Dr. Lauren Crawford- Synergy Plastic Surgery

Revisiting some favorite moments from the recent Guatemala mission trip. Over 60 children helped with cleft and dental care! It was a tremendous experience and, as always, life changing for the kids & families but also life changing for us. If you are interested in keeping this organization doing what it’s been doing for four decades now, consider browsing some fun shopping and auction items online for the upcoming fundraising gala. There are some amazing experiences and items up for grabs at http://ow.ly/MUGS50L3qAW. Thank you!! 😘

Guatemala 2022 trip with has officially begun! We arrived yesterday and just completed our triage day to evaluate over 60 patients for surgery. It’s a busy day but we thankfully have the time to get to know our new patients and reunite with the old. I’m pictured here with Vivian who visited today but won’t have another surgery for a couple of years. Since I’ve been fortunate to serve on the Guatemala team since 2013, I now have patients who have had all their surgery with me. I’ve repaired Vivian’s cleft lip and palate. She views me as HER surgeon which is super heartwarming and I just love to see this sweet face. She told me today that she wants to be a doctor when she grows up. She is considering her options and isn’t sure if she will become a surgeon or work in primary care or as a hospitalist. I love that she is thinking about how she can help people in a similar way. What a beautiful girl- heart and soul, hair, face, and princess shoes included. I was on the receiving end of the best hug today. My trip has basically already been made. Wish us luck as surgeries start tomorrow!

The ‘under eye bags’ can be a frustrating thing to see develop as we age. We can even see them in our 20s or 30s. This young patient grew frustrated with looking tired and hated the shadowing caused by her ‘bags’. In this example, I simply removed some fat from the lower eyelids from an incision made within the eyelid (no external scar). This surgery is called a transconjuctival lower blepharoplasty. Her skin was elastic enough to snap back well. No skin removal needed. The bottom picture is her 4 month result. She appears much more smooth and is happy to apply less makeup these days!

I’m back from a week visiting London and surrounding areas with family. We had quite the brilliant and lovely time (to use some adjectives of the Brits)! There was the historic hour use through Westminster Abbey, Buckingham palace, Tower of London, the British museum, and Hampton Court palace. There was a tour of Stamford Bridge stadium and a chance to watch the Chelsea home opener again Tottenham. There was food. The pubs are great and I had fish and chips a few times (who’s counting?). The Brit’s love their Indian food and so we had some of that too. I had a chance to geek out with my kids over Harry Potter Studios and my own geeking over the literary history of Oxford. Truly bucket list material covered on this trip. Here’s a few photos to offer a glimpse. Much thanks to my colleagues for keeping a close eye on patients. Well timed sleeping kept the jet lag away and Tuesday clinic was fantastic. Thanks to all. It always takes a village to get a medical practice moving over a vacation away!

Loving this projection, form, and ni**le height 3 months after a breast lift (also known as a mastopexy). It just shifts the breast to a more youthful stance. 💃🏼

Alright folks! I’m back in action today after an extended vacation with family. Please don’t be jealous when I say that I enjoyed temps from 60-80 degrees while Austin was experiencing some record highs! Michigan (especially northern Michigan) may be a great escape for those looking to cool off and see some beautiful things. Here’s a sampling of our trip. We hit up the dunes/trails/rivers of Sleeping Bears Dunes Park, Traverse City during their cherry festival, viewed the outstanding shoreline of Pictured Rocks out of Munising and ended our tour in Mackinac island. We visited three of the Great Lakes (the three largest of them) in the process and enjoyed the unique aspects of all the stops. I am incredibly envious of the way flowers grow effortlessly there. The water is so clear with a beautiful emerald look close to the shore. Multiple studies say we should spend some time around water. It improves outlook, perspective, and even makes you feel happier just for being near it. I can vouch for that! It may be especially true when escaping oppressive heat. Well, we are back to Texas and loving what we love about Austin (even in a heat wave). Thank you to all the lovely patients I saw in clinic today. Everyone was cheerful, patient, kind, and fun to talk to after being out. The team is energized for the week ahead 🥰

Just pointing out a little fun anatomy this morning on my very fit tummy tuck patient who is a momma to two beautiful kids. She’s got a relatively small and limited re**us diastasis (weakness between her six pack muscles typically as a result of pregnancy). I have marked that out with my surgical marker and will repair that. But, she also frequently works out and it shows in her re**us abdominis muscle tone and her developed tendinous intersections. I am pointing to one of those intersections responsible for carving out that ‘six pack’ appearance. It’s a fibrous band and one often crosses at the level of the belly button. I love looking at each abdomen’s individual anatomy. I’m excited to see how the visibility of her muscle tone will improve once the extra skin is removed. ❤️

Seen in East Austin. You’re a unique being. Be yourself in your purest light. 😎

I felt so lucky to have had some days off to officially launch into summer with the kids! We did so much around water. It’s part necessity with the summer already so hot. But, being near water really does seem to relax us and make us happier doesn’t it? As long as you’ve got the sunscreen handy 😉

I’m just closing things up on a satisfying breast lift with modest augmentation. I love rejuvenating the breast!

