Dr. Devgan supports the Guggenheim Museum

Image credit Global Art Magazine

As an avid supporter of the arts, Dr. Devgan is pleased to be part of the Acquisitions Committee of the Young Collectors Council of the Guggenheim Museum. In her role on the Acquisitions Committee, Dr. Devgan helps to select works of art by emerging artists, to be purchased for the museum's permanent collection. 

Image credit Wikipedia

As an artist who brings a classically trained aesthetic eye to her plastic surgery practice, this role helps Dr. Devgan keep abreast of new trends in art.

Image credit Wikipedia

Click to learn more about the Guggenheim Museum

Check out our beautiful new web traffic map

We just added a beautiful watercolor web traffic map to the Contact page of this website, and we are thrilled to report that we have already received visitors from 6 continents and 21 countries.

Click to see the map in its official home, on our Contact page.

This web traffic map was commissioned from the talented San Francisco firm Stamen Design, exclusively for Dr. Devgan. It is updated monthly based on the geographic locations of logged IP addresses.

Thank you to our friends in the United States, Canada, Mexico, Colombia, Ecuador, Brazil, Argentina, England, France, Belgium, Spain, Italy, Egypt, Kenya, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, India, South Korea, Japan, Taiwan, and Australia. [Update: additional IP addresses from Portugal, Germany, Hong Kong, and China have been added.]

As always, we are committed to bringing you the best of modern technology-- in surgery and beyond.

Moving personal essay on skin cancer

This is one of the most touching personal essays I have ever read about skin cancer. 

Featured in the New York Times, sports journalist Tim Layden writes lyrically about the basal cell carcinoma on his nose and what it took to repair it. I encourage everyone to read it-- as a piece of literary writing, and equally importantly, as a wake-up call about the devastation that can result from a casual disregard for sun protection. As Layden writes:

 How did I get myself into this mess? The same way that Hemingway’s Mike Campbell went broke in “The Sun Also Rises,” “Gradually, then suddenly.'’

Click to read Tim Layden's full piece.

Skin cancers are tricky because they often don't play by the rules, but they do have some classic features. 

Basal cell carcinomas are pearly pink, sometimes with an area of bleeding or ulceration, or a central crater, and sometimes with just a subtle area of redness. They are usually found on the nose, ears, face, and neck. These are the most common skin cancers; 30% of Caucasian people will get a basal cell cancer in their lives. 

Basal Cell Carcinoma. Image credit medicinenet.com

Squamous cell carcinomas usually begin as a small reddish plaque. Often they don't have any symptoms, but they can bleed, ulcerate, and change over time. They are common on the lips, face, hands, scalp, and ears, and they metastasize throughout the body. 

Squamous cell carcinoma. Image credit symsys-molemate.com

Melanomas are less common than the other two types of skin cancer, but they are the most deadly because of their aggressive tendency to metastasize. They are usually on sun-exposed areas, but can be found anywhere at all, including the eye, the fingernail, and even the bowel. The are usually pigmented, irregular, and evolve over time. The ABCDE nmemonic was developed for melanomas.

Melanoma. Image credit dermatology.org

The ABCDE of Melanoma. Image credit Loreal Paris. 

Much of my practice focuses on the excision of suspicious lesions and the reconstruction of skin cancers, so I am especially passionate about this topic.

Make sure you are vigilant about any new freckle, spot, mole, lump, or bump on your body. Skin cancer can happen to anyone, of any skin type-- not just the fair-skinned. When they are caught early, skin cancers are much less disfiguring and much more survivable. Get regular skin checks by a dermatologist. And wear zinc/ titanium based sunscreen everyday.

Dr. Devgan appointed to New York-Presbyterian Healthcare System

We are proud to announce that Dr. Lara Devgan has been appointed to the Attending Surgical Staff of the New York-Presbyterian Healthcare System, at the New York Hospital Queens campus. As an alumna of the residency and fellowship programs at New York-Presbyterian Hospital/ Columbia and Cornell, Dr. Devgan is happy to continue her relationship with these wonderful institutions.

Dr. Devgan's affiliation with the New York-Presbyterian Healthcare System will focus on all aspects of reconstructive surgery, with particular attention to facial fractures and broken noses.

To make an appointment for a cosmetic or reconstructive procedure of any type, please call Dr. Devgan's office at 212.452.2400 or email info@LaraDevganMD.com.

New testimonials from my wonderful patients

I am always flattered to know that I have helped my patients with some facet of their lives. We just updated our website with three new patient testimonials, received via third party websites RealSelf and Vitals. As always, we only publish testimonials that have been independently verified via email and IP address.

"I knew after 1/2 hour with her that she was the one!"

"Dr. Lara is amazing. I went for 2 consultations prior to seeing her. I knew after 1/2 hour with her that she was the one! She also got me to quit smoking. I am now almost 4 months tobacco FREE!" -MW, 52 year old woman, abdominoplasty, via RealSelf.com

"My surgery was flawless and the results astonishing"

"Dr. Devgan was attentive, caring and nurturing. It is great to have a plastic surgeon with sound technical training-- which she has-- but connecting with the patient and establishing the bond is what I valued most. My surgery was flawless and the results astonishing. I would highly recommend her services for plastic surgery and will keep her in my rolodex." -PBP, 34 year old woman, abdominoplasty, via Vitals.com

"A consummate professional... with deep experience and breadth of knowledge" 

"Outstanding. Dr. Devgan is a wonderful doctor. She promptly saw me after I was concerned about a lump on my scalp. She carefully took a sample (with no pain and bleeding) to be analyzed and in less than 48 hours was able to reassure me that it was innocous. She surgically removed the rest of the lump without distorting my hairline. Dr. Devgan is a consummate professional and with her deep experience and breadth of knowledge, I was never worried that I would not get the best possible care. I would recommend her to anyone with reconstructive surgery needs." -Name and age withheld, man, biopsy and excision of large suspicious lesion on scalp, submitted via Vitals.com

 

Read the blog one of my patients wrote about her experience having surgery performed by me, "Michelle's Tummy Tuck Journey"

A delicious box of chocolates from a patient who had a facelift done by me. Thank you!