Thomas Mustoe, MD - Plastic Surgeon in Chicago, Illinois

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's no substitute for an in-person appointment, but we hope this comes close. I'm your host, Eva Sheie and you're listening to Meet the Doctor. Welcome back to the Meet the Doctor podcast. My guest today is Dr. Thomas Mustoe and he's a plastic surgeon in Chicago, Illinois. Welcome to the podcast.

Dr. Mustoe (00:40):
Well, thank you.

Eva Sheie (00:43):
How long have you been in practice now?

Dr. Mustoe (00:46):
Since 1985, so this is 38 years.

Eva Sheie (00:49):
Okay, and so has it always been private practice aesthetics or did you take a little bit of a pass to get there?

Dr. Mustoe (00:58):
No, I definitely took a somewhat unconventional path. I was in academic plastic surgery until 2014. I started off at Washington University Barnes Hospital in St. Louis for six years, and then in 1991 I came up to be Chief of Plastic Surgery at Northwestern. I know at the time I was the youngest plastic surgery chief in the country, and I did that for 19 years and then was a professor until 2014, another four years, and then I went off on my own in terms of aesthetic surgery. I trained in otolaryngology as well as plastic surgery, and I've always had a focus on the head and neck surgery and the aesthetic practice just evolved. So when I left to St. Louis after six years, it was probably 30% of my practice, and then I did an enormous amount of breast reconstruction for many years in Northwestern, and probably for the last 15 years, it's been pretty close to a hundred percent aesthetic surgery.

Eva Sheie (02:09):
Is Northwestern the main center in Chicago for breast reconstruction?

Dr. Mustoe (02:15):
It's the busiest hospital in the state for breast reconstruction, so it was a very substantial part of my practice. It's obviously aesthetics are a major part of good outcomes in breast reconstruction, and I think as a result of that, I always did a lot of aesthetic breast surgery because there's an obvious overlap. I think because of my interest in any background in ear, nose, and throat, I've also always done a lot of facial aesthetic surgery and earlier on in my career, a lot of producted surgery and had neck cancer, ablative surgery, and I feel all those things have made me a better aesthetic surgeon.

Eva Sheie (02:58):
Certainly. What motivated you in 2014 after all those years to go out on your own?

Dr. Mustoe (03:06):
I think fundamentally autonomy, the faculty practice plan was taken over by the hospital, and I had, as Chief of Plastic Surgery had been used to having control of hiring my own personnel and having a lot of latitude in what I thought people, including the plastic surgeons working under me, and with that loss of autonomy, I felt that that was the biggest reason for going into practice is to be my own boss and control my own outcomes, my own employees, and I think it's honestly the best decision that I've ever made.

Eva Sheie (03:47):
I feel sad for the patients at that hospital that you're not there.

Dr. Mustoe (03:52):
Well, they can still find me. I'm a block away. One of the things that's interesting and it's in retrospect, I now have the best of both worlds because I'm still engaged in the residency program. The chief residents still observe and learn, but as I said, I'm my own boss, have my own environment, we have a lovely office, and those kinds of decisions were if I were at the hospital, would it not have been under my control. 

Eva Sheie (04:25):
Sure. It is nice that they still can gain that experience on the aesthetic side from you.

Dr. Mustoe (04:31):
Yeah, I think I enjoy the interaction. I'm sure it's very careful to say that they are observing and not doing, but they have their own residents clinic and I think they do benefit from my many years of experiences. As I say to patients, practice doesn't make perfect, but it does make better. I think there are real tangible benefits from experience.

Eva Sheie (04:55):
Since you've been in practice for yourself then, have you become known for something other than breast reconstruction?

Dr. Mustoe (05:02):
Yes. One of the real losses was since going into practice, I realistically don't do any more breast reconstruction at all, but I would say the two procedures that I do most commonly are facelift and the variety of aging face surgery and then rhinoplasty and revision rhinoplasty, and those are both really outgrowths of my combined background in both ENT and plastic surgery.

Eva Sheie (05:32):
When patients come to see you for the first time, then actually maybe the question is, do a lot of the people who come to see you already know you? Are you seeing people now for the second time or the third time?

Dr. Mustoe (05:43):
Yes. I think one of the things, I do have an awful lot of repeat customers. I just was on a panel at this meeting on facelift and I've had, which has been very, I think, validating the technique I use that people, many patients come from even out of state who I have previously operated on, and we're obviously happy with the first operation, but I would say it's maybe as much as a third of my practice, a repeat customers

Eva Sheie (06:16):
That is really saying something. So for those that don't already know you, what can they expect from that first visit?

Dr. Mustoe (06:24):
Well, I think I try to be very straightforward and sincere. I do think that if I think people can trust me, and I think that the people I connect with have that sense, and I think that is a huge benefit in the postoperative course because obviously initially in any surgery you're swollen, you don't look good initially, and it just helps so much. If a patient can trust the surgeon when the surgeon says Your recovery is normal, you're going to be okay. I think with experience, I've really tried to educate patients and I think they appreciate that. So I see a consultation. We're all trying to convince people to use us as their surgeon, but I really see my role as a professional to educate them and inform them so that they can make an informed decision and less of a overt marketing sales pitch. They need to know all the pros and cons.

Eva Sheie (07:32):
Is there anything you use technology wise to help educate or communicate with patients during your consultations?