It’s a late post but just has to be done! Happy belated Mother’s Day to all the staff, patients, family, and friends who continue to make this world so amazing. There are so many talented, beautiful, and nurturing mothers out there that I get to meet every week in my clinic. There are so many inspiring moms out there. Cheers to you all! Here I am thoroughly enjoying my weekend. I was invited to a wonderful school Mother’s Day tea with my daughter and proceeded to get spoiled the following day as well zip lining along the shores of Lake Travis with my son. My entire family took me out to a snazzy dinner downtown. It was truly a weekend to be grateful for. 🥰

I am so proud of this patient for maintaining her fitness through many challenges. It is a difficult thing to lose over 100 lbs and stay motivated when you are greeted by signs of skin laxity and contour problems created by extra skin. This patient got to her goal weight and then had a powerful version of a tummy tuck called a ‘fleur de lis’ style tummy tuck to remove skin both horizontally and vertically. This style allows for aggressive skin removal all done from the front of the body. It works fantastically but has the drawback of extra scarring. This patient was motivated to get the most flat/tight result we could and to combat the extra skin as aggressively as possible. A standard tummy tuck would not have been the right plan for her. She also had an arm lift. Next up? She is considering a breast lift with modest augmentation. We love this transformation and so appreciate her willingness to share this journey!

I enjoyed the unique privilege of joining in the house of delegates for as a voting member for the second time this weekend. It’s a great feeling to learn more about what is impacting patients, physicians, and general healthcare in Texas and to be part of the process to make things safer and better and represent my county as a surgical specialist. I also loved reconnecting with fantastic colleagues and watching great things happen with the female physicians in leadership in the women in medicine section.

It was also a whirlwind 24 hour trip to my hometown of Houston. I couldn’t resist hitting a favorite restaurant with friends and revisiting Rice Village for some brief shopping, visit down memory lane, and to take in all the changes. Some changes in the shops make me wistful for the past. But, it’s really the people and the memories that make this enormous city my hometown. ❤️

We love a shiny new tummy tuck result for a deserving mom just in time for Mother’s Day! The skin and fat removed may have only weighed two and a half pounds but the contour change will seem like so much more!

We are energized after a great Easter weekend! We wish you a beautiful Easter Monday/National Animal Cracker Day/Tax Day! Hope it all treats you well. 🙏

We love our breast augmentations that really compliment a patient’s frame. This is a halfway result with a 415cc SoftTouch full profile silicone gel implant placed on the left. 🥰

This a one year result after tummy tuck! We appreciate this patient so much for allowing us to share her result. We are excited to announce that our Westlake skin care clinic offers options for optimizing scars. Happy Friday!!

I was so fortunate to enjoy our first in-person women physician meetup on Sunday afternoon. It had been too long and I really loved seeing the smiling faces and the engaged conversation that I’m used to from this community of doctors. We have such talent here in Austin. This is a truly remarkable group of physicians who are so committed to their patients, communities, and their families. I thank them all for their work on this Doctor’s Day! I am proud to have served as the chair of the TCMS Women In Medicine committee for the last two years and I’m looking forward to doing more with this group moving forward. Please thank or send well wishes to your favorite doctor today. There’s lots about practicing medicine that is so tough with time and responsibility demands that go beyond what most people know. 💕

As is often the case for a young, male patient undergoing a tummy tuck for extra skin related to weight loss, there is no muscle separation (re**us diastasis) to repair. So, the operation is more or less a true skin excision body contouring surgery unless there is liposuction added. Do we see re**us diastasis in men? Yes, we do. And, we often need to repair it to get the best cosmetic and functional outcome. It may happen as a product of aging, genetic tendency, sports injury, or weight loss involving a significant visceral (inside) fat component. More older men probably have muscle separation than we realize.

The scene from yesterday evening. I really appreciate this group of surgeons I get to work with . They are truly a group of fun, thoughtful, intelligent and gifted folks…..even the millennial 😜 It’s always a great experience to talk shop and break bread with these four.

