Board-certified plastic surgeon Gary Motykie, M.D. F.A.C.S., is an anomaly of sorts in the world of cosmetic surgery. He believes that surgeons must remember that they are doctors first and more often than not the right answer is “no” to potential patients' plastic surgery requests. Spurred by recent changes in the industry that promote a mentality of bargain shopping for face and body enhancements, Motykie is passionate about educating patients about their overall wellness first and frequently recommends alternatives to plastic surgery that may better enhance their health – along with their beauty. So it was a natural evolution for Dr. Motykie to add a medical spa to his practice in 2014. Located at 9201 Sunset Blvd. in Los Angeles, and offering a full menu of services that focus on proactive wellness, Motykie Med Spais designed to focus on evaluating not just one area of the body at a time, but on a person’s overall health and beauty.
With about 50 percent of his practice consisting of revising surgeries from elsewhere, Motykie’s favorite axioms include, “Don’t bargain shop for parachutes or plastic surgery,” and “Health before Beauty.” His consultations often include recommendations for patients to first optimize their health and perhaps try non-invasive procedures to address specific issues before moving forward with surgery.
Having been a featured surgeon on E! Entertainment’s popular television program Dr. 90210 patients have come to him from all over the world, giving him a breadth of knowledge and experience that would have been impossible otherwise. Motykie continues to present his work nationally and internationally as well as appearing on various televised programs discussing a wide variety of plastic surgical topics. He feels that now is the ideal time for an evolved global approach to anti-aging and aesthetic surgery.
“We focus on the human body as a whole in my practice,” says Motykie. “Too many people now want a 'quick fix' at the cheapest possible price rather than a quality service that will decrease healing time and enhance outcomes as well as improve overall health and slow the aging process. Medical spa treatments should be about more than just being poked with a needle or zapped with a laser, it should also be about improving patients’ overall health and beauty from the inside out.” It is up to the medical spa and medical directors to ensure this balanced perspective remains the focus.
Motykie’s interest in fitness and nutrition began early. Prior to becoming a surgeon, he was a certified personal trainer and avid body builder in his home state of Illinois. He then earned an undergraduate degree from the University of Illinois in the challenging field of Bio-Medical Engineering, during which time he was involved in the research and development of artificial organs and prosthetic limbs. After graduating with honors and multiple academic awards, Motykie followed his dream to study medicine at Northwestern University in Chicago and plastic surgery at the University of Texas.
Motykie achieved his multi-layered understanding of the form, function and aesthetics of the human body after completing an Advanced Cosmetic Surgery Fellowship in Beverly Hills, California. He has spent the past 10 years dedicated to designing an integrative approach to health, wellness, nutrition and surgery with a vision of taking plastic surgery to the next level of evolution in the beauty and anti-aging industry. “Everyone needs to detox from something in life—whether it is food, medications or stress,“ he says. “Once that detox is complete, the results of any beauty or anti-aging treatment can be more easily optimized for improved, longer-lasting results.”
The Healing Curve
In 2008, Motykie formed The Healing Curve, a non-profit initiative to help women who have beaten breast cancer but are left with scars and loss of breast tissue as a result of the mastectomy that saved their lives. The inspiration for starting the non-profit came after the flood of requests the doctor received as a result of episodes of Dr. 90210 that showed him reconstructing the bodies—and positively affecting the lives—of breast cancer survivors. The scope of The Healing Curve has recently been expanded to help patients with birth defects, traumatic injuries from accidents, victims of poorly performed surgery and injured war veterans.