CANFIELD, Ohio – A new aesthetic plastic surgery practice in Canfield has goals of expanding and introducing advanced methods of treatment to the Mahoning Valley, providing a local option for patients who would otherwise have to seek care in major metropolitan regions.
Dr. Claire Oliver, founder of Artesa Aesthetic Surgery, opened her doors at 4139 Boardman-Canfield Road on July 6. “I do love that there is this very deep-rooted sense of community in this area,” she says. “I’m excited to build something here.”
Oliver, a native of Charleston, W.Va., says that the Mahoning Valley market presents a great opportunity to grow her clientele, especially with her experience and education. “I think I’m one of the first ones that’s only focusing on cosmetic surgery,” she says. “A lot of folks have to go to Cleveland or Pittsburgh and travel to other areas because maybe they’re not aware that there are people like me who have this specialized training.”
Oliver received her undergraduate degree in biochemistry and art history from Washington and Lee University in Lexington, Va. The combination of her interest in art and medicine proved a natural pathway into the field of plastic surgery. “I’ve always been kind of interested in the duality of art and science,” she says.
After earning her undergraduate degree, Oliver pursued her medical credentials at the West Virginia University School of Medicine and followed with a full general surgery residency at WVU Charleston and a plastic surgery residency at Summa Plastic Surgery in Akron.
After her residencies, she was accepted into a yearlong advanced aesthetic surgery fellowship in Charlotte, N.C.
“That was a great experience for me,” Oliver says of the fellowship. “The practice I trained at are national leaders in the field of cosmetic breast and body contouring. Those are two of my primary passions.”
It was during her residency in Akron that she met her fiancé, Paul Lyden Jr., logistics manager and buyer for Austintown-based Lyden Oil Co. Once she completed her fellowship and 13 years of training now behind her, Oliver opted to relocate to the Mahoning Valley and start her first private practice. “There are a lot of things I would love to bring here that nobody else has,” she says.
Among the newest techniques Oliver is trained in is breast preservation augmentation. “It’s only been available in the U.S. for about a year, and I think I’m the only one in the area who’s done training in it,” she says. The procedure involves using advanced tools during a breast implant that allows for the preservation of natural tissue, rather than removing or cutting through the tissue. “It provides for more long-term, stable results.”
She credits her fellowship in North Carolina with H/K/B Cosmetic Surgery as an important training experience that helped elevate her skill sets and prepare for her own practice. “It was an exceptionally high-volume practice in North Carolina,” Oliver says. “You don’t get as much cosmetic revision experience in a general plastic surgery training program,” she says.
Dr. Gaurav Bharti, a board certified plastic surgeon and co-founder of H/K/B Cosmetic Surgery, relates the practice hand-picks fellowship candidates out of hundreds of plastic surgeons across the country. “Claire is really a kind person and a talented surgeon,” he says. “In order to be a great aesthetic surgeon, you need to be first and foremost a nice person and then be technically good.”
Bharti says H/K/B, an acronym for health, knowledge and beauty, operates 11 clinics in North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Oklahoma and Florida. He rates Oliver’s performance as “exceptional” during her one-year fellowship, adding that she mastered skills in all areas of aesthetic surgery.
“I’m sure she’s going to build an incredible practice,” Bharti says.
Aesthetics and the Patient
Oliver says a mutual trust between the patient and surgeon is vital when it comes to aesthetic surgery, whether it’s a facial procedure, breast implants or body contouring. Body contouring procedures, for example, are often performed to address excess skin and stubborn fat resulting from weight fluctuations, bariatric surgery, or aging. Part of the treatment is to establish a welcoming environment that encourages collaboration between the physician and patient, she adds.
“As a patient, you want someone who you feel like is listening and understanding your goals,” she says. “That’s one of the philosophies of my practice. I can’t decide how someone should look.”
Instead, Oliver takes in a patient’s desired outcome – what they are looking to achieve. “Based on my evaluation of their anatomy, I kind of go to my toolbox and tell them what their options are and what I can safely provide to give them the results you want.” For some, the treatment could be life-changing, she says.
Among her future dreams is to establish an aesthetic surgery center here in the region that is equipped with some of the most advanced technology in the field. “I want to give my patients the best of the best,” she says. “I treat this as a very individualized, collaborative experience for patients. This is my passion.”
Pictured at top: Dr. Claire Oliver, founder of Artesa Aesthetic Surgery in Canfield, completed 13 years of medical and surgical training before opening her practice in July.
