all work very hard to make the entire process seamless and luxurious, like walking into an intimate five-star hotel where a guest’s favorite sheets are already on the bed before arrival. My licensed and accredited operatory facility is completely private, with a secret back entrance for high-profile patients. Operating in a facility that is under my supervision guarantees that patients remain in my constant care from beginning to end of the surgical process. Postoperatively, I am personally reachable via my private cell phone to all of my surgical patients. For my patients having more complex surgery who choose to stay at one of the nearby hotels, I have been known to make house calls to check on their healing. I never rush any aspect of the entire process, from my consultations to my postoperative visits. Trained at Cornell for my medical schooling as well as my plastic-surgery residency, I was taught that surgeons should be three things:  available, affable, and able to create the results patients desire – in my case, meaning  the natural-looking results that I’m known for. My purpose is to serve my patients:  to tend to their aesthetic medical needs with the utmost of compassionate and focused care.