Nicholas Jones, MD - Plastic Surgeon in Atlanta, Georgia

Eva Sheie (00:03):
The purpose of this podcast is simple. We want you to get to know your doctor before meeting them in person because you're making a life-changing decision and time is scarce. The more you can learn about who your doctor is before you meet them, the better that first meeting will be. There is no substitute for an in-person appointment, but we hope this comes close. I'm your host, Eva Shea, and you're listening to Meet the Doctor. Welcome to today's edition of Meet the Doctor. My guest this afternoon is Nicholas Jones. He's a double board certified plastic surgeon in Atlanta. Welcome to the show, Dr. Jones.

Dr. Jones (00:41):
Thanks for having me.

Eva Sheie (00:43):
Now I have two little girls and they love the song Dr. Jones. Does everyone sing that song to you?

Dr. Jones (00:49):
You know what, it just depends on the audience. Are you talking about the Indiana Jones?

Eva Sheie (00:54):
No, the one by Aqua, like the same people who sing the Barbie Girl song. They have a song called Dr. Jones.

Dr. Jones (01:00):
How does the song go? Sing it. Give me the chorus. He can

Eva Sheie (01:03):
Ing me, sing

Dr. Jones (01:04):
It. Give me a chorus. Go ahead.

Eva Sheie (01:06):
Dr. Jones Jones calling Dr. Jones.

Dr. Jones (01:09):
You know what? I don't know that song, but I do get the Indiana Jones. I do get the Dr. Jones. Dr. Jones? Yeah, from Indiana from, what's the name of that movie? Indiana Jones. Yeah, that's it.

Eva Sheie (01:23):
Temple of Doom. Is that the one? That one is

Dr. Jones (01:25):
From? Yeah, that's it.

Eva Sheie (01:27):
Dr. Jones. Dr. Jones. Right. Okay. So now that we've got that out of the way, what part of Atlanta are you in? It's a big city.

Dr. Jones (01:37):
So my practice is in Paces Ferry. So they still consider this part of Buckhead, but it is northwest. Yeah, northwest Atlanta in the perimeter. So they say there's ITP and O-T-P-O-T-P is outside the perimeter.

Eva Sheie (01:57):
Is it important to be ITP?

Dr. Jones (02:00):
No, it's not important, but when people say they live in Atlanta and let's say, are you married? Okay, well, let's say you weren't married and you were coming to Atlanta to visit a guy and he was like, where do you live? And he said he lived in Atlanta, but he actually lives in Woodstock. That's like a two hour difference,

Eva Sheie (02:24):
Not Atlanta.

Dr. Jones (02:25):
Yeah, Atlanta's pretty spread out. So Buckhead is probably one of the high end affluent areas, and I would say most people with a little bit of money, they probably live in the northern part of Atlanta, Northwest like Buckhead, Sandy Springs, Alpharetta, Milton, all of those places.

Eva Sheie (02:48):
Got it. So how long have you been there your whole career?

Dr. Jones (02:54):
No, I've been here for about four or five years. Prior to being here, I worked for a hospital in Charleston, West Virginia. And then prior to that I did my training in Augusta, Georgia. I'm from New Orleans. I did medical school and New Orleans undergrad in New Orleans.

Eva Sheie (03:13):
I can hear it now.

Dr. Jones (03:15):
Xavier, university of Louisiana and LSU for med school. And then I did a general surgery residency at Albert Einstein and plastic surgery at Medical College of Georgia.

Eva Sheie (03:27):
So in the five years that you've been in your office there near Buckhead, have you become known for anything in particular?

Dr. Jones (03:37):
What am I known for? I'm known as the greatest plastic surgeon in Atlanta, like by far the greatest, no, but what am I known for? Probably body contouring, Brazilian butt lifts, mostly body stuff, so breasts and body. So I think I do a pretty good job with the breast and the body and I'm probably, when it comes to awake liposuction, I'm pretty comfortable with that and I can get really good results whether you're asleep or awake. And a lot of patients these days, there's a fear of being put asleep. And so by offering 'em a awake liposuction, a lot of patients just like that.

Eva Sheie (04:22):
Where do you suppose that fear of anesthesia is coming from?

Dr. Jones (04:25):
Oh, lots of places, but I would say the biggest is probably the media because we all have access to the internet. We all spend an excessive amount of time on social media platforms. And so when the celebrity has a procedure done or they've had a complication or somebody's had a problem, somebody's died, we all hear about it. So you don't hear about 200 million surgeries that have gone without any complications, but it's the ones that have those fatal outcomes and they tend to make more noise than a standard.

Eva Sheie (05:06):
So if someone is coming to you for awake lipo, they've already heard that you're great at this from someone else, is that what's happening?

