With an impressive career that includes a PhD in skin cancer and extensive training alongside world leaders in plastic, breast, and hand surgery, Dr Katarzyna Mackenzie has made a name for herself as one of New Zealand’s top industry experts.
Verve sat down with the owner of Visage Plastic Surgery to discover more.
What inspired you to become a plastic surgeon and what do you love about the job?
I always knew I wanted to be a doctor and I’ve always loved art. So, when entering a medical school in Warsaw, I knew I wanted to be a surgeon. When I was a third-year medical student, I did my summer electives in Dublin with Ms Patricia Eadie who at that time was the only female plastic surgeon in Ireland. A very talented, strong and empowering woman, she told me, that to be a female plastic surgeon takes courage and that plenty of people would doubt me. But being Polish is about three things: passion, pride and hard work. I understood that it was plastic surgery as a speciality where the human body and art come together, an expression of art and science which both restores and improves the norm.
Can you describe your philosophy and approach to plastic surgery?
As a female plastic surgeon, I understand the pressure that society places on women to look a certain way. I believe that the idea is not to have surgery but to have the right surgery with the right surgeon hence patients shouldn’t be afraid to shop around. I do not offer false promises. Male patients often prefer a female plastic surgeon for the same reasons as female patients. Men often expect to receive more empathy and sensitivity from a female surgeon.
As a female plastic surgeon, I understand the pressure that society places on women to look a certain way. I believe that the idea is not to have surgery but to have the right surgery with the right surgeon
You trained in Poland and locally in New Zealand. When did you develop a special interest in breast surgery?
I developed a specialist interested in breast surgery during my fellowships in London, having been inspired by great minds such as Patrick Maulucci, renowned for his innovative research into ‘The Perfect Breast’, and Elizabeth Hall-Findlay, recognised globally for her revolutionary Hall-Findlay technique.
I’m interested in a breast reduction procedure. How do I know if it is right for me?
Common reasons include:
· they’re self-conscious wearing a swimsuit or low-cut tops
· they feel that their breast size is not proportional to their figure
· the breast size limits physical activity
· they experience back, neck and shoulder pain
· they have shoulder indentations from bra straps
· they have skin irritation beneath the breast crease
· they have poor posture or numbness in parts of the breasts and upper chest from excessive weight
· there may also be a marked difference in the size of the breasts, known as asymmetry
What does the procedure involve and how long is the recovery?
It removes fat, glandular tissue and skin to create smaller, better shaped and lifted breasts. It can also reduce the size of the areola. Scars are usually placed around the nipple-areola and extend downwards to meet a scar in the inframammary crease.
It is carried out under general anaesthesia, and usually requires one night stay in hospital after surgery. I recommend a minimum of two weeks, and ideally three weeks off work, depending on the type of work my patient does.
View Katarzyna’s services, which also include upper eyelid surgery, hand surgery and skin cancer management, at visageplasticsurgery.co.nz
