DR. JAIME S. SCHWARTZ
Jaime S. Schwartz MD, FACS, is board certified in plastic surgery, a member of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS), and a diplomate of the American Board of Plastic Surgery. Dr. Schwartz dedicates himself to creating policies aimed at enhancing safety and awareness for both patients and physicians. He is committed to promoting advances in medicine and serves on various American Society of Plastic Surgeons committees, including Health Policy, Patient Safety, Emerging Trends, Quality and Performance Measurement, and the Clinical Trials Network. He has also received national recognition with many ‘Physician’s Choice’ and ‘Compassionate Doctor’ awards.
journey to Plastic Surgery
Dr Schwartz from a very young age always knew he was going to pursue healthcare. He comes from a long line of providers such as podiatrists, researchers and physicians. When he was young his father would take him to "round" on patients in the hospital on weekends. He spent time working in the office and began to attend surgeries before he was allowed to drive. He also grew up in an area that's considered a "cancer cluster" especially for breast cancer and was touched personally by this.
As he attended college at Tulane University and earned a bachelor of science in cellular and molecular biology, he also further delved into health, the human body and disease. He discovered that his curiosity in this field might be genetic. His mind was opened by books from a great-uncle (whom he never met) Dr Jay Milton Hoffman. Books such as Hunza: Secrets of the Worlds Oldest Living People (1968) and The Missing Link in the Medical Curriculum (1981) discussed topics such as how diet and disease are related were written way before there time. Dr Schwartz spent time learning all he could about these topics and dedicated research time at the Ochsner Medical Institute, one of the countries most research oriented centers.
After his extensive time working and studying healthcare, Dr Schwartz was accepted into the Georgetown University School of Medicine, which is one of the top 5 most selective schools in the United States.
During his time at Georgetown, he continued his trend of extracurricular research and education in addition to his rigorous medical curriculum at the world renowned Georgetown Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center, an NIH accredited National Cancer Institute. Here he was able to focus on his main interest, Breast Cancer by becoming involved in cancer research on Tamoxifen and courses such as tumor biology and the biological basis of cancer.
As a third year medical student on clinical rotations, his first surgery ever he was scheduled to assist was a Mastectomy for Breast Cancer. After the breast was removed he asked if he could stay to see the breast reconstruction. This is where his whole world changed. As the Plastic Surgeons began to reconstruct the breast they discussed the differences options such as expanders, implants, local TRAM or Latissimus flaps and micro-vascular DIEP flaps. The options seemed endless and the surgeries seemed very artistic. He was very intrigued. He was furthered exposed to more Plastic Surgical procedures such cleft lips and palates, diabetic limb salvage and wound care. The reality became that as a Plastic Surgeon he could be instrumental in touching peoples lives by putting them back together. He was hooked.
Under the auspices of the chairman, Dr Scott Spear Georgetown Plastic Surgery was one of the most influential departments in the world for breast reconstruction. Due to this, he ranked Georgetown University Hospital Plastic Surgery number 1 on his list for residency programs he wanted to attend (even above Harvard) . There were only 71 spots in the entire United States for Plastic Surgery training directly from medical school in the US and was accepted into his first choice. His training there set the stage for his career as one of the foremost authorities on breast surgery.
Georgetown University Plastic Surgery was one of the first Departments of Plastic Surgery in the country (not a division of General Surgery) and the training program was one of only a few at that time that was "integrated". What that meant is that Dr Schwartz spent his entire 6 years there focusing ONLY on plastic surgery. (If you did not get accepted out of medical school, the other way to become a plastic surgeon was to complete another residency such as general surgery for 5 years and then complete a 2 year fellowship in plastic surgery. This is why some doctors say they are Double-Board certified since they split their training between different fields).
During his training, Dr Schwartz completed close to 3000 procedures while authoring articles, textbook chapters both nationally and internationally as well as definitive, educational, special journal supplements for the Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery Journal of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons. His kind, caring demeanor toward his fellow colleagues and patients was rewarded with the Georgetown University Hospital’s “Caring Star” award EVERY year (given by patients to the top healthcare providers at Georgetown University Hospital). He also took an active role in medical student and resident education where he won the highest teaching award as “Outstanding Resident Teacher Award” for the Department of Plastic Surgery and also the “Certificate of Professionalism” award from Washington Hospital Center medical staff.
His accolades from training allowed Dr Schwartz to pursue a fellowship. He was offered many positions including Harvard program at Beth Israel Deaconess and the world renowned Cleveland Clinic. He accepted the Cleveland Clinic Fellowship in Advanced Face and Body Aesthetics as a Clinical Instructor for their training program. He was afforded the opportunity to work alongside with the amazing physicians that performed the first “Face Transplant” in the United States and was also able to educate by overseeing residents and teaching them some of the art of breast surgery that he learned from Georgetown and Dr Spear.