Dr. Jones (05:16):
So either they've heard from the friend or they've seen some of the results on the internet or they just inquiring and show up in the search engine and they do a consultation and find out a little bit more.

Eva Sheie (05:33):
What would the benefits of being awake be other than it's not as scary as being put under.

Dr. Jones (05:41):
I would say the number one benefit for the patient is they don't have the risk of anesthesia. Now, that could be a good or a bad thing. So if you have a decent pain tolerance, it should be fine. But the biggest advantage is the downtime. You have no downtime as a result of anesthesia. Now you still have to allow your body to recover, but the advantage is you go home and go about your normal routine, you have to rest, but you just bounce back faster. But for me as a surgeon, one of the benefits is positioning, being able to position a patient however I want to get to the area that we are focusing on.

Eva Sheie (06:28):
Because they can help you get in the right position? They can move?

Dr. Jones (06:32):
Yeah, the patient can help me. And also with liposuction, one of the variables is vectors. So the more vectors you can use to get to a targeted area, the higher likelihood you are to clean that area out of fat.

Eva Sheie (06:52):
Is there a limit to how much you can take out with awake?

Dr. Jones (06:56):
I mean, there's the set limit total, whether it's awake or asleep, is five liters. Now, when patients are awake, taking out five liters could be a little bit more risky because generally when you're doing awake liposuction, a patient isn't getting any IV fluids or anything. You're monitoring them, but you don't have an anesthesia provider closely monitoring the patient. So I personally wouldn't be as aggressive when removing fat. So five liters is a max, but most of the time I don't take out five.

Eva Sheie (07:30):
Do you have a surgery center there that's yours? Are you going to a surgery center hospital? What does that look like?

Dr. Jones (07:37):
So I do procedures in my office, and that's strictly minor procedures in awake liposuction. But when I have major procedures in which the patient needs general anesthesia, I have a surgery center. And then I also operate out of a hospital just depending on the patient's needs. If I'm collaborating with another surgeon like a gynecologist and having a hysterectomy and I'm following doing a procedure has to be done in a hospital. But for the most part, I do most of my surgeries at a privately owned outpatient surgery center.

Eva Sheie (08:13):
On your website, there's quite a few interesting things that stand out to me. One is that you have listed on here that you will treat paradoxical adipose hypertrophy.

Dr. Jones (08:27):
Hyperplasia.

Eva Sheie (08:29):
Which that's the side effect that comes from CoolSculpting reacting badly to CoolSculpting, isn't it?

Dr. Jones (08:35):
Right.

Eva Sheie (08:36):
Have you seen that a lot?

Dr. Jones (08:39):
Yeah. I'm not going to say frequently. I've treated a handful of patients here and there they come, but I don't offer CoolSculpting. So the patients, I don't know how

Eva Sheie (08:51):
That was my next comment. You I can see that you don't offer it.

Dr. Jones (08:54):
I don't know how they find me, but they come and what happens is CoolSculpting is cryo lipolysis. They're freezing fat, and the fat cells lice in your body just resorbs. What happens with the paradoxical adipose hyperplasia is even though you've liced these cells, the remaining cells, they produce more fat and they swell up, and then the patients have this kind of funky look where they have some kind of scarring, hardened areas as well as they just kind of mushroom back up or blow back up. And the treatment is liposuction with some sort of energy device. And the reason I use the energy device is because, like I said, it's oftentimes hard to evacuate the area after they've done a cool sculpting, and so the ultrasonic energy helps emulsify the fat or melt of fat.

Eva Sheie (09:56):
It's such a disappointing situation for those people because they were trying to get rid of their fat and then it went the other direction through no fault of their own. So what's interesting, I think about CoolSculpting and this sort of related to this condition is that I'm starting to hear that people just are not going to do it anymore because they can lose weight with the skinny shot or semaglutide or tirzepatide. So I'm curious in Atlanta or in your office and the people that are coming to see you, is that what you're seeing start to happen?

Dr. Jones (10:33):
So I definitely have way more weight loss patients. I have more patients who come to me who have excess skin, and then I do offer the medication here in my office. I offer it because I see a lot of patients who aren't really good candidates for surgery and the weight loss medication can help them become a candidate for surgery and the weight loss medication. It really is effective at helping them lose weight, and when they do lose weight, it also helps them to become a healthier person. I've had patients who they lose weight. They no longer have to take their antihypertensive medications, their diabetes has resolved, their happier, happier, they can move around better. The arthritis is better. So I think it has a lot of benefits even if they decide not to have surgery.

Eva Sheie (11:36):
It's true. Can you think of any specific success stories of people who've gone through that with you and how they're different now?

