Dorothy: [00:00:00] So how does a gift of an Oxford sweater at the age of four that’s coming from your grandma June impact the rest of your life? Well, according to Dr. Ashley Steinberg, that was her first memory of knowing that somehow or another, she was going to be a plastic surgeon. In fact, she talked about that only 20% of all the plastic surgeons are female. I think one of the things that was so fascinating about hearing her talk was the importance of emotional health in your recovery.
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Tell us, first of all, you are a plastic surgeon.
Dr. Steinberg: Yes.
Dorothy: And I wanna tell you to tell us how in the world you ever got into that?
Dr. Steinberg: I always tell the story of how I watch Nip Tuck and I thought I was gonna be Christian Troy, like the cool, like walking around in fancy clothes and fancy cars. But in reality, I actually, um, saw a plastic surgeon shadowed one when I was 16, uh, do a tummy tuck and saw the immediate gratification aspect of it, like, patient came in. Was mad about how they look, was upset, had, you know, poor self-confidence. And then he changed it within a two hour period and I got to see that and I thought that was the coolest thing to be able to like restore someone’s confidence with your own hands. And then I continued in general surgery and I spent a lot of my general surgery training, um, shadowing a plastic surgeon who did a lot of breast reconstruction.
And again, that was something that uh, was similar with that immediate [00:02:00] gratification. Going from a woman who is upset and sad about having cancer, to recreating a breast for someone who didn’t have one there, didn’t feel like themselves, didn’t feel like a woman. I thought it was kind of a powerful thing to be able to have that responsibility and to be able to give somebody that.
Dorothy: Now I’ve heard you talk about your grandma who encouraged you or saw that you were gonna be a physician. That’s just amazing. How in the world do you think she knew that?
Dr. Steinberg: Oh God. She would be so happy right now. I always think about that. There are no physicians in my family. I think it was just one of those things that maybe she was living vicariously through me. She, uh, it got me that Oxford Medical sweatshirt when I was four. I’ll never forget that because my aunt lived in London, so we would go there all the time and she’s like, this is what you’re gonna do. And I didn’t really know anything different, but, um, she passed away when I was 16. But I always think, and my mom always says like, she would be so happy. This is exactly what she wanted.
Dorothy: [00:03:00] That is just such a fascinating story to me. I mean, you know, you didn’t come from a family that had physicians. In fact, it was a very different kind of family. Uh, you wanna share a little bit about that?
Dr. Steinberg: Yeah, of course. It’s actually very fun. Um, everyone in my family, almost everyone except for my little sister, uh, in the casino business. So I grew up moving around. Um, started, I was born in Brooklyn, but started out in Atlantic City where both of my parents worked in the casinos in Atlantic City. And then I moved to Florida because they both worked for a resort in The Bahamas, which is now the Baja Mar. It used to be called the Crystal Palace. So I used to go there monthly and I would get to like, I was eight years old ordering virgin pina coladas and Miami Vices and strawberry. Just signing it to the room like I was so cool. I did enjoy that life. And then, um, my mom moved to Canada to work there for a casino.
My dad stayed in South Florida, still working for casinos and then, my mom and stepdad moved to Vegas, so I have one side is in Vegas right now. [00:04:00] They retired and then my dad is still working in South Florida. My stepsister works for my dad. My brother was a car dealer in Vegas at the Cosmopolitan. Um, he doesn’t work for the casinos anymore, but that’s, that’s pretty much the fam except my sister who is a lawyer.
Dorothy: Oh. A lawyer and a physician, and the rest of my goodness.
Dr. Steinberg: Well, she’s 25. She’s, she’s a little baby.
Dorothy: Oh, baby, okay.
Dr. Steinberg: Yeah.
Dorothy: Okay. So you talked a little bit about, uh, breast reconstruction, and of course, you know, we’re talking about so many women these days are being diagnosed with cancer. Tell us, how do you, how do you broach that with a patient? Or do they always, because you’re the queen of breast reconstruction, do they always come to you knowing what they want or. How do you evaluate a pr a patient?
Dr. Steinberg: So, I have an interesting, uh, practice because I’m not really doing primary breast reconstruction. I’m, we have Houston Medical Center, it’s the biggest medical center in the world. You have amazing people, [00:05:00] amazing surgeons doing a lot of primary breast reconstruction. I’m in private practice, so I don’t really get referred, uh, primary patients. The majority of the patients I see are revision patients. So someone who’s had the mastectomy, um, and has had some sort of reconstruction or is in the stages of reconstruction and just wants something more, um, aesthetic.
