If you wonder why you have not heard about renowned plastic surgeon Dr. Stephanie Teotia or the fact that her office is a literal stone’s throw from the River Walk in Flower Mound, you can playfully blame the good doctor herself. Dr. Teotia’s quiet persona and reluctance to engage in self-promotion has, in many respects, kept her a well-guarded secret.
“I am not one to seek the limelight,” Dr. Teotia said. “The focus should be on the patient.”
Dr. Teotia relocated her plastic surgery practice from Dallas to Flower Mound two years ago when her family moved to the area. In addition to her solo practice, Dr Teotia is a wife and mother of three children. Her private practice is busy, as she has many established patients.
“That said, I want people to know I am here,” she said. “Everything I do is relationship-based, and I’m lucky to have so many loyal patients.”
Anyone who has worked with Dr. Teotia and referred their friends and family to her all-female team of medical professionals will be the first to say she deserves a bigger spotlight.
A board-certified plastic and reconstructive surgeon, Dr. Teotia is one of only a few female plastic surgeons in North Texas and is easily one of the most well-respected among all her peers. She earned her medical degree from the esteemed University of Chicago Pritzker School of Medicine. From there, she completed multiple surgical fellowships at the University of North Carolina, including Pediatric Craniofacial Surgery, Wound Care Research through the National Institute of Health, and Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery. In 2012, she became an adjunct professor at the University of North Carolina School of Medicine and later became a clinical assistant professor at UT-Southwestern Medical Center and Texas Tech Health Sciences Center School of Medicine, Permian Basin Campus. Unsurprisingly, she has received countless awards for her outstanding contributions to the field.
More importantly, her bedside manner is off the charts. Dr. Teotia prides herself on creating a comfortable, welcoming atmosphere for her patients. While she operates on most parts of the body, her specialty is facial rejuvenation for women. Surgical procedures include facelifts, neck lifts, blepharoplasties, and brow lifts.
She understands firsthand that being a woman in today’s world can be challenging.
“Many of my patients are professional women who are facing ageism at work,” Dr. Teotia said. “They do not want people to know that they have had surgery. I try to create a refreshed look that keeps them competitive in the workplace.”
Dr. Teotia’s approach toward surgery also differs from many of her colleagues. She operates in a hospital setting with general anesthesia for about half of her cases.
“I do a lot of facial procedures in my minor operating room with local anesthesia. The recovery ends up being significantly faster,” she said. “Many of my patients do not want to take a lot of time off from work or hide from friends and family.”
Dr. Teotia’s road to becoming a plastic surgeon was far from straight. Before enrolling in medical school, she served as a middle school science teacher for Teachers for America. There, she was exposed to the difficulties of teaching in an underprivileged neighborhood. It was an experience that helped her gain a new perspective on life and shaped her outstanding character. Looking to help others in a different way, she eventually applied to medical school and started her new journey in 1998. Once in medical school, it became clear that she was meant to be a surgeon.
“As a medical student, you are exposed to different career paths through medical rotations. Surgery was always easy for me. It was also the one rotation where getting up at 3:30 in the morning didn’t bother me. I’m usually not a morning person,” Dr. Teotia said. “I ended up doing a decade of surgical training, and my goal was to finish by the time I reached age 40. I thankfully met my goal.”
When Dr. Teotia is not busy living her dream job, she loves spending time with her family. Her husband is Dr. Sumeet Teotia, a plastic surgeon and a professor at UT-Southwestern. She considers herself a soccer mom and an active member of the Flower Mound community.
Dr Teotia added, “The best part about my job is getting to know my patients. In fact, the first question I ask my patients is to tell me about themselves. Some like this question, and some are taken by surprise. However, at the end of the day, that’s why we are sitting across from one another. I cannot do my best as a plastic surgeon unless I know you and what matters most to you.”
To learn more about Dr. Stephanie Teotia and her practice, please visit www.drstephanieteotia.com or call 214-823-9652.
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