Dr. Jones (11:46):
Oh yeah. I mean, I have lots of 'em. I mean, I have patients who've lost 70 pounds on the weight loss shot. I've had patients who weren't candidates for surgery, they lose the weight, they come back, we do the surgery, and they have amazing results. I have patients who probably needed a tummy tuck. They didn't want one, but they had this loose skin. I did a wake liposuction on them with the skin tightening and they got the result that they wanted. Lots of success stories, and I think it's going to continue to see patients coming in for plastic surgery after weight loss because America, we don't have the best diet, so there's always going to be a cohort of obese patients who want to lose weight.

Eva Sheie (12:39):
Why do you think an aesthetic practice is the best place to get your semaglutide shots?

Dr. Jones (12:46):
I don't necessarily think it's the best place. I don't really know if there's a best, that's a tough question, but I think for me, I offer it because I see lot of patients who aren't candidates for surgery. Also, I feel like by offering them the medication, I'm also like their primary care doctor. I'm doing something for them that even if they don't have surgery, it would benefit them in the long run.

Eva Sheie (13:17):
It's so expensive to go to your primary care doctor now anyway, that we should all just go to plastic surgeons for everything. I think.

Dr. Jones (13:23):
Yeah, you should come and get your weight loss medication from Nip and Tuck plastic surgery.

Eva Sheie (13:30):
Thank you for saying that. Why did you name it Nip and Tuck Plastic Surgery?

Dr. Jones (13:35):
I actually wanted to name it after myself, but the name was taken, and so I was just trying to think of something that was cool, and so I came up with that. I know there's a show called Nip Tuck, but I've never watched that show. I just was like, Nip and Tuck sounds cool. I hadn't seen anyone with the name. I actually came up with the name before I opened my, maybe a couple of years before I opened my practice.

Eva Sheie (14:04):
Oaky, but who has your actual name? The other Dr. Jones?

Dr. Jones (14:08):
There's lots of Nicholas Jones. Yeah,

Eva Sheie (14:11):
And there's other Nicholas Joneses that are plastic surgeons?

Dr. Jones (14:14):
No, not plastic surgeons, but there's lots of Nicholas Jones MDs, but I'm probably the realest one. If you google Nicholas Jones, MD in any part of the world, I should show up first.

Eva Sheie (14:30):
You did. I did that. You were there.

Dr. Jones (14:32):
Yeah. I'm glad you were able to do that.

Eva Sheie (14:34):
But what's your middle name? Do you have an interesting middle name you could throw in there?

Dr. Jones (14:38):
Yeah, it starts with a I

Eva Sheie (14:42):
Intriguing.

Dr. Jones (14:43):
Yeah, Nicholas Intriguing Jones, that's it. No, it's Isaac. Isaac.

Eva Sheie (14:51):
Oh, I was going to guess that. I'm glad I was right in my head. That's a good middle name.

Dr. Jones (14:58):
Yeah. Thank you.

Eva Sheie (15:01):
You grew up in New Orleans or you just went to school there?

Dr. Jones (15:03):
I'm from New Orleans, so I grew up on a West Bank in New Orleans. I lived there until I finished medical school, so that was the first 20 plus years of my life in New Orleans.

Eva Sheie (15:18):
So were you there for Katrina?

Dr. Jones (15:21):
No, uh-uh. I was in my residency.

Eva Sheie (15:25):
But surely you knew lots and lots of people.

Dr. Jones (15:28):
Yeah, yeah. My parents were there, so there was periods of time where they didn't have any phone service, and people at work were asking me about my family and I had no idea how they were doing, so it was kind of scary. Yeah.

Eva Sheie (15:44):
Yeah, I can imagine. I was in Houston within two weeks, the whole city of Houston was full of people who had

Dr. Jones (15:54):
Oh wow.

Eva Sheie (15:54):
left New Orleans and come over.

Dr. Jones (15:56):
I bet.

Eva Sheie (15:57):
Because it was kind of like the next closest big city. It was a scary time. When someone comes to see you for the first time, what should they expect from that visit?

Dr. Jones (16:10):
They should expect to be welcome. They should feel really comfortable, and during that time, we're going to just have a conversation about what it is that they desire, conversation about what I can offer and what I cannot offer, and we're going to talk about whether or not I feel I can safely perform a surgery that they're requesting.

Eva Sheie (16:39):
Are there times where you send people away or send them somewhere else?

Dr. Jones (16:44):
Absolutely. Yeah. I send patients away. If you want something and I don't think you're going to get the result that you desire, then I can't do the surgery. If it's too risky, we can't do the surgery. And if you're just unrealistic, I can't do the surgery.