I guess I do more of an aesthetic breast reconstruction, so people who are not super happy, they want closer to perfection, they want closer to more of a cosmetic outcome. They don’t want people knowing that I had a mastectomy and a reconstruction. I want everyone to think I just had a breast augmentation. So that those are the patients that I’m getting. Um, sometimes I do get primary, uh, the way that I broach it is I’m the bonus doctor. Like I am the person you get to see when you get through all the hard stuff. Your cancer doctor, your radiation doctor. Those are the important ones. You’re here, you get to see me. We’re both so lucky to be here. I get to help you. I get to do whatever you want. And the cool [00:06:00] part about it is for now, insurance covers your breasts to be exactly how you want them to be for the rest of your life. Because, so I, I try and put a spin on it like, you’re sad you have cancer. I feel bad. Like that’s horrible, but let’s try and see a silver lining. However you want, you want your boobs to look bigger, smaller, lifted, however, I’ll do it and insurance will pay for it.
Dorothy: Hey, that is a deal.
Dr. Steinberg: Yeah, exactly.
Dorothy: Yeah. Yeah. That is, that is so interesting. ’cause you know, so many of the women we take care of are uninsured. And we’re having to take them through a state program. Which also covers reconstruction, but many of them will not take that time. I mean, it is being off work, it has a recovery period. You know, so it’s, it’s so amazing to me how it’s even there, but, that just doesn’t happen in their world.
Dr. Steinberg: There are a lot of studies, um, showing that different socioeconomic groups, different races, they [00:07:00] definitely do not get reconstruction or as often as other groups. Um, and it is either for lack of the availability of the surgeon or lack of wanting to take that time. Uh, it’s something that really should be worked on and helped. But I, I mean, I understand, you know, wanting to get back to work. I’m the same person.
Dorothy: Oh.
Dr. Steinberg: Um, so I get it. Um, I think it, it’s more of an education thing because there are types of reconstruction, like direct to implant reconstruction where you go from mastectomy to implant on the same day and you’re just doing that one recovery. So, I mean. It’s worth it mentally and physically. I mean, it might be a week, maybe two off of work. Um, I think it’s more of education that’s lacking. We need to educate people so that they know it’s an option for them.
Dorothy: Before we continue this episode, I have to let you know about something that is happening throughout this [00:08:00] month of July. Our Anonymous Donor is at it again, and she wants to match your donation up to a hundred thousand dollars. So think about it, $20 is now $40, a hundred dollars is now $200, and if you’re feeling really generous, a thousand dollars is now $2000. Just think about all the women that we could help with your donation and our Anonymous Donors match. Please go to therose.org. It’s easy to make your donation there. And as our do said. Every dollar counts. Now back to the podcast.
And that’s one of, one of the biggest challenges. And making sure that we’re aware of whatever cultural barriers may be there. And, and approaching it in a lighter way. I think that what you just said about this is your rest for a lifetime. You know, you, you don’t have to come back. You know, it is, it’s done wonderful.
Dr. Steinberg: Yeah. You don’t have to, but if you want to because you want a little tweak and you wanna perfect [00:09:00] them, then let’s do it.
Dorothy: Yeah. That’s a great, great way of thinking about it.
Dr. Steinberg: Yeah.
Dorothy: We’re gonna have to incorporate that somehow in our education.
Dr. Steinberg: Yeah. Silver always, always incorporate a silver lining.
Dorothy: Yes.
Dr. Steinberg: Because, you know, people, especially on that first diagnosis, they’re sad. Like, and I see a lot of young patients, like a lot of the patients I see, because those are the patients who really want that augmented. Like, I had plastic surgery because I chose to not ’cause I had to look. Um, so I’m seeing a lot of thirties and forties. It’s very hard obviously to be diagnosed with any sort of cancer, but when you’re 30 or 40, you don’t expect, expect to be diagnosed with cancer.
Dorothy: Yeah.
Dr. Steinberg: Um, so I see a lot of those patients and those are the ones that I’m really, really outlining. Here’s the silver lining. Let’s do it and I will do it for you.
