Photo courtesy of Kelly Schultz MD Plastic Surgery & Aesthetics.
Lake Highlands Advocate recently sat down with Dr. Kelly Schultz of Kelly Schultz MD Plastic Surgery & Aesthetics to discuss opening her surgical suite in our neighborhood, her approach to aesthetic surgery, what drew her to the neighborhood and her plans for becoming part of the community.
Q: What prompted you to open your own surgical suite?
Schultz: Opening my own practice has been a dream of mine since medical school. As I was graduating and figuring out what that would look like, I wanted to create the kind of experience I would want as a patient.
I wanted control over every detail, from the consultation to surgery and recovery. I also wanted a high-touch environment where patients had full access to me and felt supported throughout the process. Having the surgical suite in the same location as the consultation area also provides patients with a sense of comfort and familiarity.
Q: Why did you choose Lake Highlands for your practice?
Schultz: I knew I wanted to return to the Dallas area after training. I completed my training in Houston at the Texas Medical Center, which was a great experience, but my family is from Southlake, and I knew I wanted to come back to Dallas.
Lake Highlands felt central to many communities throughout Dallas and the surrounding cities. I also wanted to be in an area with a strong sense of community and access to a higher level of medical care if necessary. I’m actually looking to move to Lake Highlands very soon.
Q: Walk me through the design process.
Schultz: The space is about 3,800 square feet. A little more than half is dedicated to the surgical suite, with the rest comprising the clinic’s reception area and office space.
The interior design process was the most fun for me. I drew a lot of inspiration from travel. The layout and architecture were probably the biggest challenges because I didn’t have a strong background in those areas. We went through a few iterations with help from the building team and local architects. MedTech helped with the design and build.
Q: What procedures will you perform at the facility?
Schultz: The procedures I perform at the surgical center are elective aesthetic procedures, including breast augmentation, breast lifts, reductions, tummy tucks, body contouring and some facial procedures.
Not every patient is a candidate for surgery at an outpatient facility. Patients with certain heart conditions or other medical issues that require a higher level of care may need to have their procedures performed in a hospital setting.
Q: How many patients can the facility accommodate?
Schultz: We have one operating room and two preoperative and recovery bays. That setup allows us to accommodate multiple procedures throughout the day, depending on their length. We could see anywhere from one to three or four patients a day.
Q: The facility was designed to meet Quad A standards. What does that mean, and what safety measures are in place?
Schultz: Quad A is an independent organization that establishes standards for outpatient surgery. Those standards cover things patients may not think about when entering a facility, including the design, equipment, emergency protocols, sterilization and infection control.
We also have backup systems in place in case of a power outage and transfer agreements with hospitals if a medical emergency occurs. There’s another surgical suite downstairs in our building, so we also have access to its telephone numbers and contact information.
We’re currently undergoing the accreditation process and hope to have that completed by the end of the year.
Q: What feedback have you received from patients?
Schultz: I think patients are excited. As a younger surgeon in a new city with a strong plastic surgery community, I think there’s a little bit of hesitancy with someone who’s maybe less experienced.
Patients who have visited the practice have described the space as beautiful, relaxing, calming and intentional. For those who have already undergone surgery here, the process has been seamless.
Q: What drew you to plastic surgery?
Schultz: I knew from a young age that I was interested in medicine, and as I got older, I became interested in surgery. I was drawn to the intensity of surgery and the environment of the operating room.
When I got to medical school and shadowed different types of surgeons, plastic surgery caught my eye because it combines the technical aspects of surgery with creativity and artistry. There’s not just one way to do something, and the interpretation of what makes something beautiful can be unique to each surgeon.
Q: How would you describe your approach to aesthetic surgery?
Schultz: I focus on natural and timeless results, particularly in breast and body surgery. That includes procedures such as smaller-volume breast augmentation, breast reductions and lifts, and body contouring after weight loss.
To me, natural results are those that fit a patient’s body and anatomy. When people see my patients, I want them to just look beautiful or look enhanced, rather than seeing the surgery up front. I also want patients to trust me to help them determine which procedures are right for them, without feeling pressured.
In the last few years in the industry, what we’re seeing is a shift from one ideal image of what’s beautiful or kind of that Instagram ideal that people were chasing for many years. And, in the last three to five years, there’s been a shift toward individualized results. Patients want to maintain what makes them look like themselves while enhancing areas that may have affected their confidence. I would never want someone to look back five or 10 years later and regret a decision because they were following a trend rather than making the choice for themselves.
Q: Tell me about your background and training.
Schultz: I’m originally from the Dallas-Fort Worth area. I grew up in Southlake, where my family still lives. I attended Vanderbilt University in Nashville before going to Baylor College of Medicine in Houston. I really liked being in the medical center. I like how it was just a very compact area where there are basically eight hospitals right nearby, so everything was in a contained area.
I stayed in Houston for my integrated residency program, which lasted six years. Part of my residency training included additional aesthetic surgery training at the Dallas Plastic Surgery Institute with Dr. Rohrich. Working with him kind of nailed down my decision to pursue a more aesthetic practice and made me even more excited about coming back to the Dallas area.
Q: Why did you decide to open your own practice immediately after residency rather than join an established practice?
Schultz: My parents have a strong background in entrepreneurship, and watching them build a business from the ground up gave me inspiration and confidence that I could do something similar.
When I was looking at potential jobs in the Dallas area, I respected many of the surgeons here, but I didn’t see a practice that communicated the message I wanted or created the aesthetic and experience I envisioned for patients. It was a leap of faith, but now that some of the hardest parts are behind us, I’m happy we’re here.
Q: What are your plans for the practice in the coming years?
Schultz: Right now, I’m focused on building this location to its fullest potential. I designed the space to be the practice I want to grow into over the next 10 years, rather than something that would feel too small after just a year or two.
Our team currently consists of three people: me, my nurse and my patient care coordinator. I see us growing the team in the future, potentially bringing on another surgeon and injectors. I’d also like to add more services, such as laser treatments, because we’re currently very focused on surgery.
There’s a lot of room for growth at this location. We may consider other locations farther down the road, but for now, I think we have plenty of room to grow here.
This interview has been edited for clarity and brevity.