Eva Sheie (17:04):
Is it hard to tell people no?

Dr. Jones (17:07):
Not really. No, because at the end of the day, it's my license and I just want to do what's safe for the patient, and if they want something done and I don't think it's safe, then we can't do business. It doesn't happen a lot, but yeah, I turn patients down.

Eva Sheie (17:29):
Have you ever noticed that there's something that those people have in common? Are they usually there for the same kind of procedure or are they all just different?

Dr. Jones (17:41):
They're all just different. I mean, there's certain red flags that you have to pay attention to. You have a patient who's very pushed, rushed, and they want a surgery immediately. That's a red flag. More than likely they've been somewhere else to see another doctor, and they were scheduled for surgery, and maybe at the last minute it got canceled because their labs came back and something was abnormal. Or you'd see the patient, they get their medical clearance and all these medical problems show up that they didn't discuss with you. That's a red flag. Patient's getting surgery to please the spouse, red flag. Patients who have very minor abnormalities or anomalies and they focus on it, that's a red flag.

Eva Sheie (18:41):
Earlier today, we were talking about people who are running from the law and get plastic surgery so they look different. I think that would be a red flag.

Dr. Jones (18:49):
Absolutely.

Eva Sheie (18:53):
Okay, so what else do you like to do when you're not at work?

Dr. Jones (18:56):
I have a dog. I have a giant schnauzer. I like to play with him. He's a puppy. He's seven months old. His name is Satchmo. He brings me a lot of joy. He's funny. He's a big dog, and whenever I'm home, he just follows me around all day. I play golf when I have some time. I hang out with my wife. I like to eat. I eat out a lot. I'm a expert when it comes to dining.

Eva Sheie (19:23):
Is the food in Atlanta as good as New Orleans?

Dr. Jones (19:26):
No. No. I can't think of any place where the food is better than the food in New Orleans. New Orleans has the best food.

Eva Sheie (19:36):
I'm not going to fight you on that one. Well, if someone is listening or watching on YouTube and they're interested in coming to see you, where should they find out more information about you?

Dr. Jones (19:48):
Okay. Yeah. Go to the website, Dr. Nip and tuck.com, www Dr. Nip and tuck.com. There's a nice photo gallery there. There's some information about me, the procedures. I have a YouTube channel. We give out some information, and then on all those other social media platforms, if you want to see more before and after pictures, see me in the OR. All those things. It's on social media or they can just call the office 404-777- Tuck, TUCK. Yeah.

Eva Sheie (20:26):
Nice. Your Instagram is very clear that you have a sense of humor, and it's refreshing because most doctors do not have fun with their Instagram, but you're definitely doing that, so.

Dr. Jones (20:39):
Yeah, thank you.

Eva Sheie (20:39):
I'll put the links to the show notes for everything, so they're easy to find.

Dr. Jones (20:43):
Yeah, I think I'm a humorous person. I don't know if I could be a standup comedian or anything, but I think I tend to make people laugh.

Eva Sheie (20:55):
I think I'll put you in my sort of, I have a hall of fame and a hall of shame where I save good examples and bad examples of stuff.

Dr. Jones (21:02):
Oh, wow.

Eva Sheie (21:03):
And the thing that I always look for on Instagram is, do you make me want to click? And I want to click on almost everything here, and it's really good.

Dr. Jones (21:17):
Do you go to the, what's the name of that? South by Southwest. Are you a music person?

Eva Sheie (21:22):
I am, and I don't usually go, but I have to go this year, so I did get a badge.

Dr. Jones (21:29):
There's some good restaurants in Austin. You know what, I stayed at this resort, this wellness resort. It's called Miraval or something like that. You know that place? You've been?

Eva Sheie (21:42):
I have not been there.

Dr. Jones (21:44):
Yeah, it was a lot of wellness stuff.

Eva Sheie (21:47):
Was it great?

(21:48):
It was cool, but I'm not a wellness person, but I wanted to try something different. I think three days is enough for me, but I stayed for like five.

(22:00):
Did they make you eat like wheat, grass and spinach and stuff?

Dr. Jones (22:03):
No, they didn't, but the food was really clean and they had all these exercises and workshops of getting to know yourself and I mean, it was worth it. It is just after about three days, I had enough of it though.

Eva Sheie (22:21):
Yeah.

Dr. Jones (22:22):
Yeah.

Eva Sheie (22:23):
Sitting by the pool in Las Vegas is my idea of a break.

Dr. Jones (22:28):
Yeah, definitely.

Eva Sheie (22:30):
Well, thank you for doing this.

Dr. Jones (22:33):
Thank you. Thank you.

Eva Sheie (22:37):
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