Dorothy: And we’re seeing more and more younger patients. In fact, about 15% of all that we diagnose and we diagnose 450, 500 a year, are young. A younger than 40. So, yes, it is a very difficult time for that younger woman. So tell me what a mommy makeover is. [00:10:00]
Dr. Steinberg: Great question.
Dorothy: That’s another one that you like to do, right?
Dr. Steinberg: I love it. Yes. Uh, mommy makeover is any combination of procedures that involves the breasts and the body. So it’s not specific procedures, it can be breast wise. We’re talking breast augmentation with implants, breast augmentation with fat, breast lift, breast reduction, breast lift with implants, any sort of breast in combo with a body procedure. Body procedure being liposuction, tummy tuck, circumferential body lift. Basically, any combination of the two procedures is a mommy makeover, and you don’t even have to be a mommy to get it. I’m planning mine in three years and I’m not a mommy, so.
Dorothy: Yeah. Yeah. So how long does it take? I, and I know it’s different procedures, but.
Dr. Steinberg: Right. It’s varied. Uh, and it also depends on the surgeon. I, um, so I only operate, the max I’ll ever operate is seven and a half hours. And that’s a lot of surgery. Like most of my cases, even mommy makeovers are really like four to six max. But some [00:11:00] of them are larger and I’ll max out at about seven and a half hours. And again, that’s ’cause. I do get hangry, um, and I need to eat.
Dorothy: Oh.
Dr. Steinberg: And I don’t want to take that out on the patient, so I finish before I get upset. And, and also, I don’t want the patient under anesthesia for any longer than that.
Dorothy: Yeah.
Dr. Steinberg: Just safety wise.
Dorothy: That’s a long time, right.
Dr. Steinberg: Yeah.
Dorothy: Right. But they’re always happy with the final results. Your bonus.
Dr. Steinberg: No.
Dorothy: No.
Dr. Steinberg: Is anyone always happy? I wish everyone was always happy. I’m having a string of always happy patients right now, which is great. I have a PA student right now who I was like, you know, it’s not all rainbows and butterflies all the time. Every patient that she’s seen since she’s been with me is like, you’re amazing. I love you. I had a patient cry yesterday and thank me for taking insurance and being who I am and i’ve had patients tell me I’m the best in the last two weeks. I’m like, I promise you, not everyone is like this. It is. I wish that I could make everybody happy. That is my goal. That is my life goal, is [00:12:00] to just make everybody happy. But you can’t make everyone happy.
Dorothy: No. But still, it sounds like I, you’ve got a pretty good track record going.
Dr. Steinberg: Huh. This month?
Dorothy: This month.
Dr. Steinberg: Yeah.
Dorothy: Yeah. No, seriously though. You, you seem to be a bit of a perfectionist. You take a…
Dr. Steinberg: Type A. Yes.
Dorothy: Yes. And, and it, it sounds like you really do care what the results are gonna be for that patient, and you’re willing to go back and rework it if you have to.
Dr. Steinberg: Yeah. That’s.
Dorothy: I think that’s something women don’t realize. It doesn’t mean if you’re unhappy or if you didn’t get just exactly what you want. There are still other things that can be done.
Dr. Steinberg: Oh, yeah. So patients are my children, like I said, I don’t have children, right? These are the people that are going out in the world and talking about me. Just like if I had a child, they would be. So, I don’t want them going out in the world saying, oh, I went to Dr. Steinberg and I’m unhappy. That’s like bad [00:13:00] marketing for me. Right?
Dorothy: Right.
Dr. Steinberg: Like the way that I get patients the most is through referrals. Yeah. I get them from Googling, but I would say that the majority of my patients come from some other happy patient. So that’s how I run my business. So I have to make sure that patients are happy. So, yeah, I mean, I’m gonna work to make people happy. Yeah.
Dorothy: So that’s a real compliment though.
Dr. Steinberg: Yes.
Dorothy: Yes. Word of mouth means so much.
Dr. Steinberg: That is the biggest compliment when I get someone who said, oh, I’ve had a couple lately. Oh, I heard about you from this person and then I actually heard about you from somebody else who doesn’t even know that person that, so that’s why I’m here. And I’m like, oh, that’s awesome.
Dorothy: So when they come to your office, do you have like before and after pictures that you, everyone looks at and says, oh, I wanna look like this or.