Always makes me feel good to support our local schools 🥰

Wishing everyone sweet spring break vibes this weekend as we return from a simple week off. Say what you will about Texas beaches but we always have a great time visiting our local coast. It’s a true pleasure to walk the beach, play in the sand, fish and rinse & repeat. Enjoy this beautiful weekend and we will see back fresh and ready to go on Monday!

Occasionally even small amounts of fat can cause contour problems in certain spaces. Behold, the meaningful but small amounts of fat removed during this week’s lower eyelid surgery. Liberated of fat for a less baggy look. 😉

2.22.22 was quite the birthday for me. I took a four day weekend and visited family in Denver and had the chance to ski with everyone in Keystone. It was exciting to ski for the first time with my daughter up on the mountain as she graduated from the beginner hill and joined us. We really lucked out on the weather and had an amazing time.

The incredible people here decided my birthday should continue into today and we had a true fiesta themed office party. I feel so much gratitude to those I work with and I am so touched by the generosity and thought. It’s really made the week and it’s only Wednesday!!

Thanks to all who have reached out with birthday wishes. I think we always appreciate it more with age. ❤️

We are so excited about this contour change 4 months after a tummy tuck!

I finally had a chance to listen to the full episode of podcast in which I was a featured guest speaker alongside .mikaela.rush and ! We covered all things mommy makeover and I think it hit on so many important educational points. I’m grateful to these ladies for having me on their show. They tolerated this slow-talk in’ Texan very nicely. I believe I called myself the ‘polite librarian of plastic surgery’ somewhere in there 😆 Anyway, I love supporting all the extra that my physician colleagues are doing. I’m quite impressed with Drs. Sharkey and Rush who are podcast pros while also being busy moms and docs! So, look for our episode posted on February 3rd. It marked the start of season 2 for ! Thanks ladies for this opportunity! ❤️

Today is National Women Physicians Day! I honor the journey that myself and fellow female colleagues have taken to get to this place.

This day is inspired by the birthday of Dr. Elizabeth Blackwell. She was the first woman to graduate from an American medical school in 1849.

This career choice is most definitely a calling. It’s a long road.

College
4 years of medical school
6 years of residency training in plastic surgery
12 years in private practice

When I began my surgery training journey, I was the only female in my entire intern class which included all surgical specialties. I was one of two females in our plastic surgery training program. My senior resident (Faeza Kazmier MD) was my only female mentor in plastic surgery.

Things are now so different! It’s not unusual to see one third to one half of a plastic surgery training program filled with women. Studies show that we continue to provide the strong outcomes that prove we deserve to be there. 💪🏻

I’m so proud to be a part of the history of plastic surgery and having trained at a time when females were beginning to break into the field in much stronger numbers.

Cheers as we celebrate this day and this privilege to treat patients! Much love to our Austin community navigating a winter storm today. It’s a fine day to slow down, stay safe, and reflect on where we came from and think about where we can go!

I’m so excited to hear the episode when it comes out. So fun to meet up with Dr. Sharkey and Dr. Rush to join in as a guest on their podcast 😎

Podcast season 2 is COMING SOON!!

Last year .mikaela.rush and I recorded 48 episodes of the podcast!

We researched and bought recording equipment. We figured out (through a lot of trial and error) how to use audio-editing software. We recorded in guest houses, conference rooms, call rooms, closets and hotels.

We are gearing up to kick off season 2 and cannot wait to bring our audience even more great content. Our goal remains to provide educational information in a laid-back manner. Most importantly, we like to laugh and have fun!

Keep and eye out for release updates as our first episode of season 2 is a guest interview with plastic surgeon, covering all things mommy makeovers!!

Admittedly, I perform a lot of breast lifts, breast augmentation, and a combination of the two (seen here). But, it never gets old. There is always something unique about each patient’s needs, their story, the anatomy. We love seeing the plan and the desired improvement in action 🥰

Many of my patients know me as a runner. So, I thought I’d give a little race report from over the weekend. I returned to my hometown and to the Houston half marathon after 2 years! My goal was to run a bit faster than last time and hoping for 7:30 min miles or better. Despite not necessarily feeling more fit, goal accomplished with an average pace of 7:21. It was literally freezing at the start with a wind chill in the 20s (this girl loves her races in the 50s) but sometimes it all works out. The supporting crowds and volunteers were amazing.

Small goals can feel good. Don’t forget to make room in your life for them. Sometimes we need that extra boost, something to strive for. I know many of you have amazing goals for your fitness and health. I applaud even the tiniest of health missions. I have these conversations with patients every day.

It really just felt good to race again and to be able to run at all. It felt great to carbo load (see the last photo 😉). Hoping for another small slice off this time next year! I just signed up for 2023!