Dr. Mustoe (07:39):
Well, I do think that for some procedures, breast and nose in particular, that 3D imaging is very, very helpful. I think I've gone from feeling like it could be an implied warranty and give patients unrealistic expectations. I think in the converse, it's important. I show them what they can realistically I think they can obtain, and that has been enormously beneficial. I use an iPad to easily show patients before and after pictures. We do have a program where we can diagram, and I think all those tools help educate the patient.

Eva Sheie (08:24):
Is that TouchMD or something?

Dr. Mustoe (08:25):
Yes, it is. Yeah, TouchMD is a useful program, really is. 

Eva Sheie (08:30):
Yeah, I agree. Do you find that the ability to draw on the photos in that TouchMD program is useful and that's something you do all the time?

Dr. Mustoe (08:40):
Yeah, I think TouchMD the ability to draw on the photos. I think everybody uses TouchMD in their own way. I use a Vectra imaging system that I think, as I said, is terrific for breast and nose less so for face. I think the biggest thing is with TouchMD is the ability to draw the diagrams, and that's a part of essentially every consultation. And then I like to go into my own office and show them for and after pictures and pictures of the recovery process so that they are not surprised by

Eva Sheie (09:20):
Certainly.

Dr. Mustoe (09:20):
The fact that after eyelid surgery, you're going to look like you've been in the boxing match for two or three days, but it very quickly recovers.

Eva Sheie (09:30):
Being prepared for recovery is absolutely the most important thing about being satisfied as a patient.

Dr. Mustoe (09:37):
Yeah, I think it is very important, and I do think that we're not people just like, because we're giving a press professional consultation and that's the way they feel. We do charge for the consultation, and then we really give them lots of time, and I think that's a much better approach than what some surgeons do, which is free consultations, and then they have a tendency to rush the consultation, and that just doesn't, you can't educate someone in 15 minutes. You just can't.

Eva Sheie (10:09):
No. People don't like to wait, but they don't like to be rushed either. Who else might we meet if we come in to see you?

Dr. Mustoe (10:17):
Well, I have a nurse that I work with on a very regular basis, my office manager, patient coordinator, a person at the front desk who is checking them in and checking them out. We've got a couple of those people aesthetician and they would meet all those people.

Eva Sheie (10:36):
And has your team been with you for a long time?

Dr. Mustoe (10:38):
Yeah. Yes. I think that's one of the things that I think is reassuring. I have, well, I have a new nurse now who's great. She's been with me for a couple of years, but my former nurse was with me for 24 years until she retired. My patient coordinator dash office manager has been with me for nine years, but she's been working in plastic surgery for 30 years. Person at the front desk has been with me for more than 20 years. My aesthetician has been with me for more than 20 years, so.

Eva Sheie (11:10):
They all left Northwestern.

Dr. Mustoe (11:11):
Yes, and I think that kind of, I'd like to treat people fairly, obviously pay them well, but also make realistic expectations, be consistent with my demeanor, not yell, not get excited, and I think it makes it for a good working environment.

Eva Sheie (11:36):
I'm sensing a bit of stoicism from you.

Dr. Mustoe (11:40):
I don't know. 

Eva Sheie (11:41):
Fair? 

Dr. Mustoe (11:41):
I try to be calm and I think that that is a real asset in the, or I guess sometimes I could probably be more animated when I talk to people, but I think in the operating room, that's a major asset and I know I'm very calm and collected in the or and that's something that I think is a real strength.

Eva Sheie (12:03):
I find I'm able to make analogies to parenting often when it comes to surgery in that if your patients see that you don't get ruffled by little things outside of the OR, they certainly aren't going to think you're going to get ruffled by things in the OR, which is like.

Dr. Mustoe (12:19):
Yes, and you're right, and I work in a surgeon center where there's a lot of surgeons and some of 'em yell and scream, and that's simply cannot translate into better surgery. It just simply can't.

Eva Sheie (12:32):
Outside of work, what do you like to do?

Dr. Mustoe (12:34):
Oh, I suppose my single biggest topic at this point is golf and golf. I've always loved athletics. I like to compete, but in a gentle kind of way. And then I love the comradery and golf is something you can do in year 90, but I go on a number of golfing trips a year, and it's spending several days with a group of eight or 12 people is the best. I like to read. I like to take walks with my wife, family, but a dinner with friends or family is, those are the two things I think that are best in life is a good dinner with friends or family or a good round of golf with friends. Those are the best.

Eva Sheie (13:21):
Well said. If someone's listening and they want to find out more about you, where should they go online?

Dr. Mustoe (13:28):
Well, I think our website has a number of videos where they can sort of get to know me a little better. I do have an Instagram page. I think those are the two major sources, but I think our website has with plenty of videos and opportunity to get to know me.

Eva Sheie (13:49):
That's Dr. Thomas mustoe.com.

Dr. Mustoe (13:51):
Well, I have a partner. It's TLKM Plastic Surgery is, or you go to me thomas mustoe.com and I have the website is both myself and my younger partner who's great. We're full partners now, Dr. Sammy Sinno.

Eva Sheie (14:10):
I'll make sure we put those links in the show notes so they're easy to find. Thank you for sharing yourself with us today.

Dr. Mustoe (14:16):
Thank you very much. Very delightful interview.

Eva Sheie (14:23):
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