Dr. Steinberg: So everybody’s different, but I mean, you can search online On my website, there are definitely before and afters patients. You know, they say Yes, use my pictures. ’cause they’re usually so happy about it. So I have them online. I also have way more in office, um, on [00:14:00] my app where I store my pictures of patients that have agreed to let me use their pictures for education. I will also have patients say, here’s my goal, and they’ll show me a wish pick of something they like.
And I’m the most honest person ever. And I’ll be like, okay, that’s an 18-year-old who’s never had children, who’s wearing a very good bra, like, you’re never gonna look like that. Sorry. And then I’ll show them pictures and I’ll say, let’s find something that looks more like you because I’ve done hundreds and hundreds, if not more, patient’s breasts. So probably in my repertoire you’re gonna find a before picture that looks similar to you. So like, let’s see what that after looked like to give you a better idea of what you might look like.
Dorothy: Earlier, you said you were a surgeon for five years at general surgeon, right?
Dr. Steinberg: Uh, yeah, I did general surgery residency, so I got board certified in general surgery.
Dorothy: Yes. You, but you always wanted to be plastic surgeon.
Dr. Steinberg: I did, yes. Don’t tell the general surgeons that, but Yes, I did.
Dorothy: Oh, I know, I know. It’s very different.
Dr. Steinberg: Yes. Yeah, so it [00:15:00] was two different training. It was five years in general and then three years in plastics, but I was able to be board certified in both.
Dorothy: And you did a lot of this training all over the world.
Dr. Steinberg: I did all over the country. I was in Brooklyn, New York for three years. I was in Las Vegas for two years, and then I was here at Methodist in the medical center for my plastic surgery training.
Dorothy: What’s the next step for you? What is the next surgery you’d like to tackle?
Dr. Steinberg: Oh, I was gonna say next. Next step is building my practice. I just, um, I’ve been in solo practice for a little over two years. I’ve been out of residency for almost six, um, practicing, but on my own for two years. I’m currently building out an office, so I just, I just wanna get busier and I just wanna do more. Even my busiest months, I’m like, I could do more than that. And, and I love to be busy. Um, I just sitting. For any amount of time is difficult for me. So I can, I can always do more and I wanna take advantage of that while I’m still young, you know? Because maybe there’ll be a day where I’m like, you [00:16:00] know, I could use a day off.
So I really wanna ramp up as much as possible. Um, surgery wise, I just wanna keep doing what I do and getting better. Somebody asked me yesterday if I’ve perfected a surgery yet. The answer will always be no. I have, have never, and I will never perfect a surgery because I’m constantly gonna learn.
I’m going all over the country, watching people do surgery, I’m going to meetings, I am techniques change. Um, I’m gonna keep just striving to get better and better with every patient. And I see that happening. I mean, I’ve been operating on my own for almost six years, and I can see the changes and I’m gonna continue to do whatever I can to get as close to perfection as possible.
Dorothy: So, I know you get asked this all the time, but do you have a favorite procedure that you do?
Dr. Steinberg: I have many. Um, and for different reasons.
Dorothy: Okay.
Dr. Steinberg: So. The highest satisfaction procedures that I do, which I love, are breast reduction and chin lipo. So very [00:17:00] different. Breast reduction, because those patients are always happy. They’re just walking around with back pain and rashes and constant just discomfort. And they feel better almost instantly after. Um, so I, I love that procedure. I also have done it more than any other procedure, and I think I’m really good at it. Not perfect, but really good. So those patients, it’s just kind of heartwarming to hear how good they feel afterwards. Um, chin Lipo is one of those immediate gratification procedures where, um, it’s just a small area that has bugged someone for such a long time, and I do it in the office. It takes like 45 minutes and it just changes them completely and they’re so happy that instant gratification, they can see it two weeks later.
So I really like that. But I really love, I mean, I love complex revision breast. I hate it when I’m doing it ’cause I’m like, this is so hard. But then afterwards when it comes out good, I’m like, oh, this is good. And then I, I like Labiaplasty. That’s another one that patients are usually pretty happy about.[00:18:00]
I mean, I like any surgery that I do, I really like, I love mommy makeovers because you’re changing that whole everything about that patient. Anything that like changes the patients, the way a patient feels about themself. It is so cool that I get to be a part of that. Like that I can, like, I almost feel it’s a little bit selfish that I’m like, oh yeah, I got to, I got to be a part of your self-esteem booths. Like it’s a little bit selfish of me that I get to feel that. Ooh. Yeah. Like I changed how you feel about yourself and I get to take that home with me.