Nationally renowned
Dr Schwartz was recruited to Southern California by Presbyterian Intercommunity Hospital as Chief of Plastic Surgery based on his academic excellence and national reputation as an Outstanding Aesthetic Surgeon and Reconstructive Breast Surgeon. Here he was tasked with building the hospitals first Plastic Surgery Department, reconstruction after Massive Weight Loss Body Contouring Program and creating and overseeing the Breast Cancer Reconstructive program from scratch. During his tenure as chief of Plastic Surgery he performed over 5000 surgeries and over 10000 cosmetic procedures. He developed novel techniques for breast cancer reconstruction using “AutoDerm”, created the hospitals first nipple sparing registry, developed National Guidelines for Breast Surgery and Implants, was instrumental in obtaining national accreditation for the PIH Breast Center through National Accreditation Program for Breast Centers (NAPBC) and was a principle investigator for phase 2 FDA clinical trial for correcting and preventing poorly healed BREAST SCARS. He also was instrumental in changing the culture of breast reconstruction where “WOMEN MADE THEIR OWN CHOICES” about their care and options for treatment. He became a community figure from lectures in the hospital and local TV station, attending the monthly breast cancer support groups and creating a fundraiser known as “REJUVENATE FOR THE CURE”®. Understanding the best way to beat breast cancer is early detection, Dr Schwartz started a yearly event where would inject Botox and Fillers with all proceeds donated to the PIH Breast Center to offer free mammograms to those who could not afford them. He would raise enough money in 1 donated day of his time to give over 300 mammograms.
Hospital employees were incentivized to “Get Fit” and so many of them and their families lost hundreds of pounds. Dr Schwartz was tasked with helping all of them regain their bodies by surgical body contouring. He performed hundreds of tummy tucks (including circumferential, fleur de lis and lower body lifts), Arm lifts, Thigh lifts, Back lifts, Breast lifts with and without Implants as well as Contouring Liposuction.
He continued his active leadership role in patient care and safety, by serving on numerous committees at Presbyterian Intercommunity Hospital, including Patient Safety, Patient Experience, Surgical Administration, and Research Oversight. In recognition of his “patient-first” ethics and hard work, he was awarded the highest-level Physician Excellence Award.
National Committees
- American Society of Plastic Surgeons-Leadership Development Committee, 2015-present: Member
- American Society of Plastic Surgeons-Breast Reconstruction Performance Measure Development Workgroup, 2014-present: Member
- American Society of Plastic Surgeons-PSEN Editorial Committee-Aesthetic Subcommittee, 2014-present: Member
- American Society of Plastic Surgeons-Public Education Committee, 2014-present: Member
- American Society of Plastic Surgeons-Research Development Committee, 2014-present: Member
- American Society of Plastic Surgeons-Clinical Trials Network Committee, 2013-Present: Member
- American Society of Plastic Surgeons-Quality and Performance Measurement Committee, 2013-Present: Member
- American Society of Plastic Surgeons-Patient Safety Committee, 2013-Present: Member
- American Society of Plastic Surgeons-ASPS/ASAPS Emerging Trends Committee, 2013-Present: Member
- American Society of Plastic Surgeons-Health Policy Committee, 2012-present: Member
- American Society of Plastic Surgeons-Breast Reconstruction with Tissue Expanders and Implant Workgroup, 2011-12: Member
- Presbyterian Intercommunity Hospital-Surgical Administration Committee, 2012-2014: Member
- Presbyterian Intercommunity Hospital-Cancer Committee, 2010-2014: Member
- Presbyterian Intercommunity Hospital-Research Oversight Committee, 2011-2014: Member
- Presbyterian Intercommunity Hospital-Patient Experience Committee, 2012-2014: Member
- Presbyterian Intercommunity Hospital-Patient Safety Committee, 2012-2014: Member
Presentations
- Asia-Pacific Dermatology and Cosmetology Conference. Tokyo, Japan August 2018
- Adjunct Plastic Surgical Procedures in the Lipedema Patient. Is there a medical necessity? Fat Disorders Research Society. Salt Lake City, UT, in the April, 2017
- LipoLift™. The Aesthetic Show. Las Vegas, NV. July 2017
- Botox for the Treatment of Vaginismus. The Aesthetic Show. Las Vegas, NV. July 2017
- LipoLift™. The Doctors Tv Show. March 22, 2017
- Cancer and Cosmetic Breast Reconstruction, Is There a Difference? Plastic and Cosmetic Surgery Conference. The Grand, Long Beach, CA November, 2014
- Current Trends in Aesthetic Surgery. Activate Whittier Television Recording. Whittier City Hall, Whittier, CA May, 2013
- Hospital Whittier, CA. Intercommunity⋅Skin Care and Aesthetic Services. Community Speaker Event, Presbyterian April, 2011
- Hospital Whittier, CA. Intercommunity⋅State of the Art Aesthetic Surgery Options. Community Speaker Event, Presbyterian January, 2011
- Breast Reconstruction Options. Tea for Triumph Breast Cancer Survivors. Brea, CA October, 2010
- Breast Augmentation. Senior Residents Conference Austin, TX Submuscular⋅Schwartz, JS. Outcome Assessment of Breast Distortion Following January, 2009
- by senior author San Diego, CA ASAPS Breast Augmentation. Presented at Submuscular⋅Spear SL, Schwartz JS, Dayan JH, Clemens MW. Outcome Assessment of Breast Distortion Following May, 2008
- Couch KS, Schwartz JS. Use of bi-layered living cell therapy in recalcitrant wound healing. Abstract poster presentation at the Symposium for the Advancement for Wound Care, San Antonio, TX, May 2006.