Dorothy: Oh, I, I think that’s neat.
Dr. Steinberg: It is.
Dorothy: That’s really neat. Yeah. Yeah. That you, that you’re a part of all of that, that you’re claiming it, what it is.
Dr. Steinberg: Yeah.
Dorothy: Yeah. So what is, what advice would you give someone who’s thinking about some kind of plastic surgery that you’ve described?
Dr. Steinberg: So. Get a few consults, I would max out at three.
Dorothy: Okay.
Dr. Steinberg: Um, you start to [00:19:00] muddy the water after three. So do your research, ask your friends, anyone you know, um, online. There’s a lot of information. Um, I would say two to three consults. Always get a second opinion. I tell patients who come see me. I might not be the doctor for you. Please go get a second opinion if you feel like you need one, if you don’t, great. Um, but women’s intuition. I’m sure there’s some sort of men’s intuition. Obviously 97% of the people I operate on are women.
But women’s intuition and gut feelings are real. So when you go into a consult or when you see a doctor, whether you were told they’re the greatest doctor on earth and you know someone who had the best outcome with them, if there’s something not right in here. I would go with it. You really need to feel connected and you really need to feel like that person’s gonna take care of you afterwards. Because if you have any issues and everything’s not perfect, you know, if you have any issues, concerns, questions, even if you don’t have issues and you just are the type of person that wants to connect with somebody and, um, be able to speak to them whenever you [00:20:00] want. You have to make sure that that is that person. And that you feel comfortable doing that because the last thing you know I want is you sitting at home going through something, wondering about something and not being able to ask me. ’cause you don’t feel like you can. So.
Dorothy: Yeah. So how much of that recovery do you think is emotional?
Dr. Steinberg: Ooh, we’re getting into a good topic. I am very, very, very big advocate of post-op mental health recovery. It’s huge. Huge.
Dorothy: Tell me more.
Dr. Steinberg: I personally had a couple of different procedures, including a rhinoplasty as a plastic surgeon, and afterwards still cried because when I took the splint off and my nose was swollen and I looked like a clown, I was like, oh my God, I can’t believe I did this. I can’t believe it looks like this. Look at me now. It’s like perfect.
Dorothy: Yeah.
Dr. Steinberg: You know. I [00:21:00] forgot in that moment that it takes one to three years to see your final rhinoplasty results. I was just in that moment. Yes. I was just in that moment like, oh my God, I can’t believe I look like this. And if I feel that way as a plastic surgeon and I have that emotion, then any other person is gonna have that emotion.
Dorothy: Right.
Dr. Steinberg: And.
Dorothy: What did, did you get help? Did you talk to…
Dr. Steinberg: I talked to other plastic surgeons and they were like. Ashley, you’re a plastic surgeon, you know. And I’m like, I know, but. I’ve had other surgeries where I felt depressed. I didn’t feel like my results were great and I started eating my emotions, or I just sat at home like, if I’m doing this as a plastic surgeon, so are you guys. So I actually instituted mental health visits for my patients. Um, any patient who has, uh, significant surgery, body surgery, mommy makeover, um, they do get mental health visits with their surgeries.
Dorothy: Really?
Dr. Steinberg: I, you don’t realize, and I’ve had [00:22:00] so many patients be like, I don’t need it. And then afterwards be like, oh yeah, I guess I needed it. Because you can’t do the stuff that you normally could do. Like you can’t pick up your kids, you can’t exercise, you can’t do a lot of the things that you’re used to doing every day. And you don’t realize how much of a toll that takes on you mentally.
Dorothy: Hmm. And are they doing it with you or you have someone that’s helping out you through that too?
Dr. Steinberg: No, I, I outsource that to a program that specifically does that for plastic surgery and bariatric patients. Yeah.
Dorothy: Really? That is so interesting.
Dr. Steinberg: I’m like a huge advocate of this. I spoke on it at the last, last year, Texas Society for Plastic Surgery Meeting. That was my whole talk was mental health like. I, I don’t think it’s talked about enough. I think people are afraid to admit, like, I will tell you, I’m a big advocate. I take anxiety meds, you know, like I have a dog that’s an emotional [00:23:00] support animal. I think we need to do what we need to do to keep us, I wouldn’t even say sane on some sort of level. That allows us to be, uh, you know, successful human beings, whether it’s like I thrive at a higher stress level, you kind of have to figure that out. But I think that, you know, when you put in this plastic surgery or surgery trauma, you put something this wrench into your life, you need to realize how that’s gonna affect you, and you, you need somebody to kind of guide you through that.
Dorothy: That is really fascinating that even for yourself, you’re seeing this. That, that you need it. I mean, it’s, it’s not just because of a surgery or any of that kind of stuff. There’s so much noise in the world right now, and if we don’t have that safe place to go, be it your animal or your. Yeah. Wherever it, I, I know we don’t realize the stress that we’re going through, just [00:24:00] walking through, so many people say, why? Why are we having such a increase in cancer? I know there’s lots of reasons, you know, food environment, what we drink, breathe, all of that stuff. But I sincerely believe it’s because we don’t know how to release this stress that stays in us all the time. I just, I, I’m just amazed that so many of our patients don’t realize that’s part of what’s going on.
Dr. Steinberg: Yeah, I, I agree that, I think it’s something, and this is a whole other conversation, but mental health is something that needs to be taken care of, and it’s not only with surgery, it’s just baseline, like everybody needs to make sure that their physical health is good. But their mental health is just as important, and then especially in my patients before and after, I wish I could be the person that was your sounding board and that could tell you, but that’s not my job and that’s not what I’m good at. I would love to be able to make you feel better mentally and emotionally. But that is way above my pay grade like that. I am not that person. I [00:25:00] do the surgery.
Dorothy: Yeah.
Dr. Steinberg: Um, I take care of you after the surgery. I would love to sit and talk to you about those things, but I’m not gonna be a, a help to you. I’m just gonna sit and commiserate with you. ’cause I get it. I need, that’s why I outsource that to somebody who does it for a living and I recommend it and I talk to patients about it when they come see me for their consults.
Dorothy: That is so wise. I mean, really, you’re a bit ahead of your time there.
Dr. Steinberg: Well, the goal. You asked what’s next? The goal is in my new practice, I would love to hire a mental health professional full-time and just have that in my practice. Somebody that comes and maybe once a week, twice a week, sits and talks to my patients and is available and is there for them. Because like I said, surgery is not just physical.
Dorothy: Not at all. No, and you’ve spoken so many times about what it does for self-esteem, but if you still see that old self, you, [00:26:00] it’s just not going to work.
Dr. Steinberg: And that takes a lot of time like. You don’t realize that even after surgery, even every, if everything is great, you see yourself as that same person. And I like you say these things and patients immediately pop into my head. I could see a patient in my head and I’m like, oh yeah. It took her six months before she finally felt better and was like, oh yeah, I get it. This is, this is my new me. Now I can start buying clothes for this size person that looks like this.
Dorothy: Ooh.
Dr. Steinberg: Yeah. Well, it can take a while. Yes. Of course.
Dorothy: Yeah. So what else in your practice do you get the most enjoyment out of?
Dr. Steinberg: I just love doing the surgery, like actively doing surgery and just that, that before and after that outcome. I literally high fived my assistant the other day. ’cause I was like, man, this looks so good. Like this was a amazing, this is, you know, like I really get enjoyment out of that. And when I can get so much done in a day. And like yesterday I did a breast augmentation and a [00:27:00] breast reduction was done by noon. And I was like, man, I wish I had like four more surgeries. I could operate until like 5:00 PM I would love to do that.
Um, I really just love the act of doing surgery. The after of, you know, the patients, how they feel. I, truly, I’m not good at accepting compliments or being around emotion. That is why I’m not the person to talk to. Um, it’s just I’m not good at it and I internalize it and it means something to me. I’m just not good at responding to it. So when a patient comes in and says those things, it really does mean a lot to me, even if my face is like this. And I’m like, okay, thank you. I just am not good at accepting it, but it’s the reason why I do it. You know, so, so that part of it. And then I also, um, teach, I, you know, I have, um, residents I have right now, I set a PA student.
I would love to have more. I love being able to pay it forward. I have young plastic surgeons, plastic [00:28:00] surgery. Residents, medical students who call me, I give them my phone number, my personal phone number, my personal email. I love being able to gift the knowledge that I received. From so many sources to somebody else.
There are so many times when I felt like, what am I doing? And I had to reach out to so many people. I try and pay that forward as much as possible, whether it’s scientific knowledge or just, you know, opening a practice, how to open your own practice. One of the hardest things I’ve ever done.
Dorothy: Oh, yes, yes.
Dr. Steinberg: So I have people calling me all the time like, what is business insurance? And I’m like, oh, I remember I had that question too. So, yeah.
Dorothy: You think it’s harder because you’re a physician or because you’re a woman?
Dr. Steinberg: Owning a private practice? Oh. ’cause I’m a physician and our brains don’t work business.
Dorothy: That is so true.
Dr. Steinberg: No, I, my brain is surgery. I am like doing payroll yesterday and I’m like, my eyes are crossed. I’m like, why am I doing this? I hate this [00:29:00] part. Like, just put me in the operating room. But it’s just not how our brains are wired. And nobody teaches us that in residency. Like it is a class that should be required for every doctor.
Dorothy: Oh yes.
Dr. Steinberg: We don’t know what we’re doing when it comes to business. Um, some of us do. Um, and those people excel. But it is very rare.
Dorothy: Yeah. It is rare that.
Dr. Steinberg: We do.
Dorothy: It really is. So you’ve told me how you reassure patients. You’ve told me how often women patients need to have that extra help after, after some kind of surgery. Tell me about your initial consultation. Do you have questions or do you just let the patient talk?
Dr. Steinberg: I spend a lot of time with my patients. I carve out an hour for initial consultations. Sometimes it takes longer. What I do is I ask the patient everything, every part of their history, breast cancer history, family history, medical history, any medications they’re on. Big one is weight loss medications. People love to forget that, that is part [00:30:00] of it. I need to know, and I spend that time. I then examine the patient. And then we go over goals like what? What is it you’re looking for? Do you wanna look amazing out of clothes? Do you wanna look just better in clothes? And we figure out, you know, what the best surgery is.
I give them options, and then I go over how the surgery works, where we could do it. Every risk from A to Z, like best case scenario, nothing happens. Here’s the worst case scenario. Um, so I go over everything. Like, I will scare you out of surgery if, you know, if you have any doubts. I need you to know everything. So I sit and tell patients everything. By that time, usually people don’t have many questions because I kind of went over everything. Um, but then at the end of that I let you ask as many questions as you like, and then I always remind people, ’cause people tend to get nervous, which I find so funny in front of me, like how somebody can get nervous, but they get nervous and forget.
So I’m like. You can text, email, call, anytime. I actually get all the text messages that come to my office, I see [00:31:00] them. People don’t realize that, um, yes, the office answers them, but I see every single one. So if I feel like I need to answer it, I do. The availability, texts, emails, they get answered all times, day and night. So if a question comes up. Just ask.
Dorothy: So how do we find you?
Dr. Steinberg: Instagram is a good way to look at my personality and my before and afters because you wanna make sure that you jive with my personality beforehand. And that is @Dr.AshleySteinberg. My office currently is in Bellaire at 6750 West Loop, south Suite 1060. It’s in the Frost Bank building. Um, new office coming. It’s gonna be on Timmons in Richmond, in Greenway, building out a big fancy office.
Dorothy: Nice.
Dr. Steinberg: And call text. I’m on, you can find me on RealSelf. You can find me on the American, uh, society for Plastic Surgery website. If just Google me. There’s lots of information. If there’s not, I’m, my SEO guy is not doing his job. So.
Dorothy: Thank you so much for being with us today. This [00:32:00] has been delightful and. I’ve learned an awful lot that I never even knew I didn’t know.
Dr. Steinberg: Good.
Dorothy: So that, that is the best part. Yes.
Dr. Steinberg: Thank you. Thanks for having me. I really appreciate it.
Dorothy: Oh, of course.
Post-Credits: Thank you for joining us today on Let’s Talk About Your Breasts. This podcast is produced by Speke Podcasting and brought to you by The Rose. Visit therose.org to learn more about our organization. Subscribe to our podcast. Share episodes with friends and join the conversation on social media using #LetsTalkAboutYourBreasts. We welcome your feedback and suggestions. Consider supporting The Rose. Your gift can make the difference to a person in need. And remember, self-care is not selfish. It’s essential.
